04.09.2007
The following resource is meant to quickly but thoroughly introduce the reader to journalism in Russia and the current state of the market for print media there. Issues surrounding journalism, as well as the government agencies, newspapers, magazines, professional groups, and watch dog organizations are listed here. Your contributions and suggestions are welcome! Contact the author. Table of Contents (click to jump)
Color Code: Red links are to sites only in Russian.
Gray links have English available. What is "The Library?" 1. News Sources Devoted to the FSU report an error back to top Johnson's Russia List monitors the world media for English-language articles about Russia and republishes them - everything from the Economist to the L.A. Times to translated Russian articles - for free! (Consider making a donation, though.) Russia Profile is an English-language information service offering expert analysis of Russian politics, economics, society and culture. A joint project of RIA Novosti and Independent Media, the service consists of a print magazine (distributed for free to any location in the world) and a free online supplement of expert opinions and statistics. The Moscow Times is Russia's most widely circulated and respected English-language newspaper - circulation of its print version, which is distributed for free in Moscow is around 35,000. See also its sister paper The St. Petersburg Times. The eXile is a fairly trashy twice-a-week tabloid. Between the articles about aliens and advertisements for strip clubs occasionally appears a fantastic piece of investigative reporting that gets international recognition. The print version (in Moscow) and the online version together have a circulation of about 120,000. Federal News Service gives a variety of mostly larger, primary source documents such as press briefings and official speeches about Russia. Russia Blog presents up-to-date news, facts and commentary on the state of events in Russia and the former Soviet Union. Created and managed by Yuri Mamchur, a Foreign Policy Fellow with the Discovery Institute. Russia Political offers an interesting compilation of politics-related news, particularly focusing on US-Russia Relations. Novaya Gazeta, Delo, and Nezavisimaya Gazeta offer a more independent, usually more critical look at Russian news. Their circulations are some of the smallest in Russia, but are popular with liberal, educated Russians and often quoted in international media. Lenta.ru, gazeta.ru, and dni.ru are Internet papers popular with educated crowds and the international press. Lenta.ru is by far the leader in this category and often turns up as a reference in the New York Times and The Washington Post. It belongs to Rambler, which was Russia's first search engine and now also owns a cable TV network. 1a. Central Asian News Sources EurasiaNet prints news and original stories about the developments in Central Asia. A full page devoted to announcing grants and employment opportunities for scholars. Central Asian Gateway is devoted to development issues in CA and gives bi-lingual news. Asian Times offers a Central Asian focus. The Times of Central Asia is another good news source specific to CA. 2. Official Russian News and Governing Agencies report an error back to top ITAR-TASS is Russia's official news agency. Their site provides Russian and world news, photos, products and services in English and Russian. Rossiiskaya Gazeta is the official newspaper of the Russian government. Published by the government printing press, it features a lot of official documents, press releases, interviews and news. Nationally, it distributes about 300,000 copies per day. Site in Russian. The Ministry of the Press is the official governing body for the press in Russia, with the power to close or reappropriate newspapers, television stations, etc. More on The Ministry of the Press (SRAS encyclopedia information). 3. Newspapers and Magazines Popular in Russia report an error back to top Magazines.russ.ru gives excerpts from some of Russia's most respected intellectual magazines. Press-Attache.ru gives a vast database on Russian publications and information about them. WPS.ru is "What the Papers Say." It provides information on 30 of Russia's publications, as well as the latest headlines from each. It has a pay service for receiving synopses of articles within the publications as well. Argumenti i Fakti holds the world's record for the largest circulation of any printed newspaper in the world at 3,560,000. Published since 1978, it is THE national newspaper in Russia and now comes in several speciality issues such as AIF Health, AIF Family Advice, AIF Superstars, and several regional issues for Moscow, St. Petersburg, as well as for other countries like Belorussia and Kazakhstan. Owned by Promsvyazbank. Moskovskii Komsomolets was once the official paper of the Moscow's communist governing body. Its distribution is 800,000 (daily) and is generally preferred by educated readers to Argumenti i Fakti. Kommersant is one of Russia's most respected business periodicals. Although it was purchased by Kremlin-friendly oligarch Alisher Usmanov, it retains its reputation in Russia as "independent." Vokrug Sveta is a popular publication which features a little bit of everything: travel, science, fiction, history, and news. Cosmo in Russia is published by Independent Media, which also owns the rights to publish other magazines like FHM, Popular Mechanics, and Men's Health. Vedomosti is of interest to those looking for business news. It combines translated material from the Wall Street Journal with local news. Other papers of interest:
Izvestia (a partner with the New York Times; owned by Gazprom Media)
Komsomolskaya Pravda (owned by V. Potanin, metals magnate)
Onlinenewspapers.com provides an enormous list of modern Russian newspapers. TNS Global offers a rating service for modern Russian newspapers. They have separate listings for major cities and smaller cities. The first number is the approximate readership of the paper, the second is the percentage of its market that papers holds. 4. Russian-Language Publications in the US report an error back to top NashTexas is an immigrant publication with news about texas, the US, and the world. 5. Professional Journalism Associations report an error back to top Russian Union of Journalists is the official journalist's union in Russia (Kremlin supported). Media-Soyuz is a fully independent journalist's union stressing freedom and standards among journalists, advertisers, and government protections for the rights of the press. (English limited to home page.) International Federation of Journalists provides detailed information on journalistic rights, with a database of infractions and murders of journalists across the globe. To find the websites for the member unions in places like Ukraine, Kazakhstan, etc, click here. Association of Investigative Journalists studies and supports the mass media of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. 6. "Watch Dog" Groups report an error back to top Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations offers weekly bulletins on legal and safety issues surrounding the media in Russia. A pretty amazing resource with lots of information in English. The Media Sustainability Index provides in-depth analysis of the conditions for independent media in 20 countries across Europe and Eurasia. Glasnost Defense Foundation is just that, a NGO founded to defend the principles of Glasnost. They have run several studies concerning media freedom (one of which revealed 70% of Russia's press output is devoted to stories about the government). It also has an English mirror site, but which is not as extensive. InterNews Russia is an international NGO operating in Russia since 1992. They "support independent media with the goal of enhancing worldwide tolerance and understanding." They run studies, seminars, and even a distance learning project for journalists. Demokratia.ru is an NGO supporting civil society. Its large archive of legislative reviews contains information on changes in legislation affecting the Russian press - you can subscribe to them for free. 7. Issues and Events report an error back to top The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) hosted its 59th World Congress and 13th World Editors Forum in Moscow in July, 2006. The event was attended by the press from all over the globe and used by liberal reporters to push for more press freedom, but also used by the Kremlin to show that Russia is developing a free press. If nothing else, the event helped reignite debate inside Russia over the status of the media. Opening remarks delivered by Vladimir Putin and WAN President Gavin K. O'Reilly
Russia Profile Article on the Event (informative and impartial)
An Untimely Thoughts Experts Panel on Media Freedom in Russia
How Press Freedom Can Grow in Russia (article from JRL)
8. History of the Russian Media report an error back to top Wikipedia offers an interesting list of publications popular during Soviet times. JHistory is a listserve (mail group) of Journalism historians. They also offer links and a book review project covering the history of journalism everywhere - including Russia. Wikipedia - List of Russian Newspapers gives historical and general information about a number of Russian newspapers. 9. Articles and Interviews - Modern Journalism in Russia report an error back to top This press release gives a brief image of international media companies in Russia. 02/05/06 "Transformations in the Fourth Estate" (article) - a concise picture of recent changes in the freedom of the Russian media. 10/07/2005 "The Post-Soviet Russian Media" (article) - An original SRAS article on developments since the fall of the USSR in Russian journalism. Includes historical information. 09/25/04 SRAS interviews with American journalists covering Russia: John Freedman, Editor, The Moscow Times
Paul Richardson, President, Russia Information Services
J. Quinn Martin, Editor in Chief, Passport Magazine
10. Study Abroad in Russia for Journalism Students report an error back to top Language as a Career is a practical course in Moscow, Russia designed to turn existing language skills into marketable, professional tools. This program combines classes in advanced Russian with subject area courses in business, history, or politics and an internship at newspaper or magazine. Tver Media Project gives students experience in finding and reporting news from inside another culture. No previous experience with the Russian language is necessary. Students will publish their stories in a new, dynamic website they design themselves. In short, this inclusive, modern program is designed for journalists of the 21st century Other Programs in Russia - flexible programs and costs. 11. Other Journalism Projects and Interesting Sources report an error back to top Russian Chronicles is a project of the Washington Post. Two American Journalists traveled from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg in 2005 recording impressions, interviews and pictures. The same project was also carried out in 1995, providing a very interesting comparison. Soviet Journalists Tour the US! This fascinating site is sponsored by the University of Michigan and documents the travels of two "comrades" across America in the mid thirties. Russia Journal offers political, media, and cultural analysis and criticism by some of Russia’s best journalists, critics and intellectuals. Russian Reactions to the London Bombings (article) - translated reactions from President Putin and other well-known Russians. The Well provides bilingual articles about the Russian and international business environment and about employment and working conditions in Russia. It is aimed primarily at Moscow professionals, meaning the most interesting thing is sometimes the article topics. Independent Media publishes the Russian (and Ukrainian) versions of many popular western magazines. It also owns The Moscow Times and St. Petersburg Times. Information about the mega-company. 12. Print Media by Subscription report an error back to top Pressdisplay.com provides digital replicas of newspapers. Looking at the front covers of many issues is free, and you can create an account to read the whole thing in the original layouts. Russian Life provides a handful of interesting sample articles online and affordable student discounts for its bimonthly printed magazine of Russian history, culture, business and travel. To have Russian magazines and newspapers delivered to your door, try Magazines.russ.ru for the least expensive option. If you don't find what you want there, try Eastview.com or Bestperiodica.com.
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