How did the Soviet Government exercise control over the media, propaganda and religion? Flashcards
Who was the mass media controlled by?
State had control of mass media through nationalism, restriction of info and technology.
What was banned in November 1917 to do with Newspapers?
There was a decree which banned all non-socialist newspapers.
By the early 1920s what had developed with this ban?
By this time it was now all non-Bolshevik papers which were eliminated.
What were all editors and journalists expected to be?
Party members to ensure the press spoke with one voice.
What was the newspaper of the communist party called?
Pravda (Truth)
What was the newspaper of the government called?
Izvestiya (News)
What were the both the government and communist party newspapers intended to do?
Highlight the achievements of the government and socialism. The production figures were meeting or exceeding targets of the latest economic plan.
What was done to these newspapers to ensure a high following?
They were made chap to buy to ensure this high following and they were made widely available.
For local newspapers what was and was not allowed?
They were more likely to publish views critical of the authorities although limits were imposed. It was acceptable to criticize bureaucrats but criticizing party leaders wasn’t allowed.
What areas were off-limits when producing magazines?
sex, pornography, crime and religion were among the topics the government had no wish to encourage.
What did the Bolsheviks do to broadcast things as people didn’t have radios?
They put loudspeakers in public places, factories and clubs in order to get their message to people.
Why were radios useful?
Helpful to get the Bolshevik message across to the 65% of the population who were illiterate
How did the government try and restrict access to foreign stations?
They mass produced cheap radios which had limited reception range and they also had to reply on jamming foreign broadcasts and also threating to arrest those listening to foreign stations.
What was a recurring theme with individual leaders?
They would often create a cult of personality for themselves whereby their qualities and achievements as leader were highlighted.
Why was a cult of personality used?
Used to reinforce the power of individual leaders and detach them from the collective leadership exercised in theory by the politburo. These individuals want power and status above that of their colleagues.
