State Control of Mass Media and Propaganda Under Lenin Flashcards
How did Lenin view the press and media?
As central to advancing the revolution and ensuring the Communists retained power
How did the new government establish control of the press and media?
Announcing the Decree on the Press: November 1917
Decree Proclaiming Advertising a State Monopoly: November 1917
Nationalising the Petrograd Telegraph Agency: November 1917
Establishing a Revolutionary Tribunal of the Press: January 1918
Establishing the All-Russia Telegraph Agency (ROSTA): Sept 1918
What did the 1917 Decree on the Press do?
It gave the government the emergency powers to close any newspapers which supported a counter-revolution
What did the 1917 Decree Proclaiming Advertising a State Monopoly ensure?
That only the government could publish adverts
What did 1917 nationalisation of the Petrograd Telegraph Agency do?
It gave the new government control of electronic means of communication
What did establishing a Revolutionary Tribunal of the Press in January 1918 do?
With the power to censor the press; journalists and editors who committed “crimes against the people” could be punished by the Cheka. The Cheka were empowered to:
- Impose fines
- Prison sentences
- Confiscate property
- Exile offending writers
What was the All-Russia Telegraph Agency (ROSTA) solely responsible for?
For distributing news
What did Lenin initially close down? How did this change by mid-1918?
He initially closed down papers that supported the Tsar or the Provisional Government - by mid-1918 Lenin had outlawed opposition socialist papers as well
How many newspapers had the Communists closed by 1921?
2000
How many printing presses had the Communists closed by 1921?
575
What was Pravda?
A Russian newspaper that served as the official organ of the Communist Party
It was founded in 1912 in St. Petersburg - Pravda originated as an underground daily newspaper for workers
It soon became the main newspaper of the revolutionary wing of the Russian socialist movement - providing a platform for propaganda and political messaging
How did the policies introduced by the new government impact Pravda?
Pravda gained a much higher circulation - by the early 1920s it was one of the best selling publications in the Soviet Union
What was the cult of Lenin?
The personality cult that developed around Lenin
It elevated him to a near-divine status and portrayed him as a heroic figure who was central to the success of the Communist revolution and the establishment of the Soviet state
How did Lenin view the cult of Lenin?
He did not approve of it. Lenin always stressed the role of the people as the creator of history. Lenin mercilessly stigmatised every manifestation of the cult of the individual
What is significant about January 1918 (in relation to mass media and propaganda)?
January 1918 saw the publication of the first photograph of Lenin
How was Lenin perceived and treated following an assassination attempt?
He was described in essentially religious terms
His survival was described as “miraculous” - the emphasis on his willingness to suffer and sacrifice his life for his people made Lenin into a modern day Christ
What was produced in 1919? (during the Civil War)
Statues and busts of Lenin - even though resources were scarce
Photographs of Lenin appeared with various titles. What was one of these titles?
Leader of the Revolutionary Proletariat
What emerged during 1919 and 1920?
A new style of writing about Lenin
A new style of writing about Lenin during 1919 and 1920 - what did this new style entail?
Lenin was increasingly depicted as:
- Humane
- A man of the people
- A man who refused luxury
- A visionary
- A man of great power
What was Lenin often photographed wearing? Why? (from 1919)
He was often photographed wearing a cap - it implied that Lenin was approachable and down to earth
Why did Lenin allow the cult to grow (despite him being uncomfortable)?
He understood their importance
The media and propaganda focus on Lenin gave the revolution and the Communist Party a face - someone the Russian people could identify with and support
The government collaborated with avant-garde artists in the first years of the revolution. Why?
To produce posters promoting the revolution
Give an example of an avant-garde poster that featured Lenin and describe it.
A Spectre is Haunting Europe - the Spectre of Communism (by Valentin Scherbakov). The slogan is taken from the first line of the Manifesto of the Communist Party
The photo of Lenin is from the Russian Civil war - he is addressing his red troops. Grim and determined Lenin stands in front of a red banner pointing westward
What was Glavlit?
A new organisation which oversaw a more systematic censorship regime
When was Glavlit established?
1922
What did Glavlit do?
- The GPU was put in charge of policing every publication available in the Soviet Union
- New professional censors were employed
- All books were investigated for anti-Communist bias
- The GPU compiled a list of banned books
