Closer to the Masses : Stalinist Culture, Social Revolution, and Soviet Newspapers

In this provocative book, Matthew Lenoe traces the origins of Stalinist mass culture to newspaper journalism in the late 1920s. In examining the transformation of Soviet newspapers during the New Economic Policy and the First Five Year Plan, Lenoe tells a dramatic story of purges, political intrigues, and social upheaval. Under pressure from the party leadership to mobilize society for the monumental task of industrialization, journalists shaped a master narrative for Soviet history and helped create a Bolshevik identity for millions of new communists. Everyday labor became an epic battle to modernize the USSR, a fight not only against imperialists from outside, but against shirkers and saboteurs within. Soviet newspapermen mobilized party activists by providing them with an identity as warrior heroes battling for socialism. Yet within the framework of propaganda directives, the rank-and-file journalists improvised in ways that ultimately contributed to the creation of a culture. The images and metaphors crafted by Soviet journalists became the core of Stalinist culture in the mid-1930s, and influenced the development of socialist realism. Deeply researched and lucidly written, this book is a major contribution to the literature on Soviet culture and society. "In this book, Matthew Lenoe traces the origins of Stalinist mass culture to newspaper journalism in the late 1920s. In examining the transformation of Soviet newspapers during the New Economic Policy and the First Five Year Plan, Lenoe tells a story of purges, political intrigues, and social upheaval." "Under pressure from the party leadership to mobilize society for the monumental task of industrialization, journalists shaped a master narrative for Soviet history and helped create a Bolshevik identity for millions of new communists. Everyday labor became an epic battle to modernize the USSR, a fight not only against imperialists from outside but also against shirkers and saboteurs within. Soviet newspapermen mobilized party activists by providing them with an identity as warrior heroes battling for socialism. Yet within the framework of propaganda directives, the rank-and-file journalists improvised in ways that ultimately contributed to the creation of a culture. The images and metaphors crafted by Soviet journalists became the core of Stalinist culture in the mid-1930s and influenced the development of socialist realism."--Jacket Frontmatter Introduction (page 1) I SOVIET NEWSPAPERS IN THE 1920S 1 Agitation, Propaganda, and the NEP Mass Enlightenment Project (page 11) 2 Newspaper Distribution and the Emergence of Soviet Information Rationing (page 46) 3 Reader Response and Its Impact on the Press (page 70) II THE CREATION OF MASS JOURNALISM AND SOCIALIST REALISM 4 The Creation of Mass Journalism (page 103) 5 Mass Journalists, "Cultural Revolution," and the Retargeting of Soviet Newspapers (page 145) 6 The Central Committee and Self-Criticism, 1928-1929 (page 182) 7 Mass Journalism, "Soviet Sensations," and Socialist Realism (page 212) Conclusion (page 245) Appendix: Notes to Tables (page 257) Archival Sources (page 261) Notes (page 263) Acknowledgments (page 303) Index (page 307)