Freedom of Speech in Russia : Politics and Media From Gorbachev to Putin

This book traces the life of free speech in Russia from the final years of the Soviet Union to the present. It shows how long-cherished hopes for an open society in which people would speak freely and tell truth to power fared under Gorbachev’s glasnost; how free speech was a real, if fractured, achievement of Yeltsin’s years in power; and how easy it was for Putin to reverse these newly won freedoms, imposing a ‘patrimonial’ media that sits comfortably with old autocratic and feudal traditions. The book explores why this turn seemed so inexorable and now seems so entrenched. It examines the historical legacy, and Russia’s culturally ambivalent perception of freedom, which Dostoyevsky called that ‘terrible gift’. It evaluates the allure of western consumerism and Soviet-era illusions that stunted the initial promise of freedom and democracy. The behaviour of journalists and their apparent complicity in the distortion of their profession come under scrutiny. This ambitious study covering more than 30 years of radical change looks at responses ‘from above’ and ‘from below’, and asks whether the players truly understood what was involved in the practice of free speech. Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- PART 1 -- 1 Liberties and rights -- I Liberty or licence? -- II Human rights or human obligations? -- III The trial of Pussy Riot -- 2 Dimensions of free speech -- I What size free space? -- II Laws and rules of the game -- 3 What price free speech? -- I A lucrative profession -- II 'A journalist in Russia is more than a journalist' -- III The ultimate price -- 4 The normalisation of lying -- I Living with lies -- II Two kinds of lying -- III The lies of censorship -- PART 2 5 The Gorbachev era: glasnost -- I The 'Gorby' phenomenon -- II Central television -- III Glasnost breaks free -- 6 The coup: give freedom a chance -- I Tragedy or farce? -- II Freedom and national identity -- 7 The Yeltsin era: free speech -- I Transition to democracy -- II Soviet television dismantled -- III Television and cash -- IV Media empire-building -- 8 The Putin regime: patrimonial media -- I The Putin Project -- II Putin and free speech -- III Doctrine of Information Security -- IV Putin's third presidential term: truth and alternative realities -- Conclusion -- Index