Mass media and the information climate in Russia

This article explores Russian ‘information culture’, asking how information is shared and used in Russia. While the focus is on contemporary Russia, changes and continuities since the Soviet period are also discussed. In the Soviet Union, information was considered a privilege rather than a right while secrecy determined the general information climate. In post-Soviet Russia, the right to information is legally guaranteed, censorship is forbidden, and ‘state secrets’ are limited by law. In practice, however, secrecy and a lack of access to information is a problem much quoted by journalists and citizens alike. This ‘information culture’ is part of the environment the mass media have to work in, and have to cope with.