Putin and the Media: Revival of Soviet Style Propaganda

On June 2 2005, Oleg Panfilov and Michael Binyon analysed the state of the media in Russia today at a FPC Event in London, looking particularly at the challenges journalists have faced in the post-Soviet era. It was agreed that the media was not a priority in the minds of the majority of Russians; that journalists do not have a full understanding of the extent to
which they can engage in critical commentary nor is there recognition of the link between media and business. Arguably, this is not simply a function of Putin and his administration but rather the transitional nature of the state in the post-Soviet era.