Politology / 6.    Issue of interaction of power and community (отечественный и зарубежный опыт)

 

Cand.Sc.(Philology) Kungurova O.G., Omarov R.B.

Kostanay state university,   Kazakhstan

 

Social commission journalism.

 

The investigated role of media in the political process of totalitarian and transit types is an extremely complex and contradictory phenomenon. In the USSR, the journalists were the creators of spiritual values ​​and orientations being built on the bases of the totalitarian system. It was the right context journalism, political and social commission. A mythological thinking stereotypes were introduced in it. Mass consciousness was a culture medium for the propagation of a political and social myth-making, to create a person of special mentality (proletarian) with certain rules of behavior.

Certainly, the experience of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe has given a significant amount of empirical data, but its existing analysis are subjected to discussion. Creating a hybrid theory and practice of journalism, which bring the eclectic nature and formed as a result of mechanical transfer of advantages of western and American journalism for post-Soviet states' media has become a mechanical consequence of its realization. Kazakh media are no exception.

In our quest to learn and understand the specifics of the totalitarian features in the periodicals of the USSR, we resorted to the well-known Kostanay philosopher, religious studies and journalist Bondarenko Y.Y., whom part of the creative activity came in the existence of Kazakhstan in the Soviet period.  

Yuri Yakovlevich, a graduate of Moscow State University, avows that he has began journalistic work relatively late at the end of 1970. Several of his materials were published in Moscow publications, but most of his articles he has written and published already in Kazakhstan. He has written about three hundred popular-science  and about two hundred newspapers' publications.

Bondarenko is one of people who felt influence of totalitarianism directly. This effect was carried out by actions of censorship. Regular "raying " of materials of journalist by Soviet censors led Bondarenko revealed a curious trend. Its meaning is that censorship, which itself faced Bondarenko was rather professional than ideological plan. Journalist - political scientist asserts that the scope limiting work of media were ideologically and total control over the publications was conducted for the purpose of text editing. And it is significant that in those days was appreciated 100 percent reliability of the information that spotlight the media content of the USSR in a good light front of modernity one.

High professionalism, accuracy, even meticulousness were distinctive features of Soviet media workers - from authors to correctors. Here is one of the clearest examples: after graduate Bondarenko lived in the Kazakh SSR, but had the opportunity to be published in Moscow periodicals. Once he was called capital correctors about misprint in  children's story written by him. As a result, the author had to sort through all his papers, and when some time later he called to Moscow, correctors said that they themselves fix typos. And it was only in the fact that instead of the number 35 in the text of Bondarenko turned a shifter - 53.  It would seem a trifle, which not fundamentally change the meaning of the text, but the censors needed strict accuracy. So laboriously, meticulously and at the same quality work was carried out at almost all levels of Soviet journalistic activities.

However, focusing on rich practical experience in media Bondarenko can give an example of censorship manic caution. Kostanai author has written a book titled "Atheists in the attack," but censorship is not issued a permission for its publication. It would seem, why? Atheism in the USSR was welcomed, religion purposefully were rejected by ideologues of the country. Appeared that the Soviet censors were confused by title, contradicting the stability of advanced socialist state. What does mean attack? Where and whom does attack the atheism? The censor thought that it could be the cause of panic and undesirable reaction to some readers. And it was on censorship logic.

There is other example. Once Yuri Yakovlevich has written a detailed article about the tragic accident that happened in the area of ​​kazakh Semiozerny area of Kostanai region. One man, family man, father of three children suddenly has murdered his wife brutally. He was a member of a religious sect, and this fact has been said by author in the article, and antisocial act villager Bondarenko contacted with the influence of sects. However, article was "braked" by censorship. It was a similar situation: a critique of the sect was welcomed, but there was would not an excess noise, again focusing on the constructed the image of the USSR by Soviet ideology.

As a whole, according to Bondarenko, information in mass media publications had to be critical especially in cases where slipped at least some "foreign influence." Open criticism of the manifestations of capitalism, the bourgeoisie Western propaganda were very welcome. Up to the point of absurdity: to write about the accordion was possible, but about an accordion was impossible.

Also Bondarenko notes that television journalists had even harder than publicists. Because TV is very quickly became the main ideological weapon of the Communist Party, it was a huge reach and influence. Slowly people began to watch more and listen than read, in connection with which on TV was more rigid and straight censorship. Someone's heads were "cuting" every now and then.

Experience and approvals of Bondarenko let to think that in totalitarian censorship had its a totalitarian logic. The other hand, would not consider the modern press isolated from existence of the Soviet period, some of its points are appeared even now. In other words, in its development the media are not without some succession even if their ministry to a totalitarian regime is replaced by a democratic one.