Censorship in authoritarian and totalitarian regimes I

The Communist mass media

Totalitarian regimes

• Society is entirely controlled by the State, no elements of civil society exist

• The courts are politicised• Mass society, no individualism accepted• The State power is concentrated into the hands of

a group or a person who cannot be removed from the power by using peaceful means

• A mobilising ideology justifies the power of the ruling elite

Authoritarian regimes

• The State controls society, but certain spheres of civil society (civic initiatives) exist

• The court system is independent from the State

• Ruling elite (person) uses ideology for justifying and supporting the regime, but limited opposition is possible

Power structure in the Soviet Union

• Constitution

• The Central Committee of the CPSU

• Politbureau (Secretariat) of the CC of the CPSU

• Parliament = the Supreme Soviet of the USSR

• Government = The Council of Ministers

“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”

Steve Biko (1946-1977)

South African politician

“Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas.”

Joseph Stalin (1879-1953), Soviet Communist leader

and head of the USSR 1924-1953

Homo soveticus

“The ideal set up by the Party was something huge, terrible, and glittering – a world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons – a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting – three hundred million people all with the same face”

(Orwell “1984”)

Hierarchic structure of the Soviet Press

Organs of the CP and Supreme Soviet (=Parliament):

Pravda, Izvestija + analogues in the ‘Republics’ in Russian

and national languages;

Organs of the Young Communist League (Komsomol):

Komsomolskaja Pravda + analogues in the

‘Republics’;

Organs of the Trade Unions (Trud + regional and local);

Publications of the State institutions/Ministeries etc;

Publications of Associations and Unions (Pionerskaja

Pravda + regional)

Hierarchy of events

All-Union events

International events

‘Republican’ events (in the national republics)

Regional events

Local events

Hierarchy of sources

Leaders of the CP and government officialsTASS, Vremja, All-Union pressNews agencies of the ‘Republics’Editors-in-chiefJournalists

Hierarchy of topics

Ideology, CP policy, domestic affairs in the USSRInternational affairs and foreign policyHistory of the Communist Party and USSREconomy (industry, agriculture)Soviet life styleEducation, culture, sports etc.

Hierarchy of genres

EditorialPolitical commentAll-Union and regional newsColumn, interview, reportage etc.

The Soviet Censorship System

Central Committee of the CP of the SU

Council of Ministersof the Soviet Union

KGB(5. Dept)

Propag. and Agitation Dept of the Central Committee of the CP

GLAVLIT = The Chief Administration for the Protection of State Secrets in Press

and the Other Media

Glavlit’s local dept.s

State TVand

Radio Committee

State Publishing and Booktrade

Committee

Various state institutions

List of data banned in publications,radio and television programmes(1987)

Regulations of Printing

of Non-Secret

Publications (1989)

Censor’s code: MB-01649

Imprimaturs of Soviet censors

‘Especially dangerous’ book,marked with two hexagons

A secret GLAVLIT order forinspection of draws, shelves,lockers and cupboards in theoffices of State institutions, schools, libraries etc. Dec. 1948.

‘From the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union’

Rahva Hääl 30.4.1986

Rahva Hääl 10.9.1988

Noorte Hääl 10.9.1988

Noorte Hääl 10.9.1988

Rahva Hääl 10.9.1988