svetlana pasti, university of tampere international conference matters of journalism: understanding...
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Svetlana Pasti, University of Tampere
International Conference Matters of Journalism: Understanding Professional Challenges and
Dilemmas, Gdansk 2012, 14-15.09
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Unionization: Disconnected WaysPre-Soviet period: the 1880s – 1917: Rise of
Independent Unions
Soviet period: 1917-1992: Arm of the State
Post-Soviet period: 1992 –: Mix:
Independent/Self-Asserting
Latent Arm of State or State &Capital
Arm of the State (Media Union)
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Pre-Soviet period: Independent1880s: Rise of capitalism, the rise of the mass-circulation press, its commercialization, movement towards independence, the search for professional models
First professional associations:
1838 - Mutual Aid Fund of printers 1896 - Union of of Mutual Aid for Russian Writers
Russian journalists - in the International Congresses of Journalists; First professional editions
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Pre-Soviet period: Independent The Tsar’s manifesto (17 October 1905) permitted
freedom of speech and professional unions Several journalistic organisations established: Union of Journalists, Book Publishers and Book
Printers Union of Defence of Press Freedom (all dailies and
many monthly editions of St. Petersburg) Congresses of writers and journalists (1905, 1910,
1917)Agenda: Questions of professional associations and
education
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Soviet period: Arm of State Private practice is abolished, free status of
professions is transferred into state service 1918, 13 November –First Congress of Soviet
Journalists, Lenin as Honorary Chairman 1918 first local unions of Soviet journalists -
to support the young Soviet stateLater they transformed into sections of the
press workers within the state trade unions Regular Journalists’ Congresses in Moscow
with the leaders of the Communist Party
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Soviet period: Arm of State 1957: Union of Journalists of USSR established
with its branches in all republics and regions 1959, 12-14 November: First Congress of the
Union of Journalists State finances the Union and provides health
resorts members of the UnionPaid secretaries lead regional unionsPrimary organizations of the Union - in every
newspaper, radio and television Number of members is 43.000 in 1971
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Soviet period: Arm of State Union of Journalists of the USSR - a creative
organization aimed at the political and professional education of journalists although without real opportunities to protect journalists
Demands for membership: High professional skillExperience of staff work in the media no less
than three years Recommendations from the senior journalists Membership as recognition of professionalism
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Post-Soviet period: From the Arm of State to Independence 1992 Union of Journalists of USSR collapsed,
Russian Union of Journalists established In Moscow it kept the premises, but lost State
supportRegional unions –Independent from the
Central office in Moscow, do not send the member’s fees to it, as before
1994 Congress of the Union accepted Code of Ethics, but it does not work
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Dilemmas in the Unionization: Membership Decline 1992 - 60%, 2008- 42% Among them:
70% of members live in small city
30% of members – in big city or mid-size city
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Decline by Generation Entered the profession Sov.,
before 1992
Transit.,in 1992-1999
Post-2000
Total
Yes, a member 75,6 33,1 16,7
42,1
No, a member of the Media union
,8 ,8 ,0 ,5
Do not see any use in it 6,5 24,0 31,8
20,6
No it has a bad reputation ,8 4,1 2,3 2,4
No, it is distant from interests of ordinary journalists
3,8 12,4 10,1
8,7
Other 3,8 17,4 29,1
16,7
No, a member without comments
8,8 8,3 10,1
9,1
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Aging Age in % Less
30 30-39
40-49 50-59
Yes, a member 13,0
27,4 54,1 78,6
No, a member of the Media union
0,0 1,1 0,7 0,5
Do not see any use in it 36,1
22,6 17,0 4,4
No it has a bad reputation 2,6 3,2 1,5 1,5
No, it is distant from interests of ordinary journalists
10,9
13,7 6,7 2,9
Other 32,2
18,4 10,4 2,4
Not a member without comments
5,2 13,7 9,6 9,7
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Factors behind DeclineNo primary organization of the Union in the medium
Hostile attitude of owners and heads of mediums to independent journalistic organizations and trade unions
Gap between the Central Union and regional unions: ‘No professional community of journalists in Russia’
No common rules and norms in the unionization
Post-Soviet Types of Union Independent/Self-Asserting
Latent Arm of State
Latent Arm of State &Capital
Arm of the State (Media Union)
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Independent UnionVery fewHard survival in society: Hostile
environment from the officials and business affiliated to the government
Hard situation within the union: Conflicting values preventing consolidation
Code of Ethics: Dilemma of acceptance Indirect intervention of the government
into the union; Prosecutions
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Latent Arm of State and/or CapitalFunctionaries of government –in Board of UnionFunctionaries of government and business in
members of the UnionWhy accepted? “In order not to be eaten up by their
own people – journalists” Reply of the head of the union
Mechanisms of defense of journalists underdeveloped
Most union’s activity: festivals, celebrations of veterans, regular awarding of the important officials and journalists: journalistic awards, medals, orders
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Arm of State2001: Media Soyuz (Media Union) by the Kremlin
initiative in Moscow with its branches in the regions
First President –Aleksander Lybimov, the famous journalist of the TV program Vzglyad
Generous State financing 2007-2008: educational project ‘Mediacracy’ aimed
at young journalists with the support of the All Russian political party Edinaya Rossia (United Russia): 1,000 journalists from 81 regions involved
Performs as a competitor of the present Union of Journalists of Russia in recruiting of new members
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Attitudes to Trade Union Should journalists have their trade union?
Sov.,before 1991
Transit1992-1999
Post- 2000 Total
Yes, should 69,3
59,7 48,1
57,1
No, this exists 8,8 6,1 8,8 7,9
No, this is not needed
3,5 8,2 11,1 8,3
Difficulty in replying
18,4
26,0 31,9
26,7
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Attitudes to Civic Organizations Are You a member of some civic organization?
Sov. before1992
Transit 1992-1999
Post- 2000
Total %
Yes, 31,7
14,3
13,3
20,0
No 68,3
85,7
86,7
80,0
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Challenges for Future of UnionPost-Soviet types of the Union do not inspire young:Independent unions - difficulty to surviveMember corruption (officials and business in the
journalistic union) make no sense to join Aging and peripheral: Soviet generation – 76%;
Post-2000 - 17%, 70% - small cities and 30% - big cities
No traditions of strong independent trade unions Young: individualistic, highly mobile, self-interest in
the professionA lack of self-reflecting on the profession
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Insights for optimism Collaboration of Russian Union of Journalists with
the International Federation of Journalists Learning the union’s experience in the European
countries: Barents Press Annual Meetings, visits to abroad
57% of journalists wish their trade unionNew possible initiatives from young, freelancers
and new media to establish their independent unions
Present Independent Journalistic unions acting together with the human rights NGOs
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Russian Journalists: Typical Portrait Shifted
1992 – Male, about 40, married, having children, with journalistic education and professional experience about 16 years, devoted to the profession, member in the Union of Journalists
2008 – Female, under 35, married, having children, living in the large city or mid-sized city, from the middle class family, with high education, having a second job, without membership
Svetlana PastiUniversity of Tampere
http://www.uta.fi/cmt/en/contact/staff/svetlanapasti/index.html