The Nature of Interaction Between the Government and the Media in Shaping Public Political Consciousness in Russia

The connection between society development and media influence was first articulated by Harold Innis, a scholar from the University of Toronto, in the mid-20th century. This notion was further expanded by Marshall McLuhan and Walter Ong. In Russia, since the era of Peter the Great, the control over information production has been a key strategy of governance, with censorship being institutionalized. A brief period of media freedom occurred in 1917, but it was swiftly curtailed post-Bolshevik revolution. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 introduced the "Law on Mass Media" granting media freedom, which was short-lived as media entities quickly became re-dependent on state and corporate powers. This paper argues that in the face of new challenges, state control over information is necessary while ensuring public engagement with authorities. The dynamics of media control in Russia mirror global trends in political media manipulation, highlighting the universal struggle for media independence.