Authors

• Nordenstreng, Kaarle (University of Tampere. Department of Journalism and Mass Communication)
• Pietiläinen, Jukka (University of Tampere. Department of Journalism and Mass Communication)

Keywords

censorship, freedom of the press, information sources, journalism, mass media, mass media exposure, mass media use, news, newspaper press, politics, presidential elections, radio listening, television viewing, trust

Abstract

The survey charted the consumption of and attitudes towards the mass media in Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia, Russia. It also queried on which channels people use to obtain information. Firstly, the respondents were asked about their habits of reading newspapers. They were asked how often they read different newspapers and how they obtained them. Opinions on preferred newspaper choices were probed. The respondents also evaluated which newspapers usually contained incorrect information and which ones had correct information. Local (Karelian) and national (Russian) newspapers were treated as separate variable groups. The respondents were asked what kind of topics or sections they preferred reading. Different alternatives included politics, economy, entertainment and letters to the editor. The frequency of listening to radio and watching television was examined.

Attitudes towards mass media in general were charted. First, the respondents were asked what they thought the primary purpose of mass media was. They were presented with a set of attitudinal statements about journalists. The respondents were also asked how interested they were in following political news and which information sources they used to follow different kinds of news (political and economic). Opinions on the reliability of the mass media in reporting on these issues were probed. The respondents assessed whether local media were dependent on the authorities of the city and the Republic, and what kind of influence the media had on citizens in general. They were also asked whether the contents of publications should be controlled and whether they were going to vote in the next presidential elections (2000). Those who intended to vote were asked to state their candidate of choice.

Background variables included gender, age, level of education, household size, nationality, employment status, industry of employment, income of one member of the household, financial circumstances of the household in general and district of the town.