Russian Media Model:Russian Media Model:Newspapers and MagazinesNewspapers and Magazines

Professor Elena VartanovaFaculty of Journalism

Moscow State University/Aleksander Institute, Helsinki

University

Contrasting Models of Russian MediaContrasting Models of Russian Media

Press: introduction of market leads to increased regionalization /localization (the role of distribution)

TV: political elite and big advertisers are pushing television towards the federal economic centre, while regional TV is becoming dependent on national networks as programs suppliers

Radio: little attention of politicians and segmented advertising guarantees diversification of formats and localization of contents

Internet: comparatively low and uneven level of connectivity makes it selective and ‘young’ media

Mobile telephony: undeveloped sector of content services, therefore it is not still in the media system

Media Attitudes

41% trust national mass media (fort residents of Moscow and St-Petersburg residents - 57%)

15% trust local media (for residents of big cities - 21%)

7% trust regional media 27% of Russian do not trust any media

VSCHIOM 2005 (Novosti SMI, 2005, August, N 15-16, p. 27)

Media Uses

Russians get information from:

National TV channels 79%Central radio channels 21%Regional TV channels 14%National (Moscow) press 14%Internet 7%Regional radio stations 6%Regional press 4%Other sources 2%Can’t answe 1%

ROMIR Monitoring 2005 (Novosti SMI, 2005, October, N 19, p. 26)

Russian Newspaper Market: Russian Newspaper Market: Many Titles, Few Success StoriesMany Titles, Few Success Stories

                                                                        

How Big is theHow Big is theRussian Print Media Market?Russian Print Media Market?

Number of registered titles:

25 843 newspapers 16 544 magazines 3 397 almanacs annual newspapers circulation: 8 000 000 000 000 copies annual magazines circulation: 520 000 000 copies

Ministry of Press and Broadcasting, 2005Ministry of Press and Broadcasting, 2005

2004: From Subscription to Retails

Number of profitable dailies does not exceed 10% of total number of titles

Total sales of newspapers - $ 1,9 billion (estimate) including:

Retail - $ 1 billion Subscription - about $ 530 million Free distribution - $ 370 million

Newspapers: Old New BrandsNewspapers: Old New Brands

                                                                        

Basic Features of Basic Features of Russian Newspaper MarketRussian Newspaper Market

High number of registered titles of which only half is published

Two trends: high politicization of content in Moscow-based dailies + rise of sensational journalism

Priority of opinions (propaganda) over news (objective reporting)

Absence of nationally distributed dailies: 21 newspaper for 1 000 readers

Lack of reliable statistics (circulations, revenue and budgets, ownership structures)

State monopoly in printing and paper production Weak position of private delivery companies

Recent Trends: Dealing with the Global

National distribution for Moscow dailies is secured by regional inserts (Komsomolskaya Pravda, Moskovsky Komsomolets, Argumenti i Facty, Zhizn’)

Weeklies are the most profitable newspapers, but their content concepts are mostly built around easy family reading

Newspapers change their formats for tabloids, increase number of pages, introduce colors

Tabloidization: the Russian wayTabloidization: the Russian way Tabloids are not always ‘tabloids’: Change of size and

content (‘Komsomolskaya Pravda’, ‘Gazeta’) and only of content (MK)

Specific editorial concept with an emphasis on political sensations and infotainment, both lacking deep analysis

Priority of local soft news and human interest stories, increase in life style stories

‘Decentralized printing’ in regions + retail distribution based on urban public transportation system + cooperation with regional publishers

Russian Tabloids: Russian Tabloids: Two Old New BrandsTwo Old New Brands

Komsomolskaya PravdaKomsomolskaya Pravda old brand special regional/local editions for national distribution support from resource capital Unstructured audience, but

advertising targeted for core audience profitable

Moskovsky KomsomoletzMoskovsky Komsomoletz old brand particular attention to

Moscow life informal support from the

Moscow city government retail distribution based on

Moscow metro system economically independent profitable

In Search of a Quality DailyIn Search of a Quality Daily

Still a free niche Target groups: highly educated low paid professionals (old Soviet

intelligentsija) + lacking business education businessmen (‘new Russians’) + new business elite (CEOs, top-managers)

A need: neutral, balanced and professional content + special advertising concepts

Cases: ‘Gazeta’ (2001): financed by industrial capital (Lisin), now

tabloid - both in form and content ‘Izvestija’ (1918): long history of state daily+ financing from

resource capital (‘Profmedia’-‘Gazprom’) + cooperation with NYT + endless change of management + substantial upgrading of content and lay-out

Kommersant Daily, RBK DailyÖ business alternativesKommersant Daily, RBK DailyÖ business alternatives

Types of Russian DailiesTypes of Russian Dailies

TypeType N of titles N of titles (1998)(1998)

Daily circulationDaily circulation

LocalLocal 1 5381 538 5 183 0005 183 000

CityCity 1 4301 430 34 543 00034 543 000

Of corporationsOf corporations 866866 7 163 0007 163 000

RegionalRegional 733733 18 486 00018 486 000

RepublicanRepublican 288288 5 440 0005 440 000

NationalNational 245245 32 914 00032 914 000

DistrictDistrict 2020 118 000118 000

Autonomous regionsAutonomous regions 55 39 00039 000

OtherOther 311311 8 5978 597

TotalTotal 5 4365 436 112 483112 483

Magazines for New Social GroupsMagazines for New Social Groups

Basic Features Basic Features of the Russianof the Russian Magazine Magazine MarketMarket

Annual circulation 600 million copies Weeklies: 60% of annual circulation, but 30% of magazine

advertising market Monthlies: 35% of annual circulation, but 60% of magazine

advertising market The highest quantitative growth in the media sector: 5 000 new

titles in last 2 years, but slow growth of the market itself Magazines more often considered as business compared to

newspapers: a growth in volume is explained by 40% restriction in advertising share of content

Market leaders: 600 magazines, mostly glossies, 55% of titles and 50% of circulation is printed abroad

Russian Magazines: Russian Magazines: Types and RolesTypes and Roles

Russian language versions of the international magazine brands: Cosmo, Men’s Health, Geo, Wallpaper, etc.

Magazines copying Western formats (mostly TV guides and weekly news magazines)

and particular Russian ventures (Karavan istoryi, Rabotnitza, Krestjanka, Zdorovije)

Creation of new Russian mythology: guidelines for new rich

Political weeklies: A space for intellectual debates=substitution for a quality dailies