TRANSFORMATION OF THE REGIONAL MASS MEDIA OF THE CHUVASH REPUBLIC IN THE CONTEXT OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGES IN 1991–1994

DOI: 10.47026/1810-1909-2025-1-85-93

УДК 070(091)(470.344)”1991/1994″

ББК Ч600.3(2Рос.Чув)6

Irina A. MATYUNINA, Andrey A. DANILOV

Key words

regional mass media, the Chuvash Republic, media and market economy, independent journalism, editorial policy, media financing, democratization.

Abstract

The relevance of the research is due to the need to study transformation of the regional mass media of the Chuvash Republic in the context of profound political and economic changes that took place in Russia in the early 1990s. The period of 1991-1994 marked a turning point in the history of regional media when they faced challenges associated with the transition from state censorship to market conditions. The lack of scientific studies on this period limits the understanding of the role played by the mass media in democratization of the society and preservation of the national identity of the region.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the process of adaptation of the Chuvash Republic regional mass media to political and economic changes from 1991 to 1994.

Research material and methods. The research used the methods of analysis, generalization and interpretation of data from the State Archive of Modern History of the Chuvash Republic, scientific and methodological literature and publications in the periodical press.

Results. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the transition to the market economy created new political and economic conditions in which regional media faced the need to adapt. The analysis showed that previously strictly government-controlled publications began to pay more attention to local issues, political discussions and economic issues, as well as publish critical materials about the activities of regional and federal authorities. These changes indicate a shift towards more objective coverage of events. At the same time, the economic crisis led to a significant reduction in government funding, which forced the editorial staff to look for commercial sources of income, including advertising and investments. Such changes led to the closure of a number of low-circulation publications that were unable to adapt to the new economic realities.

Conclusions. The transition from centralized control to market conditions was accompanied by significant changes in the regional media sphere, but regional mass media not only adapted to the new conditions, but also became an important tool for democratizing and preserving national identity.

References

1. Gosudarstvennyi arkhiv sovremennoi istorii Chuvashskoi Respubliki. F. R-2938. Op. 1 [The State Archives of Modern History of the Chuvash Republic. Archive R‐ Anagraph 1].
2. Klement’ev V.N., ed., Boiko I.I., Kharitonova V.G., Zakharov D.A. Istoriya Chuvashii noveishego vremeni: v 2 kn. Kn. 2: 1945–2005 [The history of modern Chuvashiaю 2 books. Book 2: 1945–2005]. Cheboksary, Chuvash Publ. House, 2009, 398 p.
3. Vakku G.V. Gazeta «Sovetskaya Chuvashiya» v sisteme pechatnykh SMI Chuvashskoi Respubliki [The newspaper «Sovetskaya Chuvashia» in the print media system of the Chuvash Republic]. In: Informatsionnoe pole sovremennoi Rossii: praktiki i effekty: sb. st. XI Mezhdunar. nauch.- prakt. konf. [Proc. of 11^th Sci. Conf. “The information field of modern Russia: practices and effects]. Kazan, 2014, pp. 43–49.
4. Belevtseva M. Obuchenie na rodnom yazyke [Education in the native language]. Sovetskaya Chuvashiya, 1991, no. 137, July 11.
5. Solntsev A. I vse-taki Konstitutsiya – osnovnoi zakon [And yet the Constitution is the basic law]. Sovetskaya Chuvashiya, 1991, no. 203, Oct. 5.
6. Arkhipov G., Karacharskov N. Bezvlastnaya chetvertaya vlast’ [The powerless fourth power]. Sovetskaya Chuvashiya, 1991, no. 203, Oct. 5.
7. Zakon Rossiiskoi Federatsii «O sredstvakh massovoi informatsii» [The Law of the Russian Federation «On Mass Media»]. Sovetskaya Chuvashiya, 1992, no. 29, Feb. 11, pp. 3–4.
8. Midakov V. O novom poryadke registratsii sredstv informatsii [On the new procedure for registration of mass media]. Sovetskaya Chuvashiya, 1992, no. 69, Apr. 4, p. 3.

Information about the authors

Irina A. Matyunina – Assistant Lecturer, Department of Journalism, Chuvash State University, Russia, Cheboksary (itorteva@mail.ru).

Andrey A. Danilov – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Department of Journalism, Chuvash State University, Russia, Cheboksary (danilov.andrey@mail.ru; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7083-417X).

For citations

Matyunina I.A., Danilov A.A. Transformation of the regional mass media of the Chuvash Republic in the context of political and economic changes in 1991–1994. Vestnik Chuvashskogo universiteta, 2025, no. 1, pp. 85–93. DOI: 10.47026/1810-1909-2025-1-85-93 (in Russian).

Download the full article