RUSSIAN AND SWEDISH JOURNALISTS

Abstract

To strive for autonomy is key to professional journalistic culture, although the degree of autonomy varies between countries and media systems. A survey distributed to 100 journalists in Sweden and Russia explores their views on journalistic autonomy: the professional duties of journalists, the degree of autonomy they enjoy in their day-to-day work, as well as journalists' opinions about the development of press freedom. The findings reveal that journalists in both countries share many professional values but also feel pressures on their professional autonomy—in Sweden mostly a commercial pressure and in Russia predominantly a political pressure but also the commercial interests of owners and advertisers. There are also some clear differences. Independence in daily work is less for Russian journalists and the obstacles ahead of publishing more common—and they have a negative view on the development of press freedom.

Keywords:

• autonomy
• commercialization
• media development
• political pressure
• press freedom
• professionalization

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The paper has benefited from contributions by Maria Anikina, Journalism Faculty, Moscow State University. Financial support of the project has been received from the Swedish Institute and Stockholm University, Department of Journalism, Media and Communication.