One Profession, Multiple Identities: Russian Regional Reporters' Perceptions of the Professional Community

Abstract

Drawing on perspectives on occupation and identity, this study examines Russian regional journalists' perceptions of their professional community. Different journalistic values derived from a fierce professional competition contributed to reporters' view of the community as disjointed and polarized. The study also found that type of ownership influenced journalists' identity and the way they conceptualize practice. Although journalists of private newspapers believe a newspaper should be a profit-generating enterprise, state owned/supported newspapers' reporters think a quality paper should inform citizens regardless of profit concern. In this province, state-owned or supported newspapers have well-defined missions, whereas the paper that struggles to survive as privately owned lacks clearly articulated goals.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wilson Lowrey

Wilson Lowrey (Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2000) is a Professor in the Department of Journalism at the University of Alabama. His research focuses on the sociology of media occupations, organizations and institutions.

Elina Erzikova

Elina Erzikova (Ph.D., University of Alabama, 2009) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism at Central Michigan University. Her research interests are located at the intersection of journalism, public relations, and political communication.