The official media in Russian Empire during World War I 1914-1918 (based on materials of "Priamurskie vedomosti")

By the beginning of World War I Russian Empire had extensive media system. "Pravitel'stvennyi vestnik" was central government newspaper. In addition to it, there were published newspapers of the Senate, Synod and various ministries. In provinces the official press was presented by so called "gubernskie vedomosti". The article on the example of the newspaper "Priamurskie vedomosti" shows the position of the official periodical press and its role in the government propaganda of the Russian Empire on the eve of Revolution of 1917. "Priamurskie vedomosti" did not have many differences from "Vedomosti" of the XVIIIth century. Their feature was weak journalistic. Instead of articles and feuilletons the newspaper pages were filled with the ordinances by the governor-general and governors, with the information about the appointments, transfers and dismissals of officials and with the official announcements. Chronicle department was devoted mainly to the governor-general. The content analysis of newspaper of World War I period shows that the government had intention to hide from the public what was going on at the front lines. According to "Priamurskie vedomosti" the people had been willingly donating money to the war and the soldiers have been bravely going to the battle with great patriotic enthusiasm since the first days of the war. Actually there was nothing in the paper about military operations, except for the official telegrams of Supreme Headquarters and implausible stories about the acts of bravery of soldiers and cossacks. The newspaper wrote that Germany wanted to "destroy" Russia and the victory over Germany would lead Russia to economic and cultural prosperity. The council of the provincial newspapers' editors held in 1916 showed that such a weakness of journalism in the official press was not accidental. The documents of the Russian State Historical Archive of the Far East make it possible to come to the conclusion that the Government underestimated the need to publicize and promote their policy. Editors of official newspapers in the provinces were ordered to remain within the local cultural, educational, general humanitarian needs and demands, not touching policy. As a result, "Vedomosti" in the Far East, as in other areas, proved to be excluded from the discussion of questions of concern to provincial russian society. The ship of Russian Autocracy had been receiving blows from the front and rear and was just about ready to sink but the helmsmen continued to stand on what "there couldn't be no place for policy in official publications". All appeals to the government to begin to answer the public criticism left voices in the wilderness. Authority, like Sphinx, continued to keep the majestic silence, while trying to shut the mouth of private press by using censorship. But it did not work. As a result most part of Russian private media had become the opposition almost completely separating the Supreme power from the people. That is why the coup d'etat of February, 1917 happened in Russia with such success.

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