Conducted in terms: 2024Z, 2024L, 2025Z

ECTS credits: 2

Language: Polish

Organized by: Institute of Central and Eastern Europe Intercultural Studies

The media in Central and Eastern Europe 3224-D7MESW

The course consists of 13 lectures. The programme includes: a methodological introduction;
the main stages of media development in the region in the 1990s and early 21st century, which will
lay the foundations for further practical analysis; and contemporary processes
characterising the information field in Russia and Eastern European countries. Particular attention
will be paid to the relationship between new post-Soviet journalism and the field of power, and
how, in conditions of limited democracy and autocratic regimes,
the basic definitions of media development in post-Soviet Eastern Europe and
Russia are shaped.
An important element of the course will also be the analysis of information strategies in relation to
political systems – both democratic and authoritarian – including
research on propaganda, media manipulation and their effects on shaping
public opinion. Particular attention will be paid to media influences on the countries of
Central Europe (Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary), which remain within the sphere of influence
of post-Soviet information narratives.
The second block of classes will be devoted to the analysis of the most important phenomena in
socio-political consciousness in the post-Soviet area. The course is interdisciplinary in nature –
it combines discourse analysis, anthropology and media history with a postcolonial perspective.
In addition to lectures, practical classes are also planned, during which participants
will have the opportunity to work with source materials, analyse media messages and
communication strategies.
The main objective of the course is to broaden knowledge about the post-Soviet region,
enable participants to critically evaluate existing narratives about it, and
introduce new methods of analysis from the perspective of subordination and dependency theory, as well as
other critical methods of contemporary humanities.

Course topics and plan:

1. Introduction: general concepts and theoretical foundations.

2. The media in the early 1990s in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The formation of the
information market and the entertainment segment – state and private.

3. The media space in Russia during the Yeltsin era and changes in Russia's information policy
at the beginning of the 21st century.

4. Main trends in the development of the media market in Eastern Europe (Belarus and
Ukraine, the Baltic states) at the beginning of the 21st century.

5. Global media/global content. On the identity crisis in the region.
6. The internet: from freedom to imprisonment – 2 classes
-Social media and its impact on the media space in Eastern Europe.
-YouTube – new/old television.
- ‘Revolutionary’ Telegram?

7. Propaganda, fake news, disinformation. How does it work?

8. The 2020 media (anti)revolution in Belarus: social and political consequences.

9. Information strategies during war: Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Poland.
10. Russia's information policy towards Central Europe.

The course includes a visit to centres involved in media monitoring and
propaganda.

Term 2025Z:

The course is designed to introduce students to media systems and the main trends in media development in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, with particular emphasis on the cultural aspects of media activity in the era of globalization.

The term "media" is understood here as mass media (press, radio, television, news portals, and social networks), that is, institutions that produce informational and entertainment content distributed to large, dispersed audiences. These media play a significant role in shaping social, political, and cultural life. During the course, media will be analyzed in the context of their recent history in the region, as well as their impact on intellectual and cultural life in Central and Eastern Europe.

Topics covered include:

1. Changes in media systems in the region after the fall of communism (typologies of media systems).
2. Historical, political, and cultural factors influencing the development of media in the region.
3. Media market transformations in the context of political and economic changes in Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic States, and the former East Germany.
4. Features of contemporary media systems in individual countries of the region.
5. Media–state relations: public, commercial, and state-controlled media.
6. Comparative analysis of state interference in media systems across the region.
7. Processes of media concentration and deconcentration.
8. The specificity of press law in selected countries.
9. The impact of commercialization and tabloidization of media on culture.
10. Issues of journalistic ethics in the region.
11. The problem of censorship and self-censorship in mass media.
12. New media as an alternative to traditional media.
13. The role of social networks in social, cultural, and political life.
14. Citizen journalism in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
15. The culture-forming potential of new media in the region.

Student workload:

In-class participation – 30 hours (1 ECTS)
Preparation for classes – 30 hours (1 ECTS)

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

Understanding of socio-political and cultural processes in the post-Soviet area. Basic knowledge of the theoretical foundations of contemporary humanities, such as: postcolonial studies, post-socialism studies, media studies, deconstruction. Knowledge of Russian at least at B1 level is an important criterion for understanding the materials used in class.

Course coordinators

Term 2025Z:

Anton Saifullayeu

Term 2024Z:

Rostysław Kramar

Term 2024L:

Rostysław Kramar

Learning outcomes

Assessment criteria

ASSESSMENT:
Class attendance, essay or oral examination.

Bibliography

The media in the early 1990s in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The formation of the
information market and the entertainment segment – state-owned and private

Nesteriak, Y. (n.d.). Формирование медиа системы Украины после распада СССР. Adam Mickiewicz University Repository.
https://repozytorium.amu.edu.pl/bitstream/10593/24604/1/07r-Nesteriak.pdf
Лекция Вячеслава Курицына «Культ журналистики в 1990-е годы». YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54owsxUNB7o
Ivanova, K. (2000). Press coverage of Belarus, a newly independent country. Shorenstein
Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.
https://shorensteincenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2000_03_ivanova1.pdf
Belin, L. (2002). The Russian Media in the 1990s. Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics, 18(1), 139–160.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13523270209696371

The media landscape in Russia during the Yeltsin era and changes in Russia's information policy at the beginning of the 21st century.

Wilson, A. (1995). Russian media law and policy in Yeltsin decade. Wolters Kluwer.
Lipman, M. (2009). Media manipulation and political control in Russia. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Cooper, A. (2020, sierpień 10). Conveying truth: Independent media in Putin’s Russia.
Shorenstein Center. https://shorensteincenter.org/resource/independent-media-in-putins-
russia/
Dougherty, J. (2015, kwiecień 27). How the media became one of Putin’s most powerful
weapons. Wilson Center. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/how-the-media-became-one-
putins-most-powerful-weapons
La Lova, L. (2024). Vladimir Putin on Channel One, 2000–2022. Political Communication,
42(2), 234–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2024.2380438

Main trends in the development of the media market in Eastern Europe (Belarus and Ukraine, the Baltic states) at the beginning of the 21st century.

Huber, S. (2025). Media markets in Central and Eastern Europe: An analysis on media
ownership in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. ResearchGate.
Ianitskyi, A. (2025). The State of Membership Models in Ukrainian Media. Kyiv School of Economics.
https://kse.ua/kse-research/the-state-of-membership-models-in-ukrainian-media/
Melkonyan, N., Prots, T., & Mramornova, O. (2012). The comparison of general trends of mass media development in Eastern Europe. 21st Century, 2(12), 60–65.

Global media/global content. On the identity crisis in the region

Paskhalis, T., Rosenfeld, B., & Tertytchnaya, K. (2022). Independent media under pressure: evidence from Russia. Post-Soviet Affairs, 38(3), 155–174.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1060586X.2022.2065840
Cottiero, C., Kucharski, K., Olimpieva, E., & Orttung, R. W. (2015). War of words: the impact of Russian state television on the Russian Internet. Nationalities Papers, 43(4), 533–555.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00905992.2015.1013527

The Internet: from freedom to imprisonment – 2 lessons

Mediapотребление в России – 2020. Deloitte.
https://www2.deloitte.com/ru/ru/pages/technology-media-and-
telecommunications/articles/media-consumption-in-russia.html
Media v Belarusi 2020. (2020). Analiticheskii doklad. https://baj.by/be/analytics/doklad-
media-v-belarusi-2020-est-tendencii-usileniya-gosudarstvennogo-kontrolya-nad
Thomson Foundation & Media and Journalism Research Center (2025). New study: How social media is redefining news and public trust in Eastern Europe. Journalism Research.

Social media and its impact on the media landscape in Eastern Europe
- YouTube – new/old television
- ‘Revolutionary’ Telegram?
Propaganda, fake news, disinformation.
How does it work?

U.S. Department of State, Global Engagement Centre. (4 August 2020). Pillars of Russia’s
disinformation and propaganda ecosystem.
https://2017-2021.state.gov/russias-pillars-of-disinformation-and-propaganda-report/
Kremlin
Disinformation Research Papers. (2025). Pro-Kremlin disinformation: Research papers. European Union External Action.
Avdeeva, M. (n.d.). Kremlin Disinformation in Ukraine and Belarus.
https://bialorus2020studium.pl/wyklad15/
Eliseev,
A. (n.d.). Pro-Kremlin propaganda in Belarus: Classification of narratives.
ISANS.
https://isans.org/analysis/reports/prokremlevskaya-propaganda-v-belarusi-
klassifikacziya-narrativov.html
Kaltseis, M. (2024). (De)legitimisation strategies of Russia’s war against Ukraine: a case
study of Russian television programmes. Canadian Slavonic Papers, 66(3–4), 368–388.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00085006.2024.2421660

The 2020 media (counter)revolution in Belarus: social and political consequences

Kananovich, V. (2023). Beyond the ‘Telegram Revolution’: Understanding the role of social
media in Belarus protests. Digital Icons: Studies in Russian, Eurasian and Central European
New Media, 22, 143–149.
Saifullayeu, A. (2023). Strategy of language resistance in Telegram during the Belarusian
civic movement. Digital Icons: Studies in Russian, Eurasian and Central European New
Media, 22, 150–161.
Kuznetsova, D. (2023). Broadcasting Messages via Telegram: Pro-Government Social Media
Control During the 2020 Protests in Belarus and 2022 Anti-War Protests in Russia. Political
Communication, 41(4), 509–530.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2023.2233444
Wijermars, M., & Lokot, T. (2022). Is Telegram a “harbinger of freedom”? The performance, practices, and
perception of platforms as political actors in authoritarian states. Post-Soviet Affairs, 38(1–2), 125–145.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1060586X.2022.2030645
Belarusian Association of Journalists. (2025, July 7). Mass media in Belarus 2024.
https://baj.media/en/aglyady-manitoringi/mass-media-in-belarus-2024-2/
Strategie informacyjne podczas wojny: Ukraina, Rosja, Białoruś, Polska iSANS. (2024, December 11).
Military propaganda of the Lukashenka regime against Poland and NATO: Dangerous incitement of hatred. https://isans.org/propaganda/propaganda-analytics/military-propaganda-of-the-lukashenka-regime-against-poland-and-nato-dangerous-incitement-of-hatred.html
Korbut, A. (2021). Strengthening public interest in Ukraine’s media sector. Chatham House.
Ferrara, E., Varol, O., Davis, C., Menczer, F., & Flammini, A. (2022). Russian propaganda on
social media during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.04154
Lachowicz, M., & Legucka, A. (2023). Państwa bałtyckie wobec rosyjskiej propagandy
pokoju po 2022 roku. Wschodni Rocznik Humanistyczny, XX(4), 85–101.
https://doi.org/10.36121/lachowiczlegucka.20.2023.4.085
Xu, Y., Zhang, J., & Gao, Y. (2023). Temporally stable multilayer network embeddings: A
longitudinal study of Russian propaganda. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.10264
Saifullayeu, A. (2023) PKW „WAGNER” i białoruski segment propagandowy na komunikatorze Telegram (Luty 2022 – Lipiec 2023))” . Report by Analytical Group "BELARUS-UKRAINE-REGION" IX "WAGNER GROUP": 47-60.
NASK. (2024). Wojna informacyjna w Polsce 2022–2023.
https://www.nask.pl/media/2024/10/Raport__wojna_informacyjna.pdf

Russia's information policy towards Central Europe

StratCom COE. (2016). Analysis of Russia’s information campaign. NATO Strategic
Communications Centre of Excellence.
https://stratcomcoe.org/cuploads/pfiles/russian_information_campaign_public_12012016fin.pdf
Voltri, J. (2022). Countering Russian information influence in the Baltic states: A comparison
of approaches adopted in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Sõjateadlane, 19, 161–196.
https://www.kvak.ee/files/2023/01/Sojateadlane-19-2022-Johannes-Voltri-COUNTERING-RUSSIAN-INFORMATION-INFLUENCE-IN-THE-BALTIC-STATES-A-COMPARISON-OF-APPROACHES-ADOPTED-IN-ESTONIA-LATVIA-AND-LITHUANIA.pdf
Shao, C., Ciampaglia, G. L., Varol, O., Yang, K. C., Flammini, A., & Menczer, F. (2022).
Propaganda and misinformation on Facebook and Twitter during the Russian invasion of
Ukraine. arXiv.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.00419
Rządowe Centrum Bezpieczeństwa. (2023). Disinfo Radar – Analiza zagrożeń dezinformacyjnych.
https://www.gov.pl/web/rcb/disinfo-radar
Fundacja im. Kazimierza Pułaskiego. (2015). Rosyjska wojna dezinformacyjna przeciwko Polsce.
https://pulaski.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/RAPORT-Rosyjska-wojna-dezinformacyjna-przeciwko-Polsce.pdf
Instytut Narutowicza. (2024). Pasozytnicza strategia rosyjskiej propagandy.
https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/pasozytnicza-strategia-rosyjskiej-propagandy-przedstawiono-raport-instytutu-narutowicza
Polska Agencja Prasowa (PAP). (2023). Rosyjskie metody dezinformacji, które pomagają Kremlowi ingerować w wybory na świecie.
https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/raport-pap-rosyjskie-metody-dezinformacji-ktore-pomagaja-kremlowi-ingerowac-w-wybory-na

Term 2025Z:

Dobek-Ostrowska, B. (2002). Transformacja systemów medialnych w krajach Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej po 1989 roku. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego.
Dobek-Ostrowska, B. (2019). Polski system medialny: trzy dekady po upadku komunizmu. W: Polski system medialny. Tom 2. Kielce: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jana Kochanowskiego.
Goban-Klas T. (2015). Media i komunikowanie masowe: teorie i analizy prasy, radia, telewizji i Internetu, Warszawa.
Wojciech Adamczyk (1999). Media masowe w procesie budowania demokracji w Polsce (1989–1995). Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3224-D7MESW in USOSweb