∆ The Soviet communist theory of the press calls for government ownership and operation of media, not just government control. It also attaches its theoretical power base to the collectivist goals of the working proletariat, while the authoritarian theory consciously attributes ultimate press control to a leader or group of leaders. .
The Soviet communist era has ended but questions remain about the role of the press in the seventy-three-year experiment. Schramm accounts for some key points.
First, the press was never the focal point of the Soviet implementation of revolutionary ideas. Media remained tools of national planning, and dissidents were considered enemies of society.
Second, government ownership of media remained a fixed part of the Soviet system. .
Third, due to a fear of capitalism and its influence, Soviet translated "press freedom" simply to eventual capitalist ownership.
Fourth, disregarding personal liberty and expression, only pay attention to the optimistic expression of humankind's ability to work together toward a common goal.
∆ In the Soviet Union, collective national policy often required media managers to ignore important social and health problems. For instance, a nuclear disaster in the 1950s went unreported and virtually unknown to the world until the late 1980s.
∆ The press was also much influenced by Russian attitudes and cultural values, not just communist ideology. Due to xenophobia, most Russians concerned themselves too much with reports occurring in the Soviet Union.
∆ Controlled media and a managed economy not only contributed to an overbuilt bureaucracy but also fixed the way the Soviet people viewed their media. They accepted a system of limited expression, as long as they were reasonably comfortable.
∆ In truth, the Soviet experiment proved a weak test of Marxist doctrine. Stalinist dominance removed the Soviet system from the theoretic foundation of communism.
