Search

Simon Huxtable's book, "News from Moscow: Soviet Journalism and the Limits of Postwar Reform," explores Soviet journalism during the period between Stalin's death in 1953 and the beginning of Brezhnev's rule in 1964, known as the Thaw. Huxtable examines the archives of Komsomolskaya Pravda, a major Soviet newspaper targeting youth, to understand how the Soviet press adjusted to the demands of the time. He finds that the newspaper aimed to revitalize and reform Soviet socialism, but also had a two-pronged goal of regaining readers' trust and advancing the political agenda. Huxtable concludes that the Soviet press during this period was engaged in working out the meaning of socialism and reforming its deficiencies, rather than opposing political elites. However, he remains skeptical about the press fulfilling a governing function, as there was little evidence of Party directives in print. The book provides insight into the inner workings of Soviet journalism and encourages readers to revisit the Thaw years for a fresh understanding of surviving in a period of misinformation, censorship, and repression. [Extracted from the article]