Voices of Exile: Navigating Ethical Challenges and Anonymity in the Context of Path- Dependent Media Repressions
(2025) MKVM13 20251Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
- Abstract
- Political oppression, massive exiles, censorship, and repression of freedom of speech have followed the post-Soviet states from their Sovietisation to the mimicked efforts of independence. This thesis explores how exiled journalists from post-Soviet countries, such as Russia and Belarus, redefine their professional roles and journalistic identities amidst severe authoritarian repression followed by a mass exodus.
Through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with fourteen journalists who have found refuge in exile, I research how these journalists circumvent authoritarian censorship by adopting hybrid media structures. Grounded in the theoretical framework of path-dependent structural violence, the research highlights how... (More) - Political oppression, massive exiles, censorship, and repression of freedom of speech have followed the post-Soviet states from their Sovietisation to the mimicked efforts of independence. This thesis explores how exiled journalists from post-Soviet countries, such as Russia and Belarus, redefine their professional roles and journalistic identities amidst severe authoritarian repression followed by a mass exodus.
Through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with fourteen journalists who have found refuge in exile, I research how these journalists circumvent authoritarian censorship by adopting hybrid media structures. Grounded in the theoretical framework of path-dependent structural violence, the research highlights how journalists in exile maintain credibility when they heavily depend on anonymous sources and face political labels due to entrenched authoritarian repressions.
In my research, I argue that hybridity, while inherently path-dependent, surpasses traditional newsroom models. It reshapes the essence of exile by allowing exiled voices to penetrate ongoing narratives and deliver reliable information. Moreover, I assert that the reliance of exile journalism on covert communication and anonymous whistleblowers does not undermine its legitimacy as a journalistic institution; in fact, it strengthens it. As journalists navigate complex transnational media landscapes, their roles increasingly shift towards political advocacy and resistance against authoritarian oppression. By drawing on theories of hybridity and transnationalism, I contend that despite ethical concerns about objectivity, exiled journalists bolster their credibility through activism.
This research is important because it sheds light on the push-and-pull dynamics between exiled journalists and their audiences behind the ‘iron curtains’. These dynamics redefine not only journalistic roles but also the role of the audience as media consumers, driving both production and consumption towards activism. Understanding this process helps us grasp the transformation of traditional journalism into a watchdog institution under oppressive regimes, allowing them to hold power to account and confront ongoing, entrenched media repressions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9188670
- author
- Shahbazyan, Diana LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- language
- English
- id
- 9188670
- date added to LUP
- 2025-07-04 08:15:56
- date last changed
- 2025-07-04 08:15:56
@misc{9188670,
abstract = {{Political oppression, massive exiles, censorship, and repression of freedom of speech have followed the post-Soviet states from their Sovietisation to the mimicked efforts of independence. This thesis explores how exiled journalists from post-Soviet countries, such as Russia and Belarus, redefine their professional roles and journalistic identities amidst severe authoritarian repression followed by a mass exodus.
Through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with fourteen journalists who have found refuge in exile, I research how these journalists circumvent authoritarian censorship by adopting hybrid media structures. Grounded in the theoretical framework of path-dependent structural violence, the research highlights how journalists in exile maintain credibility when they heavily depend on anonymous sources and face political labels due to entrenched authoritarian repressions.
In my research, I argue that hybridity, while inherently path-dependent, surpasses traditional newsroom models. It reshapes the essence of exile by allowing exiled voices to penetrate ongoing narratives and deliver reliable information. Moreover, I assert that the reliance of exile journalism on covert communication and anonymous whistleblowers does not undermine its legitimacy as a journalistic institution; in fact, it strengthens it. As journalists navigate complex transnational media landscapes, their roles increasingly shift towards political advocacy and resistance against authoritarian oppression. By drawing on theories of hybridity and transnationalism, I contend that despite ethical concerns about objectivity, exiled journalists bolster their credibility through activism.
This research is important because it sheds light on the push-and-pull dynamics between exiled journalists and their audiences behind the ‘iron curtains’. These dynamics redefine not only journalistic roles but also the role of the audience as media consumers, driving both production and consumption towards activism. Understanding this process helps us grasp the transformation of traditional journalism into a watchdog institution under oppressive regimes, allowing them to hold power to account and confront ongoing, entrenched media repressions.}},
author = {{Shahbazyan, Diana}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Voices of Exile: Navigating Ethical Challenges and Anonymity in the Context of Path- Dependent Media Repressions}},
year = {{2025}},
}