Practice of a Soviet International Journalist in South Asia: L.V. Mitrokhin’s work

Section: History of Journalism

In recent years, there has been an active discussion about the existence of communication matrices determining the methods chosen by a journalist to reach his professional goals. It was discovered that there is a connection between institutional matrices, which define the life of society as a whole, communication matrices shaping social communication and media matrices establishing the framework of professional journalism. To further develop this theory, it is necessary to carefully study and compare the professional methods used by journalists from different historical periods. Without claiming to accomplish such a comprehensive task, the authors analyzed the essential characteristics of professional activities and communication strategies and tactics of a journalist working in the socio-cultural space of India. This was done in a case study of L.V. Mitrokhin, a famous Soviet journalist, who followed the communist theory of the press. The paper focuses on the main types of communication strategies and research technologies of a professional journalist, as well as on the results of his archive search and research and information work. It presents the history of L.V. Mitrokhin’s investigation into the activities of the British intelligence service in Asia and examines the communication scenarios of his discovery of the previously unknown letters of Elena Roerich to President F.D. Roosevelt. The paper features the first-ever use of materials from L.V. Mitrokhin’s private archive for research purposes and concludes that the ideological and political views of a journalist do not affect the technical aspects of his professional work.

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