ABSTRACT
In an apparent attempt to set limits on glasnost, Mikhail Gorbachev called for portrayals of those whom he termed "the heroes of the restructuring of Soviet society". Gorbachev himself pointed out that openness there might be even more important than in the central press, as the provincial press was the first source of information for the majority of the population. Abundant articles were published in the press about provincial officials who gave direct orders for the withdrawal of critical material from issues of local newspapers or who punished journalists for practicing glasnost. Even ordinary citizens seemed reluctant to espouse the cause of glasnost, presumably because they were used to a different tradition and found it difficult to understand the value of free and open debate. Several public opinion surveys published in the press showed that many of those interviewed rejected glasnost on the grounds that not everyone would understand criticism of Soviet life in the right way.
