ABSTRACT
This book has outlined evidence from several elections in Russia that suggests important trends in election campaigns. In terms of news production, the main nightly news programs have done a relatively poor job of informing the electorate, either because of specific bias or a relative lack of attention to electoral politics in general. Over the years, the coverage has evolved disturbing features, such as the black propaganda and kompromat particularly apparent in the 1999 and 2000 elections. Meanwhile, some parties apparently have learned better marketing techniques, finding particular ways to reach the Russian voters. However, both free-time and paid political advertising have come to rely more on images and personalities, leaving little room for discussion about policies and the problems confronting Russia. Broadcast parties with only shallow roots in the electorate have come to replace more traditional forms of political parties. Finally, the audience seems to have failed to respond to the calls made by some leaders for a party-based democracy. Viewers rely on their broadcast media for a sense of order and authority rather than expecting them to communicate the messy plurality of an electoral democracy.
