Russian Cyberspace

Now that "the crisis" - who doesn't know what I am talking about? - is everywhere, it is also out there: in the RuNet. If the financial hardships have been ardently discussed by many a blogger already, then in addition, since October 8 the ZhZh-blogosphere has its own media-crisis platform. The community Krizis v SMI (Crisis in the Mass Media) zeroes in on the effects of the financial crisis on Russian media channels.

According to the initiators, Krizis v SMI traces the way in which "the press bears the ongoing economic turmoil." More concrete, they promise to provide inside information about discharges and transfers within the media sector, delays in salary payments, "tendencies and analyses...", and more. If that sounds a bit imprecise and gossipy, then the emergence of a crisis-linked ZhZh platform is interesting in itself, as a cyberreaction on the situation. 

So what type of a community is KvS? And how much potential does a Russian blogging community such as this one - oriented on one theme and professional section - have? So far, the site has 230 members and is watched by another 314. It offers regular postings, which - in the most recent cases - generate a comment or two. Rather than a news service, the community seems a social networking tool in its purest form: members post brief messages, of the "look what's happening over here!" or "beware if you have an account at this-or-that bank!" type, but also more analytical reflections, and even a poetic reaction on the events.

On a longer term, it could prove worthwhile to follow the site's life cycle and social function. For now, anyone interested in 'crisis blogging' on the Russian media will have to do with the first 63 entries - no small amount for a blog that was born 21 days ago.

ER