Mass-media ideological policy in Communist Romania

Abstract

This article describes how Romanian Communist Party obtained the control of mass-media between 1948 and 1989. Like any totalitarian regime, the communist state put into control printing press, radio and television through centralized institutions: General Direction of Press and Printings (1949-1977) and Council of Socialist Culture and Education (1977-1989). Communist leaders make pressures against mass-media to align journalistic discourse to the official ideology. Romanian mass-media became in 70s and 80s a vector of Nicolae Ceaușescu personality cult. In late communism, printing press and audio-visual haven’t any information, education or entertainment role. The main mission of mass-media was to celebrate the chief of the communist party and the state.

Keywords

• Romanian communist mass-media
• Propaganda
• Communist ideology
• Cult of personality