Authors

Serge Poliakoff¹;  ¹ University of Passau, Germany

Discussion

"Patriot Media Group" (PMG), which claimed to be the largest media group in Russia at the time of its closure, was founded and financed by "entrepreneur of influence" Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the creator of the Wagner Group and the Internet Research Agency (IRA). Despite this, it has been underrepresented in the academic context. To fill this gap, this study uses a new source of data: 905 online profiles (CVs) of former PMG employees from Russian job-search platforms. By using quantitative and qualitative analysis of the CV dataset, this study offers thorough insights into PMG's organisational behaviour. As the results clearly demonstrate, the PMG was structured cost-effectively and industrially, with its employees adhering to practices reminiscent of Soviet KGB operatives rather than those of journalists. PMG serves as an example of the decline of the journalistic profession in Russia, reaching the brink of nonexistence. Additionally, the impact of rival companies and successor entities like ANO "Dialog" are also examined.