Specialized Publications of Novosibirsk in the 1930s in the System of Professional Training of Correspondents of the District and Grassroots Press

Abstract

Special publications for journalists played a crucial role during the early development of professional journalistic education in the regions. The bulletins and magazines from the 1930s helped editors and correspondents in choosing priority topics for publications, exploring methods for sourcing information, structuring texts within certain genres, and choosing language styles that aligned with journalistic standards. Bulletins aimed at district newspaper correspondents, published in Novosibirsk in 1932 and in 1935–1936, shared common objectives: they informed workers about important documents in the field of Soviet journalism, outlined goals and tasks of the Soviet press, and detailed the requirements for newspapers and magazines. An analysis of these bulletins reveals that the publication “To Help the District and Grassroots Press”, in contrast to its predecessor “To Work in a New Way”, can be classified as a magazine due to its inclusion of not only ideological articles but also materials serving educational, upbringing and recreational purposes. The bulletin provided practical guidance on planning periodical releases, selecting content, and employing compositional-graphic models for newspapers, as well as stylistic considerations for publications. It featured analyses of materials containing errors from district newspapers, with experienced journalists offering critical evaluations of these articles. Additionally, well-designed newspaper pages were presented as positive examples, and successful practices of newspaper editors collaborating with rural correspondents – such as fostering robust feedback and organizing workshops for new correspondents – were shared. The bulletins of the 1930s can thus be regarded as a vital component in the training of correspondents for local periodicals.