The development of the Russian mass media in the last one hundred years has been different than the Western media. The tsar strictly suppressed anti-tsar media and revolutionaries. After the October Revolution, the mass media became a Soviet tool for political agitation and education. The Communist regime banned all private ownership of the media. The promise of freedom of the press was never realized - except in the Constitution of the Soviet Union. The policies of perestroika and glasnost (openness ) initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev gave the moribund Soviet media new life. Due to Gorbachev's courage, the media became the pioneer of his reform policy. The Soviet media was no longer an official tool, and thus the private-owned media was permitted to come into existence. Since 1992, the mass media has continued to develop influence over society and politics, and has become known as a true " fourth power." The media cannot, however, escape the influence of the deteriorating Russian economy. The Russian government has also attempted to interfere in or influence the media and public opinion by budgetary subsidies, political pressure, and censorship. Although the mass media is free in principle, but under strong competition, its survival capacity was in jeopardy due to these crises. Additionally, the Russian industrial-financial syndicates became attracted by the media's power and began to buy up media institutes or set up new ones. The Russian mass media is gradually developing into several groups. The Internet news media, which is a newly emerging industry, has had some initial influence on the Russian middle class.