"The editorial board wants to know...": according to the pages of the Saratov newspaper "Social democrat"

The article is devoted to the analysis of the newspaper of the Saratov branch of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP) «Social Democrat». The author emphasizes the role of the newspaper in establishing communication between the new government and society after the victory of the Bolsheviks over the Saratov City Duma in October 1917, as well as the subsequent information control following the adoption of the «On the Press» decree. This interaction was achieved through establishing feedback forms in the form of letters to the editorial office of the newspaper. For modern Russian historical science, incoming correspondence is the most valuable source. Newspapers mostly publish letters in which authors support the actions of authorities. These letters served as evidence of their success and support from the public. As a rule, letters containing harsh criticism were not printed, and attracted attention of the authorities. Despite editorial changes and censorship, people saw newspapers as a powerful tool for achieving justice. The letters published in the newspaper «Social Democrat» allow us to understand the public sentiment and opinion of the provincial population during the socio-economic and political crisis in early 1918. As a result of research, the author presents a structure of letters categorized by degree and content of appeals.