Akademik

   Newspaper. Translated from the Russian language as “Labor,” Trud was established in 1921 as the mouthpiece of the Soviet trade unions. It published official decrees, and focused on workers’ issues and economic analysis. In the late 1980s, the newspaper had the world’s largest circulation (21.5 million copies per day). After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Trud lost most of its readership, dipping to 1.5 million readers a day. In 2005, it was acquired by a financial group and became the core asset of the Media-3 holding company, which also includes Argumenty i Fakty, a popular weekly newspaper. Recently, Trud underwent a major rebranding effort: it changed its format from broadsheet to a compact format, with full-color graphics and a classifieds section. Today, the publication (and its online version, www.trud.ru/) focuses on international and national news, as well as lifestyle stories. It particularly appeals to working people aged 20–45 with upwardly mobile career and lifestyle aspirations. Trud often employs some degree of sensationalism in the coverage of events. The publication’s weekend edition is known as Trud-7.