A stereotype exists of party- and state-affiliated media as little more than passive reflections of the mobilizing agendas of their sponsors. In analyzing the evolution of Barricada, the former official organ of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), the thesis argues that alongside the paper's mobilizing function, there has evolved a professional function with its roots in core principles of journalistic craft. Transformations at Barricada since the Sandinistas' 1990 electoral defeat--in the areas of party/paper relations, editorial strategy, and business management--primarily reflect staffmembers' longstanding professional aspirations, as well as the newly-salient economic pressures that now confront the paper. The broader significance of the findings is suggested via a comparison with Central and Eastern European media systems. It is argued that an understanding of the impact of political transition on media organs is vital to comprehending pres behaviour in transition situations.

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