The article considers the interaction of the political priorities of the society and dominants of the theory of journalism. The priorities of the social development are born in the social practice and are expressed in philosophical political discourse where requests of society addressed to journalism predetermine its self-identification. The theory of journalism in Russia largely goes back to V. I. Lenin's political philosophy, including his interpretation of the principle of press freedom. In connection with this, one of Lenin's works ("Letter to G. Myasnikov on August 5, 1921") is analyzed as a philosophical essay that justifies the specific concept of the press freedom - banning opposition newspapers as centers of political organization. However, in the subtext there is recognition of the value of press freedom, therefore the restriction of press freedom is transient. In general, the concept of the Letter is built in the paradigm of achieving near goals. The evaluative approach was not perceived by the political philosophy of Marxism-Leninism, which denied the "absolute". Under the influence of this philosophy journalism stated values born of life, but the idea of them could not receive a philosophical status. Thus, elevated in the absolute paradigm of the restriction of the press freedom for the sake of attaining immediate goals, carried in itself the prototype of its subsequent destruction.