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07.09.2008 How the News is Reported in Russia Aug-Sept, 2008 by Andrei Nesterov The two largest state-run television stations in Russia are First Channel and Russia Channel. Most Russians get their news from one of these two stations. SRAS's Andrei Nesterov compiled the following synopsis of how major events in the FSU were covered by news reports on these two stations. This news review is part of SRAS's monthly "obzor" publications. For more reviews, see the newsletter for this corresponding month. If you would like to request that a story occurring in June be covered here, inform our editor. To receive the free monthly newsletter and obzori by email, simply sign up.     Russia-Georgia Conflict For the last three weeks of August, coverage of military conflict in South Ossetia dominated the Russian media. First Channel has regularly broadcast statements by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev calling Georgia an "aggressor" and the situation in South Ossetia's capital, Tskhinvali, a "humanitarian crisis." The Chairman of the Federation Council Sergey Mironov described Georgia's actions on both major channels as "the physical annihilation of children, old people, women, shooting down peacekeepers, and the destruction of schools." Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held a televised government meeting where he announced that Russia would send ten billion rubles (about 416 million dollars) in aid to rebuild Tskhinvali. First Channel has also broadcast many statements by Putin including a speech denouncing "Western politicians supporting Georgia," and directly criticizing the USA for "transporting Georgian military forces with US transport planes from Iraq to the conflict zone." Putin has said that the pro-Georgian position the US has held shows "cynicism" and a "Cold War mentality." Putin has also stated in interviews – shown on major channels in their entirety – that the conflict was actually engineered by the US (stating specifically "the leader" of the army, obviously referring to George W. Bush) in order to benefit "favored candidates" for president (obviously meaning John McCain). President Dmitry Medvedev said on TV that Russia's military operation in South Ossetia is aimed at "forcing the Georgian authorities to make peace in South Ossetia." "In the future, we will do everything possible to protect the lives and dignity of Russian citizens," stated Medvedev. According to nearly all the Russian mass media, up to 80 percent of South Ossetia's residents are Russian citizens and have Russian passports. Russian TV reported that President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree to hold a day of mourning in Russia for those killed in South Ossetia on August 13. Vesti, the 24-hour Russian-language news service, kept a banner up reminding viewers of the mourning for that entire day. Russia Channel stated that "there are more than 1,600 civilians and 74 Russian peacekeepers killed, hundreds of wounded and dozens of thousands of refugees in South Ossetia" after "Georgian troops raided the South Ossetia's territory, in the violation of the UN Charter." Meanwhile, Echo of Moscow (a radio station known for its independent positions), pointed to the discrepancies between the reports of Russian TV and the real situation in war-torn Tskhinvali. The death toll as counted by South Ossetian authorities and by humanitarian groups like Human Rights Watch has been nowhere near what politicians are claiming it is. Also, national TV stations were criticized for not pointing out that no country has directly supported Russia in its action. "It turned out that we do not have friends or allies in this big world," concluded a commentator for the radio station.   Death of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn On the night of August 3, 89-year old writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn died at his country house near Moscow. In his writings, Solzhenitsyn gave detailed accounts of life in the Gulag, the labor camp system of the Soviet Union. "The greatest writer of the 20th century has died," stated First Channel in its report. It broadcast the statement of President Dmitry Medvedev who said that "the passing of this great man, one of the greatest thinkers, writers and humanists of the twentieth century, is an irreplaceable loss for Russia and the entire world." Russia Channel reported that the leaders of France, Germany, and the USA were among those who were first to express condolences on the death of the famous writer. "He opened the road on which Russia has been moving for last several years – the way of rejecting Communism. Solzhenitsyn was the first to disclose the horror of Stalin's totalitarian Russia," said Russia Channel. TV reported that President Dmitry Medvedev came to the Solzhenitsyn's funeral, and laid roses on the writer's grave. The President signed a decree "On perpetuation of the memory about Aleksand Solzhenitsyn," assigning the government to establish scholarships named after Solzhenitsyn for Russian university students and asking regional governments to "perpetuate Solzhenitsyn's memory." Moscow renamed "Grand Communist Street" to "Solzhenitsyn Street" almost immediately afterward. Meanwhile, politicians briefly argued over the effect Solzhenistyn had on Russian policy. The leader of Russia's Communist Party said in a Russia Channel interview that he regretted that the "democrats of the 1990s" did not pay attention to Solzhenitsyn's opinions. "He sincerely wanted to see Russia a strong and rich country, but during the so-called democratic reforms he ended up being ignored. Those authorities did not need his advice," said Zyuganov. Vyacheslav Kostikov, a former press secretary of Russian President Boris Yeltsin, responded on Russia Channel with a quote from President Yeltsin after meeting Solzhenitsyn on November 15, 1995. The president had said "he is undoubtedly a great and powerful man, the meeting was very interesting, but the things he said are impossible to apply to the concrete situation of Russia." The leader of the LDPR political party Vladimir Zhirinovsky summarized the meaning of Solzhenitsyn by calling him the "mirror of the last stage of the development of the Soviet Union – from 1945 to 1991. He described all this," said Zhirinovsky.   Putin Accused Mechel of Corporate Crimes All national Russian TV channels broadcast accusations made by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that Mechel Group, one of the leading mining and steel companies in Russia, was monopolistic in its practices of pricing coking coal for domestic companies - and at the same time sold coal at a reduced rate to its own offshore companies to avoid taxes. First Channel reported that by making these accusations, Vladimir Putin made clear that the state requires business to operate legally. "The rules in the market should be clear, transparent and comprehensive for everybody," said Vladimir Putin on TV. Immediately after Putin's critical statement on July 25, shares of Mechel plunged nearly 40% on the New York Stock Exchange. Investors feared that Mechel might be treated as Yukos had been treated and some even feared that a wave of such actions – destroying and dismantling companies – might occur. This panic led to a sharp decline of the Russian stock market as investors pulled out their money. Russian news avoided broadcasting this effect, however, of Putin's statements. In the end, the Russian authorities did find Mechel guilty – but with a relatively light punishment. The fine amounted to 790 million rubles (5 percent of the company's turnover).   Sarah Palin Criticized by Russian TV Russian national TV channels expressed criticism about Alaska governor Sarah Palin after her nomination for the post of Vice President by John McCain. "The candidature is too controversial," First Channel stated in its comment. In addition, the channel repeated the early criticism heard in America about Palin's lack of experience in international politics saying that "she was the mayor of a tiny town, and has been a state governor for only a short period." Upon learning of the pregnancy of Palin's unmarried 17-year-old daughter, First Channel said of the "scandal" (as the channel put it), "What a blow in the conservative values!" Russia Channel referred to Palin rather condescendingly as a "former 'Miss Alaska'" and a "little-known provincial person." The channel als reported that the "nomination of Sarah Palin is accompanied with a number of scandals: first, on unpleasant details of her family life were brought to light, and secondly, a legal committee in Alaska is conducting two investigations related to Sarah Palin." Russia Channel did not elaborate about the subject matter of the investigations, but summed up that "an inexperienced lady-politician with such credentials is unlikely to help McCain in the battle for the White House." First Channel reported on September 4 that "provocative photos of a naked girl appeared in the Internet, and many people think these are the photos of Sarah made more than 20 years ago when she won the title 'Miss Alaska, runner-up' at a beauty contest." The channel said that nobody could tell if the photos are authentic, and the representatives of Sarah Palin did not comment the issue.   Russian TV Evaluates Joe Biden as Potential VP of US In its coverage of Democratic National Convention, Russia TV Channel named vice president nominee Joe Biden "one of the most authoritative US legislators," sating that "his substantial experience in the area of foreign policy and national security balances the modest record of Barack Obama in these fields." Russia Channel mentioned that previously both Joe Biden and Barack Obama officially opposed repealing the Jackson-Vanik amendment, a cold-war era law meant to restrict trade between the USA and the former USSR. The channel stated in its report that this amendment cannot be applied to today's Russia because the law applies to countries without market economies and which prevent the emigration of its citizens. "However, there are no restrictions related to the amendment currently affecting Russia-US trade," summarized Russia Channel. The law's main repercussion, preventing the US from voting for Russian admittance to the WTO, was not mentioned. Russian TV also mentioned Joe Biden’s recent visit to Georgia and reported that he spoke of this visit at the Democratic National Convention. The channel did not elaborate what the vice presidential nominee said, mentioning only that a different opinion, about the need of a pragmatic dialogue with Moscow, prevails among the democratic party leaders.     Explosions in Sochi First Channel reported that the Sochi Public Prosecutor was investigating four explosions which took place in Sochi and neighboring towns from April to July 2008. "There are grounds to believe that the explosions in Lazarevskoe and Sochi are links of the same chain," the channel quoted investigators as saying. In Lazarevskoe, there were three explosions in April and June, killing two people. In Adler district, a man and two women were killed by an explosion on July 30. On August 7, an explosion took place on a beach in the settlement of Loo of Lazarevsky district of Sochi, killing two people. First Channel reported that a couple walking on the beach tried to pick up a plastic bag, which then exploded. The Head of the Olympic Organizing Committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko made a statement to First Channel saying that a strong security system will be created for the 2014 Olympics, and Russia will do everything possible not to have more incidents of this kind. "In our country, the FSB will deal with the security for the Olympics, and it is one of the most authoritative organizations in the world in terms of opposing terrorist organizations," said the official.   Billionaire Abramovich Resigns as Chukotka Governor In early July, the Russian media reported that President Dmitry Medvedev accepted the resignation of Roman Abramovich as governor of the Chukotka region. First Channel in its report called Abramovich a "big businessman, founder and co-founder of more than 40 companies... In Russia, as in the entire world, Abramovich is known not only as a businessman and politician, but also as the owner of the Chelsea soccer club and a sports fan." "Chukotka experienced striking changes," stated First Channel. "Schools, colorful housing built with Canadian technology, the Internet, and clinics received the latest modern equipment. Chukotka has never been such a comfortable place to live." In listing reasons why Roman Abramovich resigned as the governor, Russia Channel simply quoted Abramovich as saying "I am tired." Russia Channel also expressed hope that the newly appointed governor of Chukotka, Roman Kopin (who previously was deputy governor) will continue the policies for regional development pursued by Abramovich. Russia Channel also broadcast interview with an opposition politician, the leader of Russia's Communist Party, Gennady Zyuganov, who said that "Abramovich should have been dismissed a long time ago." "The governor of any region, especially of such a region as Chukotka, should work 15 hours a day, but in this case, when the region is managed from London – this is outrageous," said Zyuganov. The Communist leader called for cease of the "outrageous practice when a tycoon becomes a state official and openly violates laws forbidding an official to work in business… In fact, Abramovich made the entire territory his 'warehouse' - this cannot be tolerated." Another politician, leader of Liberal and Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky was also shown saying that other governors of Russian regions should follow Abramovich's example. "This is a natural process for the entire world: the new president should have a new team in the regions. I think that 90 percent of the governors will be replaced in the four years to come," said Zhirinovsky.   United Russia Announces Purges In June, Russian media reported on a meeting held by Vladimir Putin, who is the Russian Prime Minister as well as chairman of the ruling United Russia Party. At the meeting held with United Russia's leadership, Vladimir Putin stressed that the party should be closer to ordinary Russian citizens, it should serve as a "link between people and the authorities, and the Russian government in particular." The following month, "United Russia" leadership started a campaign to "purify party ranks." They made public several problems currently affecting Russia's ruling party. "Today, United Russia has 2 million people. The last checking of the party members list revealed that four percent of the members are members only on paper – they do not participate in the party's life and lost contact with the party long ago," First Channel reported. "There are examples of high-ranking party members being wanted by the police, and the party did not comment the situation; we have examples when some bosses in the regions, after receiving certain powers in the party, settled scores with other party members," said Aleksandr Popov, a member of the party's General Board in a TV interview. First Channel reported that "United Russia" will start applying stricter requirements to new candidates to  the party. According to the channel, the party might even make amendments in its charter.   Debates for Returning to Elected Governors Russian political leaders' debates about the need to return governors' elections were barely covered by the national TV Channels. Russia Channel produced a short report broadcasting the statement of United Russia party leader Boris Gryzlov that the party disagrees with the idea of returning to the system of elected (rather than appointed) governors. "All these years we were building the 'power vertical' not for the sake of changing anything now. We are satisfied with the current system of putting Russian governors in office." "The (appointed) governors have much more respect in comparison with those governors who were elected," said Gryzlov in a TV interview. The debates were initiated by Mintimer Shaimiev, the President of Tatarstan (a republic within the Russian Federation). "We should be elected", said Shaimiev at the World Congress of the Russian Press on June 14. Shaimiev has been the leader of Tatarstan for 25 years, and currently he is also a co-chairman of United Russia's "Highest Council." The President of Bashkortostan (also part of Russia), Murtaza Rakhimov, supported Shaimiev, RIA news agency reported. RIA also published dissenting statements made by the governors of Krasnoyarsk and Kemerovo regions. Kemerovo Governor Aman Tuleev called the practice of republics within Russia having their own President, Prime Minister and Ministers "bacchanalia" and called for doing away with it. Meanwhile, the Federation Council Speaker Sergey Mironov and the Head of Duma Committee on Constitution Law Vladimir Pligin said that governor elections may be reinstated. "When we discussed (implementing) the current system, we said that it would be a temporary measure solving the task of the country's stabilization and preserving its sovereignty," said Pligin in a RIA interview. According to him, the elections may be reinstated in 4 years' time. The RIA coverage was not televised on either First Channel or Russia Channel.   Russia Denounces US Approach to START At the G-8 summit at the beginning of July, Russian presidential aide Sergey Prikhodko said to the press that the Kremlin hopes that the USA and Russia would be able to reach a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), RIA reported. The current START I treaty that reduced the two countries' strategic nuclear forces was concluded in 1991 and expires on December 5, 2009. It sets equal limits for the amount of nuclear warheads and their carriers. However, the national TV channels were silent on the issues surrounding the treaty. According to the small Nezavisimoe Voennoe Obozrenie newspaper, the key difference between Russia's and US viewpoints is a different interpretation of the term "strategic nuclear weapons." The USA interprets this term in the narrow sense of the word, meaning only nuclear weapons prepared for launch. Russia extends the term to missiles whose nuclear warheads are removed and kept for storage, or replaced with non-nuclear warheads. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that a new treaty between Russia and the USA should restrict creating new nuclear weapons and should promote reductions in nuclear arsenals. Lavrov insists on lower limits both on nuclear warheads and missiles and says the measures offered by the USA to ensure transparency and allowing both sides to verify each others' arsenals are not sufficient.   Study Politics in Russia The Library: Politics in Russia SRAS Resources for Teachers   Find out more! SRAS Travel Services More Study Abroad Programs Internships in Russia Heath and Safety in Russia The SRAS Newsletter Journal for Students More Free Resources! Questions or comments? Contact the editor. « back to News archive print this page email this page