NEWS
/ HOW THE NEWS IS REPORTED IN RUSSIA, DECEMBER 2011
21.01.2012
How the News is Reported in Russia December 2011 by Andrei Nesterov editorial support by Maragret Godwin-Jones
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 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 be covered here, inform our editor.
We are now providing weblinks to the related stories from the Russian broadcasters when available online! If no link is available, the material was covered in broadcasts, but not posted (or at least not found by us) online.
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December, Week 5
Protests in Moscow
First Channel reported that the majority of protesters at Sakharova Prospect in Moscow were young people who achieved something in their lives and were not involved in the opposition. Those interviewed said that they wanted changes in the political system, such as free elections. Some people were shown expressing negative opinions about Vladimir Putin, although the channels emphasized the rally’s slogan, which was “For Fair Elections!” There were some well-known politicians at the rally, including businessman and presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov, former finance minister Aleksei Kudrin, opposition politician Garry Kasparov, and the head of Yabloko party Grigory Yavlinsky.
According to First Channel, protests took place in many Russian cities on December 24. In Vladivostok, about 100 protesters demanded punishment for those who rigged the Duma elections; 1,500 people gathered for the rally in Khabarovsk; 500 protesters in Krasnoyarsk requested that governors again be elected (rather than appointed) and the “against all” option added back to federal ballots. In Novosibirsk, 700 people participated in a rally “For Fair Elections.” Protests also took place in Samara, Krasnodar, Volgograd and St. Petersburg. In the provincial town of Nizhny Tagil, on the other hand, a rally was held in support of the authorities and the outcome of the Duma elections.
A movement headed by political scientist Sergey Kurginyan held an opposing rally in Moscow, with slogans against revolutions. The nationalist political party LDPR had a rally with the slogan “We are on our own!”
First Channel reported that the protest organizers intended to arrange a similar event in the beginning of 2012.
After the rally, Russia Channel broadcast comments by Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Peskov stated that, "as the politician and candidate for president, Putin is still supported by the majority. As for the demands of the protesters, we heard their opinion, and we respect it. The people who went out on the streets are an important part of society, but they are the minority.” Additionally, Peskov stated that Putin “has opponents in the presidential race, who can equally compete with him.”
First Channel stated that although “participants of the rallies in Moscow still have to understand what exactly they want to accomplish…the authorities in Russia, as in any democratic country, listen to people’s opinions.” In his address to the Federal Assembly, President Medvedev “proposed a large-scale program of political reforms, which would provide citizens with opportunities to influence the authorities.”
The President made several proposals, such as returning to direct regional elections for governors, introducing a simplified procedure for registering political parties (which would require an application signed by at least 500 people representing half of all regions), abolishing the requirement to collect signatures for elections to the State Duma and regional legislatures, reducing the number of voter signatures needed to participate in presidential elections, and changing the State Duma election system as well as the procedure for forming the Central and regional election commissions.
First Channel stated that easing registration of new political parties would allow many talented new politicians to enter Russia’s political process.
Meanwhile, in several weeks the so-called “open government” will begin working in Russia; it will unite anyone who is ready to collaborate on the country’s important decisions.
Russia Channel quoted President Medvedev at a meeting with leaders of United Russia saying that “we need to reform the party in a radical way, we need new ideas and new people.” The President proposed these reforms because, as he stated, de-legitimization of the authorities in Russia should not be allowed, since Russia already had a period without authorities in 1917 (the year of revolution).
Russia Channel also broadcast an interview with Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill who said that the authorities should be able to adapt and change their course after receiving signals from society.
December, Week 3
Outcome of Parliamentary Elections
First Channel reported that the newly-elected Duma will be absolutely different; even though United Russia still holds a majority of seats, three opposition parties also have Duma seats, and United Russia “will have to listen to them.” Former head of presidential administration Sergey Naryshkin has been appointed to the post of State Duma speaker, and 14 of 20 parliament committees will be headed by opposition deputies. Meanwhile, United Russia will preserve control over the most important committees, such as the budget, transport, culture, and labor and social policy committees.
Russia’s accession to WTO
First Channel reported that after 18 years of negotiations, Russia has been accepted to the World Trade Organization. The WTO will start working with Russia only in the middle of summer, 2012, but deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov has already stated that the conditions of the WTO accession are beneficial both for Russia and its trade partners.
President Medvedev said in a phone conversation with US President Barack Obama that the WTO accession "contributes to the development of Russia’s economy and its better cooperation with the economies of other countries,” Russia Channel reported.
According to Russia Channel, the WTO accession would result in a decrease in duties for imported products, such as pharmaceuticals, manufactured goods, and cars. Foreign insurance companies can own up to 50% of their ventures in Russia; but foreign banks still will not be allowed to open branches directly in Russia, they must still open Russian subsidiaries to operate in Russia.
In its report about the demonstrations in Moscow, First Channel emphasized that “public discussion of election violations and the opportunity to protest are normal signs of a democratic civil society, which is gradually developing in our country as well.”
First Channel stated that the biggest protest took place in Moscow on Bolotnaya Square on December 10, and that at the demonstration “ten various unregistered parties and opposition movements brought together several tens of thousands of demonstrators, under a great variety of slogans, from Communists to anarchists. It is paradoxical, but most of all, these people, who were indignant over the election results, were the ones who called on others not to participate in the elections or to vote not in favor of a specific party, but against a specific party.”
First Channel’s report was of a mixed nature, expressing sarcasm towards the most active participants, but a positive attitude towards the majority of demonstrators, saying that they “came to express their attitude as citizens, that elections in Russia should be honest.”
First Channel stated that, according to Moscow city police estimates, around 25 thousand people participated in the demonstration at Bolotnaya Square. Meanwhile, on December 10, demonstrations took place in many Russian cities, First Channel reported: in Vladivostok (150 participants), in Khabarovsk (unauthorized meeting, 80 participants), in Kemerovo (200 participants), in Novosibirsk (3,000 participants), and in St. Petersburg (7,000 participants). On the other side of the coin, Nashi and Young Guard held demonstrations on December 6 in Moscow in support of the election results which were also attended by thousands of demonstrators.
Russia Channel reported that the protest organizers at Bolotnaya Square said that the actual number of participants was bigger than city police reported, up to about 50,000 people. Russia Channel reported that different types of people gathered together at the demonstration, but mainly those who were not affiliated with any political party, who came not after being called, but by their own will. While its report was slightly more liberal than First Channel's, Russia Channel came to a similar conclusion as First Channel – that the demonstrations show the growth of civil society in Russia.
It is most remarkable that the demonstrations were covered at all. Most demonstrations that question the authorities in Russia do not receive any television coverage. The original demonstrations on Chisty Prudi in which some 8,000 Russians took part, for instance, were ignored by Russian television.
