How the News is Reported in Russia
October, 2007
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.
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90th Anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution
The major Russian TV channels covered the rally organized by the Communist party in Moscow and St Petersburg in honor of the 90th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. It is important to mention that, although the holiday was long officially celebrated in the USSR, it is no longer a public holiday in Russia.
First Channel gave the even a rather ironic coverage. It called the October 1917 revolution an "historical event," and that proponent of Communism stand by their beliefs "with perseverance." Both of these phrasings indicate that the event and the philosophy was important to Russian history, but places both firmly in the past. The broadcast said Gennady Zyuganov, the leader of Russia's Communist Party, spoke of the advantages of the Communism system with a "peremptory tone," meaning that he was both fervent in his beliefs, but perhaps blind to any other beliefs. There was no major criticism of the Communists.
Both channels reported that members of more than 80 Communists Parties from different countries came to Moscow to participate in the celebration and that several thousand participants turned up at the rally in Moscow and one thousand in St Petersburg. There were no reports about the celebrations in other Russian towns, although there were many throughout Russia.
Both channels covered the round-table discussions dedicated to the October revolution, arranged by Russia's other political parties. The leader of the Yabloko Party, Grigory Yavlinsky, denounced the October revolution calling it "bloodshed" and a "coup d'etat," while Just Russia party leader Sergey Mironov called the revolution "great indeed, but not socialist in its nature."
In related news, Russian TV channels covered a parade held on the same day in Moscow's Red Square. This parade was officially sponsored by the Russian government and reenacted a parade in 1941 which intended to show the USSR's military might in "challenge to Nazi Germany." Moscow military cadets marched in uniforms styled as those from 1941, and were followed by a column of veterans dressed in black coats.
Putin Participates in Memorial to Victims of Stalin
Russia Channel reported on a ceremony in honor of the memory of the 2.5 million people killed in the political repressions of the 1930s in Russia (the figure was named by Russia Channel), which took place in Moscow on November 7. A 12-meter 12 was transported by boat from Solovetsky monastery in the North of Russia to the Butovo shooting field, where several thousand people were executed in the 30s.
The river route took the cross through Moscow. Hundreds of clergymen greeted the caravan of boats with the cross when it was passing The Temple of Christ the Savior, Russia Channel reported. In the southern river port, where the cross was transferred to overland transport to the field, a church prayer service was held, and then the cross made a stop at Novospassky Monastery, where the public paid tribute to it. The monastery held an all-night prayer service, and in the morning the cross was taken in circle around Moscow. On the morning of November 8, the cross was set in the Church of New Martyrs and Confessors in Butovo. The ceremony had the blessing of the Alexei II, leader of the Orthodox Church in Russia.
A week earlier, the chanel reported, on October 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Butovo shooting field and laid flowers there with Alexei II. "No victim of the repressions should be forgotten," said the President in an interview to Russian TV.
Public Q&A with President Putin
The "live line" with the Russian President this year had yet another record duration – 3 hours and 2 minutes, reported Russia TV Channel. The president answered more than 60 questions, Most of these focused on Russia's social problems.
Russia Channel, in its summary, reported on the President saying that the price growth for foodstuffs (which has gone up by 10-30% depending on region and type of food) will be stabilized by the end of the year. Putin said that measures have been taken to mitigate the price growth for people with lower income – for example, pension payment will be increased. Russia Channel also said that Putin named fighting poverty as the most difficult issue he has had to face, and quoted him as saying that "I must point out that we are gradually resolving this problem by increasing salaries for public sector employees and supporting small and medium-sized businesses." As for the main problems of the Russian economy, the President named inflation and the escalating prices for food. Russia channel also interviewed some Russian governors who all strongly supported the president's statements. "They unveil the strategy of our country's development for the years to come. Vladimir Putin again demonstrated his openness and sensitiveness to the problems of Russian people," said Alexander Chernogorov, the governor of Stavropol region. Other interviewed governors shared the opinion and stressed the importance of the President's statement and strategy for the future of the regions.
First Channel stressed the President's statement that the Russian state will pay off its debts owed to retired military men. (These debts were made in the 90s, when people sometimes went months without getting paid due to the economic crises.) First Channel also reported that President Putin denounced "Western politicians" while answering a question about a statement of the former U.S. Secretary of State Madaline Albright that it is not fair for Russia alone to have control over Siberia's colossal natural wealth. Putin was quoted by the channel as saying that "Russia, fortunately, is not Iraq. Russia has enough means and strength of its own to be able to defend itself and protect its interests both at home and in other parts of the world. These kinds of statements by Western politicians only serve to confirm that the work we are undertaking to improve our defense capability and strengthen our armed forces is the right choice."
Russian Soccer Scores Victory - Brits Hospitalized
"The victory over the British team goes beyond a sport achievement – it united the whole country, and people of different ages and political beliefs," stated First Channel in its comment on Russia's defeat of Britain in its bid to qualify for the Euro 2008 Championship in October. The match ended 2:1 in the favor of the Russian team.
President Putin started his questions and answers program - aired on both First and Russia Channels by congratulating the Russian people on the victory. "I congratulate all soccer fans and all sports lovers in general on this wonderful victory. I think that the team was greatly helped to victory by the powerful support from its fans in the stadium," said the president.
Meanwhile, First Channel did not air anything about several British football fans being attacked in Moscow. Russia Channel featured several short reports. One quoted the spokesman of the city police Evgeny Gildeev saying that "the English fans who are disappointed with the game results, are hanging out in the downtown, and shouting insulting words about the Russian team, provoking Russian fans to aggression in this way." "It looks like they came to drink and enjoy themselves in clubs. The English fans get drunk and provoke this conflicts themselves," said the spokesman.
A day before the game, Russia Channel had reported, about a series of attacks on British football fans in different parts of Moscow. On Moscow's heavily trafficked Tverskaya Street, a group of young people dressed in black unexpectedly attacked and beat three British fans who were walking out of a bar at 3:20 pm.
Neither chanel mentioned the more severe incidents that occurred the day before this. These incidents included six British men being beaten in the underpass near VDNKH metro as they walked to their hotel. All six were hospitalized. In another incident, a British man was beaten severely on Novy Arbat Street, while another was stabbed in the face a cafe on Lyubyanka street. There were no reports on arresting suspects in these attacks.
