How the News is Reported in Russia
October, 2008
by Andrei Nesterov

Russian TV has broadcast the statements of many leaders of the country’s political elite supporting the state's measures taken to prevent economic crisis.

On October 29, First Channel quoted Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as saying at a cabinet meeting that the government is elaborating measures on support of all key economic sectors, especially the financial sector. The Prime Minister was shown elaborating on this, saying that state funds to the banking sector would raise its liquidity, and the state's purchases of stalled construction projects would support the construction sector and the people who had purchased apartments in these projects.

Vladimir Putin did not express any criticism towards Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development regarding the crisis situation. On the contrary, he congratulated the Minister of Economic Development, Natalia Khabibulina, on her birthday and gave her a bouquet of roses. This was also televised.

On the same day, Khabibulina made a statement that the government would make redirect purchases to Russian-made goods in order to support domestic manufacturers.

First Channel quoted President Dmitry Medvedev as saying that he keeps his savings in rubles and would not convert them into any other currency. This was said despite the fact that value of the ruble is falling in international markets. According to Russia Channel, on October 27, a dollar was worth 28 rubles in some Moscow banks, and in some exchanges it was worth as much as 29 rubles.

Russia Channel also reported about a sharp decline in gasoline prices in Russia in September 2008. The price for gasoline declined in October by 10.3 percent in comparison with September.

In another reporting, Russia Channel broadcast the statement of the Vice President of the LUKOIL Company (Russia's largest private oil company), Leonid Fedun, saying that Russia would benefit from joining OPEC, and this would keep the world oil prices at the level of not lower than 80 dollars per barrel.

Russia has calculated that 70 dollars per barrel are needed to maintain Russia's state budget. Oil was trading at less than 60 this month.

Russia Gives Islands to China

The issue of Russia’s transfer of two island territories to China while completing a border-demarcating treaty, did not receive extensive coverage on national TV. First Channel did not report the event, and Russia Channel reported on it briefly and matter-of-factly, saying that “the demarcation of the border has been completed” and showing a map of the area and saying that Tarabarov Island had became China’s territory, and Bolshoi Ussurisky Island was been divided into two parts, with the biggest part going to China. In total, China received 170 square kilometers of land.

Russian Channel concluded by saying that Russian politicians believe that the agreement on the border demarcation will end the territorial disputes between the two countries, and the border areas can now become a region of "intensive trade cooperation" between Russia’s Khabarovsk region and China.

Russian Troops Withdraw from South Ossetia

First Channel in its broadcast about the Russian troops’ withdrawal from South Ossetia, reported that the people of the region felt insecure in the safety and regretted the Russian soldiers leaving.

The channel quoted South Ossetia’s Interior Minister Mikhail Mindzaev as saying that armed Georgian soldiers were now approaching South Ossetian bases and threatening them. Some people felt so uneasy, the report continued, that they had started packing up to leave the region. The report also questioned the ability of the EU peacekeepers who had replaced the Russian troops to maintain stability in the region.

First Channel further remarked that Georgian TV was depicting the withdrawal as a victory for Georgia, and quoted Georgian politician Nino Burjanadze as saying exactly that, and lamenting over the "tragedy" that had destroyed Georgia’s economy and postponed the solution of Georgia’s territorial issues.

Moscow Politicians Upset by Peace Prize

Russia Channel and First Channel both broadcast a statement by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexi II criticizing the recent awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari. The patriarch said at a meeting with Serbia’s Ambassador that the award was "unfair" because Mr. Ahtisaari had contributed to Kosovo’s breaking away from Serbia. "One should know that Kosovo is a holy land for the Serbian people," said the Patriarch, and stressed that "the Russian Orthodox Church has always been against separating Kosovo from Serbia."

Russia Channel expressed irony about Martti Ahtisaari’s biography saying that his "peacekeeping activities" had supported NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia, and the "Ahtisaari Plan" for Kosovo, which laid the basis for "the unlawful independence" of the region.

Political Crisis in Ukraine

Russian TV strongly denounced Ukrainian President Victor Yushenko for his decision to dismiss the Ukrainian Parliament and call for new parliamentary elections. Russia Channel quoted Ukrainian politicians criticizing the president, such as Parliamentary Deputy Anatoly Gritsenko who said that Yushenko’s "involving the country in elections at a time of deep and protracted crisis is irresponsible" and "equates to a crime against his own country."
First Channel praised Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko for her "attempt to establish a broad anti-crisis coalition of Ukrainian politicians." The channel stressed that the Prime Minister had refused to allocate funds from the Ukraine's Reserve Fund to the new elections. She had instead continued to pursue an independent policy from President Yushenko, who had had been isolated politically. "Even his own parliamentary fraction is against Victor Yushenko," stated First Channel commentators.