50% Good News Is the Bad News in Russian Radio

RightinNYC · 04-21-07, 02:59 PM

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MOSCOW, April 21 — At their first meeting with journalists since taking over Russia’s largest independent radio news network, the managers had startling news of their own: from now on, they said, at least 50 percent of the reports about Russia must be “positive.”

In addition, opposition leaders could not be mentioned on the air and the United States was to be portrayed as an enemy, journalists employed by the network, Russian News Service, say they were told by the new managers, who are allies of the Kremlin.

How would they know what constituted positive news?

“When we talk of death, violence or poverty, for example, this is not positive,” said one editor at the station who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution. “If the stock market is up, that is positive. The weather can also be positive.”

In a darkening media landscape, radio news had been a rare bright spot. Now, the implementation of the “50 percent positive” rule at the Russian News Service leaves an increasingly small number of news outlets that are not managed by the Kremlin, directly or through the state national gas company, Gazprom, a major owner of media assets.

The three national television networks are already state controlled, though small-circulation newspapers generally remain independent.

This month alone, a bank loyal to President Vladimir V. Putin tightened its control of an independent television station, Parliament passed a measure banning “extremism” in politics and prosecutors have gone after individuals who post critical comments on Web chat rooms.

This. Is. ****ed. Up.

Why is this going so far under the radar here? Russia is a very big, very important country, and its rapid regression from freedom is terrifying.

DeeJayH · 04-21-07, 03:17 PM

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Originally Posted by RightinNYC

This. Is. ****ed. Up.

Why is this going so far under the radar here? Russia is a very big, very important country, and its rapid regression from freedom is terrifying.

WOW

thanks for the info
pretty F***ed up is right
did they do this under the cover of the VT shooting News cycle?

DeeJayH · 04-21-07, 03:18 PM

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(The poster formerly known as Right@NYU)

did you graduate, quit, get fired, or change jobs?

Mr. X · 04-21-07, 03:43 PM

Seriously bad news. Russia's government is rapidly running to hide behind the iron curtain all over again.

RightinNYC · 04-21-07, 03:44 PM

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Originally Posted by DeeJayH

did you graduate, quit, get fired, or change jobs?

Graduating in a couple weeks (still crazy to say that), but staying in the city.

RightinNYC · 04-21-07, 03:45 PM

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Originally Posted by Mr. X

Seriously bad news. Russia's government is rapidly running to hide behind the iron curtain all over again.

I especially liked the part about getting prosecuted for posting critical comments on message boards.

I know we've got some russian posters on here, I'd love to see their thoughts.

DeeJayH · 04-21-07, 07:05 PM

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Originally Posted by RightinNYC

Graduating in a couple weeks (still crazy to say that), but staying in the city.

congrats

Mr. X · 04-21-07, 07:41 PM

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Originally Posted by RightinNYC

I especially liked the part about getting prosecuted for posting critical comments on message boards.

I know we've got some russian posters on here, I'd love to see their thoughts.

This just in from a random Russian blog.

Quote:

Well, it's not that great actually. It's frustrating to be required to say certain things while being prohibited from... Hold on, someone's at the door.

What I meant to say is that the weather in Moscow is lovely this time of year!

RightinNYC · 04-22-07, 05:15 AM

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Originally Posted by DeeJayH

congrats

Thanks, I appreciate it. Believe you me, ive been living up to that smiley, hence the time of this post...

Tashah · 04-22-07, 07:46 AM

Under Putin, the central government has aggrandized virtually all power over the broadcast media and is closing down independent newspapers. It also strikes me as more than coincidental that Russian government critics have been murdered in-country and abroad, as have many Russian journalists who published the true situation in Chechnya.

On another note, Ukranian president Yuschenko (who seeks closer ties to the West) and the Ukranian parliament (which is dominated by Russian friendly legislators) are involved in a high-stakes confrontation. Tensions are very high in the Ukranian capital of Ky'iv, and civil war is well within the realm of possibility.

If such a thing were to occur, Putin could very well send Russian forces across the border to bring Ukraine back into the Russian sphere. Is the West at all prepared for such a provocative and aggressive scenario? I think not. Continued appeasement will be the default path.