We are all sometimes disgusted by our politicans spin on events - but when you look at Russia, you realise that our lot still have a few tricks to learn.
Last weekend the courageous Russian journalist, Anna Politkovskaya - much hated by the Kremlin - was gunned down outside her Moscow flat. President Putin has said that her killing has done more harm to Russia than even her articles (thanks Vladimir). But even more outrageous than that, an article has appeared on the internet suggesting that the Kremlin’s other victims/enemies, the Yukos Oil company, ordered the killing to discredit the Kremlin.  Alistair Campbell eat your heart out. Even your dark arts could not muddy the waters so deeply.
(LA Times)
9 Comments
What about this?
http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/8220-15.cfm
Maya, Thanks for your comment. I think, however, that the accusation that her journalism was inaccurate - as per the link - really misses the point. I note that the criticism of her is framed in extremist terms - she isn’t wrong, she’s a “liar” and by implication a “traitor.”
Russia no longer has a free press. It enjoyed a very brief interlude of chaotic freedom. Now it is drifting back into dictatorship, political murder, and nationalistic chauvinism. All of this is exemplified by the Politkovskaya murder and the official reaction to it. It’s very sad.
But surely it is wrong to create a complete new story from OTHER journalists stories? What will happen to a journalist in the West if he or she would do the same?
And about “extremists terms” - the late Ms Politkovskaya was using very extremist terms too. And I know, that in this particular article in the Newsweek she lied.
Sorry.
Western Journalists copy each other all day and every day. If there was no Reuters, there would be no TV news or daily newspapers.
Russia is rather an extreme place. I think all the wild accusations that fly around, and the conspiracy theories, obscure the truth, and heat things up to the point where people start hurting each other in worse ways.
Did you say “copy”? But this is not copying , this is something else. As far as I remember, the Beeb’s scandal about Gilligan’s report was ended rather tragicaly: Doctor Kelly was dead, and all journalists and editors involved lost their jobs. And it was a child’s play compared to what Ms Politkovskaya did.
Sometimes I think - if she would have been taken to the court for each of her “emotional” story, she would be alive today. She became a victim of a new Russia she helped a lot to create.
Ooops! I just noticed that you are from the BBC. I hope you are not offended - I didn’t mean to!
Maya, I left the BBC a few years ago, and I’m not at all offended. Thanks for your comments. Hugh
your wellcome
Maya Pravda - what a splendid sounding name, almost as good as Roza Khleb. I hope you find your work, Maya, as fulfilling as Ms Khleb did.