study, “the Kremlin on all channels,” prepared by Reporters Without Borders, based on dozens of interviews with journalists and media experts who conducted last summer in Moscow and Berlin – partly on the condition of anonymity, – Expert of the human rights organization Ulrike Gruska (Ulrike Gruska).
their prisoners, she shared in the Monday, Oct. 7, at a press conference at the Berlin office of “Reporters without Borders”, which was attended and forced – after several attempts on his life – to emigrate from Russia and now lives in Munich Sochi journalist, correspondent of “Novaya Gazeta” Sergei Zolovkina.
date presentation of the study was chosen by chance: 7 October in Moscow started the torch relay, and on the same day in 2006, Anna Politkovskaya was murdered.
“Chocolate” side of Russia
From the point of view of Reporters Without Borders, the Kremlin intends to use the Winter Olympics in Sochi, to show the “chocolate” toward Russia – a country supposedly modern, dynamic , tolerant and open.
“But this is unlikely to be so far: while the Russian government ruled by authoritarian and refuses to population in the basic civil rights” – indicate defenders. Such rights include freedom of the press are, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is considered one of its biggest enemies.
And it shows how stressed Ulrike Gruska, in total control of power over who became obedient Russian television, which is still by far the most important channel for informing the public.
According to experts, 50 to 60 percent of Russian households have access to the Internet, but for political information they are one. “Sites of independent portals visited by less than one percent of the Russian population, but they can find a very thorough and critical information materials”.
How the Kremlin controls TV?
According to Ulrike Gruska, the Russian authorities have now no need to provide direct oversight over the activities of public or semi-public television channels, give them instructions, lower, as before, “temniki” fax in the newsroom.
“If you look at those in charge of the three major television networks – she explained – that they are in office for almost as long as Putin is in power. They have evolved with it, and know exactly what you can to air, and that – no. ”
As a result, the central channels squeezed out almost all the journalists who have had a critical look at what is happening in the country. Those who remained, openly acknowledge the existence of self-censorship, says the reluctance to risk their jobs.
Another tool of control – the almost complete absence of the live broadcast. Even the transmission are so called noted Gruska usually recorded in a few hours before the broadcast. And, in addition, all of these programs because of the time difference, first go to the eastern part of the country. “It means – she says – that if something slip, and this happens every now and then, from Moscow ether have time to cut it”.
TV and the Olympics Sochi
special attention paid to the study of the television component of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Ulrike Gruska said in this connection the “dosing” critical reports on the preparations for the event.
“You can not talk about the complete absence of criticism – said Gruska – but it appears on state TV channels only in the case, for that is the highest blessing.”
If, for example, comes in Sochi Putin himself has been critical, it serves as a “green light” for television. “But by themselves – added Ulrike Gruska – journalists are not carried out as it would be to have their own investigations do not reveal violations”.
“In Sochi operates a total ban to express their opinion – says Sergey and Zolovkina, who has worked in this city for more than 20 years. – Almost all of my colleagues are forced to remain silent. Only the two- Three oasis of free information on the Internet “.
According to him, the Sochi prepares a tremendous show for the whole planet. In fact, he said, “The Olympic Games – it’s a tragedy, they can do great damage to Sochi – the nature of the region, its health resorts and freethinking”.
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