28.01.2008
How the News is Reported in Russia
December, 2007 - January, 2008
by Andrei NesterovThe 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. To receive the free monthly newsletter and obzori by email, simply sign up. A Presidential Campaign of One Candidate Of the current presidential hopefuls in Russia, Dmitry Medvedev is getting by far the most coverage. The daily newscasts by Russia Chanel and First Chanel usually feature at least one 5-minute segment with Medvedev, and nearly anytime that Medvedev gives a speech, several minutes of that speech are broadcast as news coverage. Medvedev has also been traveling Russia, visiting hospitals, farms, housing construction sites, etc., in his capacity as the head of Russia's National Projects. All news channels have been showing extensive coverage of socially-oriented trips as well. First channel, for instance, showed Medvedev greeting the parents of the "first newborn of 2008." Although the piece was several minutes long, the station devoted no time to airing comments from the parents themselves and instead focused on Medvedev holding the baby and his comments on increased government funding for health care and education. Both channels also covered Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Murmansk where he promised local fishermen to restore the power of Russian Navy, and his trip to Chelyabinsk steel plant and the statements on toughening environment protection legislation he made there. This is especially interesting because the presidential campaigns are officially barred from airing campaign materials until February 2. Minority candidates are regularly shown on both channels' week-in-review news broadcasts, shown on weekends, but little to no coverage is given to them on the regular week day broadcasts. They will have the possibility to air their official views only after the second. Some coverage has been given, on talk shows, to whether Medvedev is the best candidate for the job. Although opposing views are shown, one can say that the side favoring Medvedev usually comes out on top. In a recent TV interview that Medvedev showed only that he would not succumb to hubris in his new task: "I must to live up to the trust of the many people who think that I can do this very difficult job." New Duma at Work Russian TV have stressed that the new Duma has started its work at an extremely intensive pace. President Putin, by a presidential decree, required the Duma session to begin earlier than usual, rather than taking the usual 30 days after elections to vacation and reorganize. Russia Channel reported that all the deputies were even in their seats 30 minutes before the start of the first session of the new parliament. Deputies plan to consider more than 600 bills in the six months to come, with 37 of those bills placed on a special "priority legislation" list. These include legislation raising the salaries of public sector workers and military people starting April the first. As the Duma Deputy Chairman said in Russia Channel interview, the government will use its special right to fund the salary increase even before Duma passes the relevant law, which is expected to occur in mid-February. Russia Channel also reported that, on the Duma's first day of work, January 24, there was a conflict caused by appointing writer Grigory Ivliev as Chairman of the Committee on Culture. Because of this appointment, the previous Committee Chairman, singer Iosif Kobzon was dismissed from the post. Kobzon and film director Stanislav Govorukhin left the Committee on Culture in protest and joined another committee – on information policy. On the whole, Russian TV broadcast only positive remarks about the new Duma. Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov said in his TV interview that the new Duma is now better organized than the previous parliament was, and his deputy Oleg Morozov added that Duma had never started working so quickly. TV Coverage of New Year Celebration As is a long-observed tradition, Russian TV broadcast the president's address to the nation on Dec 31st at 11:55 pm. The address is always just under five minutes and is followed by the Kremlin clock chiming in the New Year. In his short address, Vladimir Putin summarized the results of his presidency. "We have seen how, from year to year, Russia has been gaining in strength and becoming stronger. How our economy has been growing. How new opportunities have been opening up for the people," said Vladimir Putin, and added that "to be sure, we have not managed to do everything," implying that reforms will continue. Russian TV paid most of its attention to New Year celebrations in Moscow, showing that Muscovites had plenty of opportunities to entertain themselves. They could see the New Year in on a skating-rink on Red Square at a of cost 2,008 roubles ($82), to see fireworks and also to watch New Year celebrations in other parts of Russia on a large television screen installed in city center for the occasion. The next day, January 1, the news reported, the people of Moscow could go to see the city zoo for free. In Russia, fireworks have become extremely popular for nearly all celebrations. Probably this is one reason that Russia experienced a large number of fires on New Year's Eve, the news reported. According to Russia Channel, from January 1 to January 8, in the Southern Federal District, 81 people died in fires, twice as many as was a year ago. A total of 640 fires took place in the district, with the Rostov Region alone accounting for 497 fires. Russia Channel produced a very frank report on the death and accidents that occurred over the New Year holidays. According to the report, in the Novgorod Region, which is well-known by its lakes and fishing, five fishermen drowned. In Siberian regions, there were cases when people froze to death (five people alone in the Chita Region). In the Chelyabinsk Region, there were many drunk drivers on the roads, four of them died in accidents. The drivers also injured 70 people, including six children. Russian TV reported, however, that there was not much crime in Russia at the New Year celebration because of the large number of police and soldiers patrolling the streets. The news stressed that, meanwhile, "in Great Britain 10 people died in street fights, in Spain ambulances received a record number of calls, in France celebrations turned into riots with 150 cars burned by hooligans, and in Italy 500 people were injured by low-quality fireworks." Other news sources, however, such as the English-language newspaper Moscow News, reported that there was a sharp increase in domestic violence over the holidays. Christmas Celebrations Reconcile Rivals Orthodox Christmas made rival presidential contenders in the Georgian elections take a break in their conflict, First Channel reported. Both incumbent president Saakashvili and his opponent Gacheladze went to the Christmas service at Tbilisi Cathedral and shook their hands when they met there. Since this report, however, Gacheladze has lost the election, been charged with extremism, and sentenced to prison. He has fled Georgia. In Russia, 67 per cent of people reported plans to celebrate Christmas, according to the polling agency Levada Center. (In Russia, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th, and takes a decidedly back-seat to New Year's celebrations even though the vast majority of Russians consider themselves Orthodox Christians.) Russian TV channels reported that "the majority" of Russians celebrated Orthodox Christmas and only six per cent celebrated Christmas on December 25, following Western traditions. Meanwhile, there was an extensive coverage on December 25th and 26th of the Christmas celebrations in the Vatican and of the mass by Pope Benedict XVI. On January 7, there were reports about overnight services – known to Orthodox Russians as "divine liturgies" – in churches and cathedrals across Russia, and about the biggest ceremony in Christ the Savior Cathedral headed by Patriarch Alexi II of Moscow and All Russia.
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