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10.06.2009 How the News is Reported in Russia May, 2009 by Andrei Nesterov The 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. If you would like to request that a story occurring in June be covered here, inform our editor. To receive the free monthly newsletter and obzori by email, simply sign up.   St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Russia Channel reported that the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg was dedicated to exploring new approaches for international financial institutions and new perspectives for developing banking, with an emphasis on the role of Russia would play in these issues. The channel quoted Russian Presidential Aide Sergey Prikhodko as saying that despite the economic crisis, this year’s forum had gathered as many participants – business leaders and government officials from different countries – as the forum did in 2008. Russian TV quoted President Dmitry Medvedev as saying that “the artificially maintained uni-polar system and preservation of monopolies in key global economic sectors are root causes of the crisis.” President Medvedev and other Russian officials suggested measures on establishing a more multi-polar global economic system, such as adding more reserve currencies. Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin stated that if China liberalizes its economy and make Yuan hard currency, this currency will also be in demand. Also, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov stated that Russia intends to make the Russian ruble a reserve currency for the countries of the CIS, and, in the future – for the countries of Asia and the Middle East.   Labor Protests in Pikalevo On June 2, Russia Channel reported that the residents of town Pikalevo, a small town near St. Petersburg, blocked a major federal highway. This was done in protest against the town's three cement plants, upon which the town's economy is almost wholly dependent, shutting down due to the economic crisis. Thousands of local workers had not been paid their salaries for several months before the closures. The report was brief and matter-of-fact. The only commentary made was a statement of the St. Petersburg Police Spokesman that the residents’ action is “wrongdoing,” but that the police had not dispersed the crowd because of the tense atmosphere in Pikalevo. First Channel reported that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in Pikalevo on June 4, and gave the plant-owners “a lesson on the social responsibility of business.” Vladimir Putin was shown in a public meeting with the businessmen and local government officials and ordering that the owners make a transfer of funds to pay the salary arrears within the same day. The broadcast also showed Putin forcing Oleg Deripaska, the owner of local BASEL Cement Plant and one of the richest men in Russia, to sign an agreement to supply the plant with more raw materials so that it could resume operations. At the same time, the Prime Minister said at the meeting that the action on blocking the highway contradicts the law, which is the worst thing the protesters could do. Putin also criticized local officials, saying that they had not done all they could to help the people of Pikalevo, but had “run around like cockroaches” just before the arrival of the Prime Minister.   Parliamentary Elections in South Ossetia All of Russia's major TV stations praised the South Ossetia's first parliamentary elections held as an "independent state" and frequently used the words "young republic" or "young government" to describe South Ossetia. They elections were held on May 31. Russia Channel reported that the elections were open and transparent, and quoted German observer Carl Heinz-Vendt as saying that South Ossetia's elections have no difference from the elections in Germany. According to Russia Channel, South Ossetia demonstrated "the maturity of its democracy" since the elections there were recognized legitimate and as more than 75% of voters participating in them. On June 1, First Channel reported that the preliminary count of the ballots showed that the ruling party, Yedinstvo (Unity), had led the results with 45%, leaving it's competitors far behind. Two other parties – Narodnaya Partiya (People's Party) and the Communist Party had about 22% of votes. One more party, Otechestvo (Fatherland), an opposition party, South Ossetia's authorities, failed to gain the seven-percent minimum to gain representation. First Channel quoted Eduard Kokoity, South Ossetia's president, as saying that the election results demonstrated that the new parliament is going to be very professional, and for this reason Kokoity is ready to delegate more authority to Parliament, such as reorganizing and forming the cabinet of South Ossetia. According to First Channel, the elections were a real holiday for South Ossetian people who saw them as a sign of the independence in the region. They showed people in traditional clothing dancing at polling stations in celebration of the holiday.   EU Energy Summit in Khabarovsk After EU Energy Summit held in Khabarovsk, Russia and the European Union agreed that a new Energy Charter Treaty is needed, First Channel reported. It quoted the Russian President's press secretary Natali Timakova as saying that the EU leaders are ready to discuss Russia's proposals related to the new charter. According to First Channel, Europeans admitted that the current Energy Charter is no longer relevant because it does not provide for conflict settlement like that which occurred between Russia and the transit state of Ukraine at the beginning of 2009. In an analytical news program, Znaki (Signs), which was broadcast on May 24, the Russia Channel program denounced the position of the EU as not allowing Russia to acquire pipelines and thus control gas transit, stating that Brussels "is behaving like the Azeri Mafia at the market: purchasing potatoes from the farmers at three rubles per kilo and reselling it for twenty rubles," while the farmers are not allowed to sell the potatoes directly to customers. The program stated that the summit was held in Khabarovsk, which is located in the Far East, far beyond the Europe's borders, because of the Russian authorities wanted to show the European officials that Russia has an alternative potential customer for its energy resources – China – close by.   START Talks Start Russian TV did not provide much information on the US-Russia talks dedicated to renewing efforts at the reduction of nuclear arsenals. Coverage was largely limited to stating that negotiations had begun in a constructive atmosphere. After the first round of the talks on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty took place in Moscow on May 19-20, Russia Channel quoted Andrei Nesterenko, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, as saying that the talks were held in a constructive, business-like atmosphere. Nesterenko also said that during the talks, the parties had discussed a broad range of the issues related to the preparation of the future agreement, and also considered possible parameters for later negotiations, which are to be submitted to the Russian and US Presidents in July. According to Russia Channel, if the two parties come to an agreement, they will have large-scale reduction of nuclear weapons, with limits sent at 700 nuclear missile carriers and 1,500 nuclear warheads for each country. Currently, the report continued, the USA has about 1,200 nuclear carriers and 5,500 warheads while Russia has over 800 carriers and about 4,000 warheads.   Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow First Channel in its report called Eurovision contest "the main musical event of the year in Russia." The contest, held once a year and featuring pop music acts from Europe and Central Asia, is widely popular in Europe, even if it is also widely considered "kitchy." First Channel praised preparations made to host the event, emphasizing that the stage for Eurovision, built in Moscow's Olimpisky sport complex, was the largest and most technically advanced in the entire history of the contest. First Channel was also a sponsor of the event and its broadcaster for the Russian market. The report also stated that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had came in person to inspect the stage and perpetrations, and First Channel director Konstantin Ernst had told Putin about the special effects prepared for the contest such as constructing a system that would imitate rain, cast images of girls running above the stage and a swimming pool with female swimmers placed above the heads of the audience. In discussing the winner of the contest, 23-year old Aleksandr Rybak, Russian TV channels all stressed the fact that the Norwegian singer was born in the Soviet Union, and his parents still keep in touch with people in Belarus from where they immigrated to Norway. Russia Channel stated that, although there were no special effects in Rybak;s song "Fairy Tale," the singer was able to win the contest due to his talent and charm.    Victory Day Celebration Victory Day is celebrated on May 9th each year in Russia each year and marks the day that Russia declared victory in WWII over Nazi Germany. WWII is known in Russia as "The Great Patriotic War." First Channel, in its report on the celebrations, broadcast the speech of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who said that veterans' spiritual strength and devotion to the Motherland helped them to prevail on the long and difficult path to victory at war, which changed the course of world history. Russia Channel reported that parades in honor of Victory Day had taken place in all regions of the country, with participation of 26,000 military men and hundreds of thousands of other Russians. First Channel also emphasized the fact that Victory Day was celebrated in all the now-independent former Soviet republics, even in those countries where Victory Day is no longer an official holiday. According to the channel, in Estonia thousands of people came to The Defense Forces Cemetery where a bronze monument to Soviet soldier was controversially relocated by the Estonian authorities in April 2007. At the time, the relocation caused riots in Estonia, protests in Russia, and was a major diplomatic scuffle between the two countries. First Channel also reported that thousands of war veterans commemorated Victory Day at The Monument of the Unknown Soldier in Victory Park in Tbilisi, and that Victory Day celebrations took place everywhere in Ukraine.   Swine Flu Hits Russian Press All major Russian TV channels have provided extensive coverage of the swine flu pandemic in different parts of the world, and have reported extensively about preventive measures taken by the Russian authorities. On May 11, Russia Channel reported that Chief Sanitary Inspector Gennady Onishenko had officially recommended that Russian citizens not travel to the USA, Mexico and Canada because of "the complicated situation regarding to the flu H1N1." Russia Channel quoted Onishenko as saying that as of May 11, the number of swine flu cases in the world had reached 4,694, and 53 people had died of the flu. Earlier, on April 28, Russia Channel stated that there are no cases of swine flu in Russia, and the authorities had taken serious measures to prevent the disease from entering Russia. These measures included screening passengers at airports, banning of meat supplies from America, and enforcing sanitary control at ranches. Interestingly, the channel in most reports also mentioned that most scientists agreed that swine flu could not be spread by meat imports, but that Russian scientist had urged the state to take the precautionary measure. Russia Channel reported that Russia's Federal Service of Veterinary Inspection, known as Rosselkhoznadzor, had restricted pork imports from the USA, Canada and Spain since May, and intends to maintain the measures until the circumstances of disseminating flu H1N1 are clarified. All the people who arrive in Russian airports from North and South America, or from the regions which are used as transit points by passengers from America, are required to pass through special temperature monitors. If the person's temperature is high, he or she is hospitalized in order to prevent swine flu penetration, Russia Channel reported.   NATO Expels Russians, Russia Expels Canadians On April 30, NATO terminated the accreditation of two Russian diplomats attached to Russia's NATO mission, suspecting them of espionage. Russian TV did not provide information about the espionage charges, but did cover the negative reaction of Russian politicians to event extensively. First Channel reported that afterwards, Russia informed NATO that the scheduled meeting of The Russia-NATO Council would be "inappropriate." Russia Channel quoted Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's ambassador to NATO, as saying that NATO's action was a provocation aimed at undermining the improving relations between Russia and the West. On May 5, Russia expelled two Canadian diplomats working for NATO's Moscow office, and First Channel quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying that the move was a response to the NATO's expelling the two Russian envoys. On May 7, Boris Gryzlov, the Chair of the State Duma used even tougher rhetoric in a report, saying that NATO's recent actions, including the military exercises in Georgia, are "attempts to restore the Cold War." However, Gryzlov still intends to participate in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly scheduled for on May 22-26 in Oslo, Russia Channel reported.   Russia Signs Protection Pact with Abkhazia and South Ossetia On April 30, First Channel reported about signing the treaties on protecting the borders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Russia. According to the treaty, the two provinces delegate Russia the protection of their borders until they form national border services. First Channel quoted Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as saying that the treaty is intended to stabilize the situation and secure peace in the Caucasus region. At the same time, Dmitry Medvedev criticized NATO's planned military exercises in Georgia on May 6 – June 1, saying that "one cannot have military exercises in an area where a war took place not so long ago," since this may result in "negative consequences." First Channel stated that the agreement on protecting borders of the two provinces is "a signal to NATO which is preparing for military exercises in Georgia." According to First Channel, there is no information about the number of Russian troops which are to be sent to Abkhazia and South Ossetia for protecting their borders, and the period of their deployment is also unknown until details are clarified in further agreements.   Study Journalism in Russia The Library: Politics in Russia SRAS Resources for Teachers   Find out more! SRAS Travel Services More Study Abroad Programs Internships in Russia Heath and Safety in Russia The SRAS Newsletter Journal for Students More Free Resources! Questions or comments? Contact the editor « back to News archive print this page email this page