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.” [full article here]
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That is fucking scary. Kostia and I are planning to move back to Russia soon, and I don't really want to, with all that's going on. I would if I felt like I could do something about it, if there were an organzation I could join or something -- but as a foreigner I don't think I could do much activism without getting deported. Ugh.
Yay for Echo Moskvy, though. Hopefully they will be able to survive.
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