The following items are translated from the websites of the two main Russian state-run TV channels:
After seeing both of these reports run on the air this evening, I was delighted to find them on the channels' respective websites so that I could share this hilarity, which turns to outrage upon further consideration. Can you imagine US reporters standing still for such "praise" from Donald Rumsfeld? Can you imagine him ever wanting to offer it up?? I hope not. And I hope we in the US never have our government in bed with the mass media to the extent that - as this episode demonstrates - is the case in today's Russia.From the website of Rossiia, a.k.a. RTR, Russia's state-run Channel 2:
Sergei Ivanov gives awards to Margarita Simon'ian and Olga Kirii
"Vesti" correspondent Margarita Simon'ian and Channel One reporter Olga Kirii were awarded medals "For strengthening fellowship in battle." The Ministry of Defense noted the courage displayed by the journalists while broadcasting the events in Beslan in September of last year. While presenting the awards, Sergei Ivanov thanked them [sic] for their superior professionalism.
From the website of ORT, Russia's state-run Channel 1:
Two journalists receive medals "For strengthening fellowship in battle."
Olga Kirii, head of Channel One's Southern bureau, and "Rossiia" correspondent Margarita Simon'ian received this award for their work during the events of last September in Beslan. Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov presented them with the medals.
Sergei Ivanov, Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation: "This presentation is taking place within the walls of the Ministry of Defense not only because they are sweet and charming women, but also because they demonstrated courage and fortitude, and demonstrated those qualities which are characteristic first and foremost of servicemen and of law enforcement officials. I am referring to their personal role in broadcasting the events in Beslan."
This is an excellent example of so many things that are wrong here today that it's hard to know where to begin. Focusing on the most obvious (to me, anyway) - this demonstrates how poorly the Kremlin's media masters understand how their reports will play with a broader audience. Someone (perhaps Minister Ivanov himself?) thought that it would be a good idea to have this awards ceremony, make sure cameras were there, and make damn sure those obedient news programs, Vesti and Vremia, aired a segment on it.
Or maybe I have it all wrong because I'm looking at this through American eyes. If you blur the lines between entertainment and news, and remember that yesterday was International Women's Day, when the airwaves were full of ridiculous variety shows and concerts where women were being presented with flowers and presents left and right, perhaps this episode is not out of place.
By the way, I don't want to suggest that these two women are not courageous correspondents - at least one of them literally dodged bullets in Beslan - but I just can not get over my disgust at having freaky-looking, proto-Soviet Sergei Ivanov - a career KGB officer who looks as out of place in a military uniform as Michael Dukakis did in a tank - talking about courage and fortitude and giving flowers to members of the media as though they were on his personal staff.
Am I overreacting here? I guess it wouldn't be the first time.
5 comments:
Interesting that the report comes from ORTI's website, as Vesti is AFAIK a program which is aired on RTR Planeta, ORTI's rival.
At least the guy who is on Vesti at 5-6pm with the incredible bad side parting did not get an award. His haircut alone should be enough to consider re-opening a mining camp in Kolyma.
Tim,
To be more clear, I saw this report air in Moscow on BOTH RTR's Vesti at 8pm AND ORT's Vremia at 9pm (don't ask me why I watched both of those programs). One journalist from each channel received an award, and both channels ran the story and posted it on their website. All very Soviet.
excuse me, but what did you expect to see? yes, we still ARE a Soviet country!
though stores are full now, the mentality doesn't change. and the worst thing about us is that we are very passive. some of us curse the government quietly, few go to the streets - but still we're all very passive. people believe, unfortunately, that government and all this officious stuff is right and how things should be. why, do you think, so many people voted for Putin (or at least they said they voted)? because, after 70 years of living "big heads apart - nation apart" people don't see this obvious connection between their voting paper and the result, which is known in advance.
the same with these stupid awards from the hands of our rat-like minister... people believe, that it should be so. like, you know, "stakhanovtsy" were awarded by those big cheeses in Soviet times... and of course, once someone is awarded something - both channels show it. Народ должен знать своих героев!..
moreover, they organized buffoonery on the 8th of March because "everyone should be praised on his (her) special day", naturally...
so what i wrote all this for? i wrote it for everyone to understand that you just shouldn't expect anything else in Russia, including our media. i doubt that our inertness and "devotion to traditions" will be overcome in the following couple of decades...
SpinningOne,
Your comments are very insightful, thanks. Of course I have low expectations of the Russian state-run media, but in my mind that doesn't mean I should refrain from criticizing them and that Russian media consumers should not demand better. The attitude which you describe - "that's the way it's always been, that's the way it will always be" (tak vsegda bylo, tak vsegda budet) - is not a solution but rather a big part of the problem. The fact is that we know that Russians are capable of creating quality television news programming because we have seen it happen in the past 10 years (there are few remaining living examples of this, however). If the media consumer does not demand more, of course things will remain the same as they are today.
This extends to all realms of society. People sometimes shrug after a negative customer service experience in Russia and say that it's to be expected and not worth getting upset over. This attitude (espoused in my experience mostly by Russians) suggests that Russians are somehow incapable of creating a good customer service experience. Since I know that this is not the case, and that there ARE examples of Russian companies who understand and are happy with the fact that they exist to serve the market and their customers, I generally get upset when I see people doing their jobs with the rudeness or laziness which is still common in the service sector here. But until the majority here begins to demand better, I will still just be that crazy American pissing into the wind, and will hear comments like, "why can't you just get used to the way things are here?"
Getting used to it is not a solution. Too many people in Russia are too accepting of mediocrity bordering on evil, whether in the realm of customer service, media, or government. People should demand better, otherwise things will never get better.
Sorry if I'm taking your comments too seriously, I just think the attitude that "nothing here will ever change" is very corrosive and damaging for society.
On a different note, I think some of my readers who may be under the impression that Russia has changed completely in the last 15 years may find your comments to be especially interesting. If I'm not mistaken, you are a representative of the younger generation, but you are still very much in touch with Soviet attitudes and understand the mentality quite well. Maybe you're right and we will have to wait another 30 or 40 years for the effects of that experiment to wear off.
Anyway, thanks as always for commenting.
well, first, thanks for "taking me seriously" - this is much better than if you said, "oh f**k off, you 17-year-old, you can't understand anything in politics and serious stuff", which i've heard a couple of times... =))
second, yes, i do agree with you that Russians should demand for the better. yes, i said that many people accept the way things go here - but it doesn't mean that i'm among them)) personally i do not want to watch RTR and go back to something like Stalin's times, bowing to Mr Putin... and i really want to do my bit in improving the situation - in any way i can. unfortunately, all i can do now is going, for example, to seminars with Shenderovich, Julia Latynina, Irina Khakamada (luckily held in my university) - at least from these people one can learn some useful theory or their experience... =)
about service sector. if i understood you correct (though there're always problems with the word "customer", because i know it's used in two opposite meanings), service sector is сфера обслуживания, yeah? shops, hotels, ticket offices, yeah? then the easiest example (which will be on topic in any case)... many people go abroad. for example, when i go to London, i hear Russian speech on ever corner. so, when people come there, they somehow ennoble themselves. they queue in queues, they greet shop assistants, etc. but when they come back to Moscow - what do we see? people act not the way it would be nice to - but return to the way it has always been here! when i enter some supermarket and say "Good day" to a cashier, i'm looked at like i'm a loony. while in Geneva in the same situation i said "Bonjour" and had a nice talk about the Alpian weather and Swiss chocolate...
in Russia people are too worried about their personal problems - for which, the funniest thing is, they blame people around them! and now tell me how can we fight such mentality??)) moreover, we feel our guilt! in Russia we always feel guilty for something - for anything, i'd better say. indifference and guilt - the worst things here. that's why we say "дёшево, но сердито," - like, "what did you expect from me? take your sausage and go to hell, i'm a serious person, i'm busy" etc. and we take our sausage and hurry away - how dare we impede a serious person?..
so, certailny, it is veeery pleasing that there're companies who are glad and proud to do what they do, whether it's a cafe Prime or Echo of Moscow radiostation... and i really hope that in these 30-40 years at least something will change... Soviet attitudes won't wear off earlier, i'm afraid...
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