Russia Today Obama's 1st 100 Days Round-Up

RT decided to enter the fray of Presidential report cards by providing its own opinions on President Obama.  Here are some highlights of their recent stories:

• (4.29) "Obama is a would be dictator."  Or at least so says Alex Jones in an interview with Russia Today.  Who is Alex Jones?  He is a radio personality, runs infowars.com and is a leading proponent of the 9/11 truth movement.  Yep. 
  
• (4.29) "Is Obama's presidential honeymoon over?"  For insight, RT once again turns to Alex Jones.  Here is the first argument uttered by Jones: "Obama is setting up a Nazi, Soviet or Maoist style state in the country to make us wake up one day in the novel 1984."  Specific, accurate and useful analysis.
• (4.29) "America is no longer ruled by law."  The Father of Reaganomics, Paul Craig Roberts, lambasts Obama's spending.  Once a highly respected economist and journalist, Roberts now spends his some of his time debunking the myths of 9/11.  Yep.  Again.
• (4.29) "Obama talks about spending less - and spent a lot more."  RT interviews Dan Gainor of the Business and Media Institute.  Gainor is a regular on FoxNews and he says what you would expect.  I am shocked that no frequent MSNBC contributors made it onto RT.

That's all for now folks.

Russia Today: The Headhunter

Looking for a job?  Russia Today may be able to help you out.  Follow these steps:

First, follow the link nestled between 'political eye-opener'* and 'pimp my laptop' on the politics home page:

Second, choose between the following jobs: Electronic Knowledge Base Manager, Information Security Manager, Deputy Director of Construction for a l

arge Investment Firm, Quantity Surveyor or Project Manager Pre-Construction.

Here is an example of what you should expect from RT:

*The most recent political eye-opener is "would Napoleon have been a Tweeter?"

RT & Election Fraud?

From The Moscow Times (4.24.2009):

Acting Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov not only dominates local media coverage ahead of Sunday's mayoral election, but rival candidates say he also has a complete monopoly. Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, Communist Yury Dzagania and ousted billionaire candidate Alexander Lebedev have all sued Pakhomov for purported abuse of office during the election campaign. They complain that his meetings with Sochi residents are shown daily on television, his activities fill local newspapers and he spoke as a mayoral candidate during a recent interview with Russia Today television that apparently was filmed in his office in violation of election law. "He has used his office to campaign," said Alexander Glushenkov, a lawyer representing Nemtsov at a court hearing of his complaint this week. 

Here is RT's most recent story on the Scohi election.  It does not seem to favor Pakhomov in the least.  Even if it did, why would RT matter?  They do not broadcast in Russian.

Hat Tip: Kim Andrew Elliott

The Black Gorbachev

From the recent article, "Barak Obama's 100 days of denial":

Barack Obama, who is already being lightly derided as a ‘Black Gorbachev’ in Russian circles . . .

What does that even mean?  Seriously?  In fact the entire article is tainted by an immature tone that is more reminiscent of Perez Hilton than any form of respectable journalism.  

RT's Poll on Blogging

After President Medvedev decided to expand his current blogging efforts, RT issued the following poll:

    

A few thoughts on this polls results:

• Readers of RT value blogging.  This is hardly a surprise since the website is geared towards web 2.0 journalism (YouTube, blogs, articles under a 1,000 words).  
• The risk of making oneself a fool is relatively low.  The fear of a blogging gaffe is not important.
• Why is blogging, instead of daily television appearances, "essential" to maintain contact with the people?  

Do You Have a Question for Mikhail Gorbachev

RT is on a roll.  Visit here if you want to post a question to the former President of the Soviet Union.  You have until 12 GMT on April 23 to send in your question.  I will post an analysis of the interview shortly after RT publication. 

Do You Have a Question for Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

From RT:

This was the first live interview with the Russian Foreign Minister in this format, but won’t be the last, as he promised he will be answering, on air, journalists' questions regularly. Another session is expected within the next two or three months, so you are invited to keep sending your questions to Sergey Lavrov at the RT website.

RT's Contest for the 'Space Birthday Boy'

In a somewhat peculiar story, RT is hosting a contest to see who can write the best birthday wishes to American astronaut Michael Reed Barratt.  Here is RT's description of the contest:

NASA astronaut Michael Reed Barratt is now 50 years old. The veteran space traveller celebrated his half century on April 16 high above the Earth’ atmosphere in a place he now calls home - the International Space Station. RT has been inundated with birthday wishes for Barratt, all of which we’ve forwarded to him onboard the ISS. Michael is busy reading through the messages and has agreed to select the one he likes most. Once he’s picked his favorite, the lucky sender will be revealed in an exclusive video to be shown on the RT website.AS promised by RT, the winner will receive a group photo of Expedition 19 - complete with the crews’ signatures.

Some questions about this contest:

• Why Barratt?  This is his first trip to space.  He does not have any historical relevance to U.S./Russian space exploration.
• Why does this get its own special box on the RT Top News sections? 
• Who does RT think will be interested in this story?  What is the relevance of an astronaut turning 50 in space?    

Russia Today Round Up - March 12, 2009

More headlines from RT.  Trend?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Same as before, click on the date for story/video.

(3.12) It's time to shut down U.S. bases abroad

(3.12) One in fifty U.S. children are homeless

(3.12) Obama is pushing U.S. economy downhill

(3.12) 'American syndrome' hits Europe (about recent school shootings in Germany)

RT also hosts a collection of blogs.  Here is a  recent post from a RT blog entitled Untimely Thoughts:

(3.13) The curious case of Hilary's button.  Peter Lavelle writes,

It seems to me that the new administration in Washington still doesn't see Russia to be all that important - it is deemed as a problematic country only to be dealt with. But all the same there is the recognition that not much can be done on many global issues without Russia's engagement and help. Viewed from the Potomac, Russia remains a bridesmaid. This is a huge mistake inherited not from the George Bush administration - look further back to Bill Clinton's time in office to understand this. I must admit I remain sceptical. I have no doubt there was an obvious and embarrassing translation error made when Clinton gave the button to Lavrov. But I can't but help sense that the same tried and failed policies toward Russia remain in play. The "reload" translation is somehow not serendipity. For almost 20 years, Republican, Democratic, Republican - and now again Democratic administrations have continued the same ritual.

Russia Today Round Up - March 11, 2008

There is a trend to recent RT headlines.  I'll let you decide what narrative their editors are trying to weave.  

Note: Click on dates for articles/videos.

• (3.11) U.S. saying one thing, doing another
• (3.11) From Guantanamo inmate, to Taliban militant leader 
• (3.10) After 9/11, Russia helped the U.S. more than any other country.
• (3.10) Russia has no imperial ambitions
• (3.09) The collapse of America is unavoidable
• (3.04) Some Americans still stuck with Cold War mentality

Just for fun:

• (3.10) Reindeer industry braces for downturn as export orders slump

The Peregruzka Gaffe

From RT:

Before their two-hour meeting on Friday, things got off to a rather comical start as Clinton handed her Russian counterpart a small gift box that was wrapped up in green paper and a green ribbon. With the reporters looking on in suspense, Lavrov unwrapped the gift and produced a red reset button fixed to a bright yellow box, symbolic of Vice President Joe Biden’s memorable pledge to “hit the reset button” on US relations with Russia. But there was one small glitch.  

Unfortunately, the American side had attached the word “peregruzka” on the makeshift device as the Russian translation for the word reset. Lavrov could not resist a lighthearted remark on the oversight. “You’ve got it wrong,” Lavrov commented with a smile. He then explained that the words the Americans chose –“peregruzka” meant “overloaded” as opposed to “reset” (The correct choice of word should have been ‘perezagruzka’). But the Russian minister nevertheless thanked Clinton for the warm intentions. 

Hat tip to the The Cable who picked up on this earlier today.

Competition for Russia Today

From RussiaProfile.org Kim Andrew Elliott:

New Russian radio stations could compete with international stations. "Billionaire Alexander Lebedev announced his intention to set up two new Russian radio stations – one of which would broadcast in English. They would offer talk-based, 'public-service' style programs and be self consciously uninterested in chasing a profit. ... Lebedev’s comments (and they are so far little more than that—his press service declined to comment on the remarks) come months after the BBC Russian service came under fire from British Russia watchers for scaling back its broadcasts in favor of its Internet service. Is it possible that this new station could represent a resurgence of public service broadcasting? It will enter a market already dominated by Radio Svoboda [RFE/RL, on medium wave in Moscow], funded by the U.S. Congress, and Echo of Moscow, the outspoken opposition station that is funded by advertising, but is majority owned by Gazprom. ... But could it compete with Echo of Moscow or Radio Svoboda, the two analytical stations that tend to compete for the audience that is Moscow’s intelligentsia?" Roland Oliphant, RussiaProfile.org, 4 March 2009. Posted: 05 Mar 2009

Some initial thoughts:

• Russia Today is not even mentioned as a possible competitor in the heavily-saturated Russian market.
• Lebedev is an interesting character.  The Guardian describes him as "clearly a member of Russia's establishment [but] Lebedev has used his wealth to fashion a career as an independent political actor." 
• Will this new IB be broadcast in America, the U.K.?  

I look forward to watching RT ignore this story.  Prove me wrong.

Russia Today thinks Malthus' predictions may be a little off

In her article, "Abortions - New Russian Threat," Madina Kochenov reports about a potential demographic crisis due to increasing numbers of Russian women terminating their pregnancies. The explanation - economic turmoil.  Kochenov writes,

Women blame the government. Complaints are flooding dozens of internet sites. Last year the government ran a special campaign to increase the number of young families in Russia, promising bonuses to young families who had a child. But as the economic crisis bites many women now feel they have been left behind in their condition. Salaries are decreasing unlike the rate of unemployment. Women say all that is making pregnancy a loss rather than a profit.

This story is a stellar example of how RT's is both succeeding and failing in achieving its goal of presenting a more complex portrayal of Russia that challenges western stereotypes.  Looking at this story from a half full glass, this article offers a glimpse into the complicated lives of Russian women.  It raises questions regarding women's reproductive health and rights.  It would be easy for RT to ignore women's issues during a recession, but RT chooses to expand the conversation. By discussing abortion in terms of the economics of family planning, RT demonstrates a willingness to talk about abortion without playing to either side of a heavily polarized audience (something that many in the West have failed to do).  After reading this article a few times, I get the impression that RT is not trying to hide any facts or information.

Yet, my pessimism renews when I re-read the title.  To who or what is abortion a threat to? Mother Russia?  By framing this article in terms of a threat to the state and the longevity of Russian health, RT is still reminiscent of Soviet-era Pravda.  Maybe I am reading too much into this as the title was a way to attract western attention since abortion is a hot-button issue. Maybe my pessimism is tied to the article's lack of analysis concerning the implications of these demographic changes.  Regardless, if RT wants to strive towards doing a better job, it needs to eschew sensationalist headlines for a more subdued tone.  It needs to frame it's stories in light of economic and/or political data instead of quoting a message board.  The quality must improve in order to advance the cause.  

Russia Today as Cultural Diplomacy (aka Adventures in Bingerle)

Daily RT posts a new interesting fact about Russian culture or history in it's Russia Now section.  This comes from the March 3rd entry about Emperor Alexander II: 

I believe I have shown you, by coming to see you twice, despite your sulking... you know perfectly well what the only reason for it is and you cannot dare to doubt the being who belongs to you body and soul and who only breathes through you," one letter from Alexander reads. 

"I saw in your eyes that you wanted to throw yourself on me to forget everything and enjoy our 'bingerle'," he continues, using the word ‘bingerle’ as their secret code for ‘love making.'

This quote comes from RT's brief bio of Alexander II, aka “the Liberator” of the Russian Empire, who came to power on March 3 1855.  While I do not question the importance/relevance of 'the Liberator's proclivity to bingerle, it is interesting that RT chooses to use its limited space (three paragraphs at most) to recite snippets of one of Alexander's love letters to his mistress.  RT's Russia Now section is designed to pique foreigner's interest in Russia.  This is certainly one way to do so.

Russia Now also includes links to information about Russian history, geography, cuisine, literature, nightlife and travel.  The expanding database of all things Russia is testament to RT's long-term goal of educating foreign publics about Russia past and present.  Some of my favorite posts include:

• The official RT top ten list of Russian vodkas.
• An amazing collection of Russian literature.  Many great works of Russian literature, from authors such as Dostoevsky and Chekhov, are available in full-text and translated in English.
• And last but certainly not least.  The first sentence from the sections' overview, "A vast snow-clad country, the native land of vodka, bears and the KGB: myths about Russia seem to be an integral part of its image."  At least they identify some of the major stereotypes placed on Russians.

Putin Checks In

Via Kim Andrew Elliott (emphasis added):

Putin (briefly) visits RIA-Novosti and Russia Today. "Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Tuesday. ... RIA Novosti Editor-in-Chief Svetlana Mironyuk gave Putin a guided tour of the agency's two-floor multimedia newsroom, the only one of its kind in Russia, which was inaugurated in January 2008. ... The concept behind the newsroom is to help the department's 300 journalists and editors improve their efficiency through prompt exchange of information, better planning and tight coordination. ... RIA Novosti's main website www.rian.ru and foreign-language news portals have more than 5.5 million visitors per month. Putin also visited the offices of the English-language newspaper The Moscow News and Russia's first 24-hour English-language news channel, Russia Today, located in the same building." RIA Novosti, 24 February 2009. 

"Reaction among the staff to Putin's entrance ranged from big smiles to rabbit-in-the-headlights paralysis. No one dared to step forward and press the flesh with him, perhaps sensing that the brief description given by [RIA Novosti's editor-in-chief Svetlana] Mironyuk of the newspaper's work was all he had time for." The Moscow News, 26 November 2009.

Here is how RT covered the event, start at the 30 second mark: 

A few comments.

• It is interesting to note that RT was "inspired" by Putin.  
  
• What was Putin looking at?  It appears that he is getting a tour of RT's YouTube page.  Did RT care what they were filming when he was there?  
• What is the story?  RT does not explain why Putin decided to drop by.  I will try and find a better answer for that question.

Is that my iPod or Russia Today?

Last week, Russia Today unveiled its new website, and it looks a lot like the home screen of my iPod Touch. Take a look (or visit the website):


Clearly, they are appealing to a younger audience. The content continues to be, well, a little fishy (See Noah's previous posts here and here). Moreover, according to alexa.com, not a lot of people are visiting the website, and more importantly, the new design hasn't generated any new traffic either (click on the data below to enlarge). Also of note is the decreased number of page views/user: the 1 week average is 1.9 pages/user, lower than the 2.41 pages/user 3 month average. Since the new format is just over a week old, I'd say that so far it is scaring more people away than drawing people in.

Crickets for Politkovskaya

Russia Today's top headline reads: Skull and Bones sued over Indian chief's remains.  Since the redesign (which eerily reminds me of the TV game show, Hollywood Squares), only one top news story is displayed at a time.  After a ten to twenty second freeze frame* on the riveting Skull and Bones piece, a photo of Anna Politkovskaya graces the screen with the caption, "The Manhunt for Red October Continues."  The editorial decision made by RT to elevate the coverage of a lawsuit about Geronimo's remains over one of the most pressing stories concerning the future of free speech in Russia is inexcusable.

Here is some background.  Journalist Anna Politkovskaya was murdered at her home on October 7th, 2007.  Known for unabashed coverage of the human rights violations in Chechnya by Russian soldiers, Anna Politkovskaya was named by the New Statesman as one of the fifty heroes of our time.  What made her heroic also made her a target.  Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Anne Applebaum described  Politkovskaya's murder,

There was no attempt to disguise the murder as a theft or an accident: Her assassin not only shot her in broad daylight, but he left her body in the elevator of her apartment building alongside the gun he used to kill her -- standard practice for Moscow's arrogant hit men. Nor can her murder be easily attributed to distant provincial authorities or the criminal mafia: Local businessmen had no motivation to kill her -- but officials of the army, the police and even the Kremlin did. Whereas local thieves might have tried to cover their tracks, Politkovskaya's assassin, like so many Russian assassins, did not seem to fear the law.

Recently, three men were acquitted for being accomplices in her murder.  From the start of the trial, many court watchers called into doubt the guilt of these suspects as her murderer has yet to be named or caught by Russian authorities.  How did RT cover this trial that further serves to delay action and sustain a potential cover-up?  Here's how,

If justice was awarded for courage alone, Anna Politkovskaya, the late journalist who seemed most comfortable reporting from an exploding battlefield, would have been vindicated long ago. 

What a backhanded compliment!  It gets better.  The article then describes her work in Chechnya,

Known best for her relentless coverage of the atrocities of the Chechen war from both sides of the trenches, Politkovskaya did not limit herself to war correspondent. On the evening of October 23, 2002, about 45 Chechen terrorists seized the House of Culture Theater in central Moscow with 850 hostages inside. The perimeter of the theater was rigged with explosives and the terrorists clearly had no intention of leaving alive. Anna Politkovskaya was one of the few people permitted inside of the building in an attempt to negotiate with the terrorists. Although the talks were essentially fruitless (after a dramatic two-and-a-half day waiting game of cat and mouse, Russian Special Forces finally stormed the building, rescuing 721 of the 850 hostages and eliminating the terrorists), Politkovskaya proved her mettle by voluntarily exposing herself to the gravest danger in an effort to save human lives.

This is a gross misrepresentation of her life's work.  Politkovskaya was one of the most visible Russians speaking out against Putin and the acts perpetrated by Russian forces.  Portraying her as a terrorist negotiator is an insulting attempt to offer an olive branch to those who respected her sacrifice.

RT would not want to glorify her too much, so this section is followed by,

In many ways, Politkovskaya’s desperate talks with the theater terrorists showed her star shooting full circle. From something of a human rights vigilante with a pen that scribbled like a sword (sometimes a bit too haphazardly, however, as her many critics would counter) . . .

Of course it would be too much effort for RT to identify a SINGLE CRITIC of hers.  Rather, it is better to disparage her memory anonymously, so as to not offend her family.  The article concludes by attributing her murder to organized crime and vindicating Putin from having any role in her execution.

I've read that it is a mistake to blog when angry.  I'll heed that advice now.

*Sometimes RT switches to the Politkovskaya story second, sometimes third after an article entitled, "Ukraine Defense Minister: We are going down".

Russia Today Roundup - February 11, 2008

Note:  Expect a weekly roundup of RT's headlines each Wednesday.  All articles selected will come from their homepage.  Hopefully over time this feature will aid in determining what the purposes of RT really are. 

• U.S./Iran.  Summary - RT relies on respected experts (Ben Cohen and Richard Bulliet) to report that Obama's focus on proliferation and terrorism risks undermining his campaign promise to begin dialogue with Iran.  Unlike many of the RT articles that cast the U.S. in a negative light, RT adopts a moderate approach to this issue.  This is most likely attributed to the fact that Russia's economy welcomes a rapprochement between the two nations since it would open more doors for trade. 
• Vegas Mayor beefing with Obama.  Summary - Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodwin is demands that President Obama issue a retraction for disparaging his city by criticizing Wells Fargo executive's plans for a corporate weekend in Vegas.  Now, this is more like it. Another example of a non-story being treated like a story.  Not much more needed to be said about this.
• Ukrainian White House is falling apart.  Summary - a Ukrainian mansion modeled after the White House is now a crumbling school building.  The article quotes students who hope that Obama will send funding to Ukraine to rebuild the school.  More pressing news.
• HRW on Guest Worker Abuse.  Summary - a new report from Human Rights Watch details increasing abuse directed towards guest workers in Russia.  This is an interesting read that details growing xenophobia in Russia, in large part due to economic decline.  It should be noted that the last word goes to a young Russian nationalist who criticizes HRW for being hypocritical since it is based in America and the U.S./Mexican border is far worse. This reporting is deceptive as HRW is one of the U.S. government's harshest critics.    
• Pentagon Public Diplomacy?.  Summary - $4.7 billion and 27,000 new employees to revamp the Pentagon's image.  This featured article contains the wit that I've come to expect from RT.  The article ends with the following,

This year, the Pentagon will employ 27,000 people just for recruitment, advertising and PR - almost as many as the total 30,000-person work force in the State Department.  Indeed, 27,000 more jobs is not bad news.  But the question is whether it is a sector where jobs need to be created and whether this news will be welcomed by American taxpayers.

NHK World? Not so much....

Recently re-launched NHK World (of the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation) may want to reconsider the "World" part of its name. While we had previously speculated about what NHK World niche would be, after spending some time on their website, I'm not sure if they know either.

I assumed that NHK World would try to focus on news related to the global economy given Japan's heightened interest and strength in economic issues. Think again. There is not a single story about the Congressional Bailout, which is making headlines on all other broadcasters (even Press TV thinks this is news worthy). Nor is their a reference to the state of the global economy more broadly, something that is of heightened relevance given the continued global economic decline.

The top story listed on the homepage, and I couldn't even make this stuff up if I wanted to, is an announcement for a European conference on protectionism that will take place in March. So much for "opening a new window on the world's most exciting region, Asia" (via the press release announcing the relaunching of NHK World).

Notably lacking from the top stories is any mention of anything going on the Middle East. Nothing. News of the Israeli election results is at least among the top stories at Russia Today, AJE, Press Tv, and everywhere else I've looked. Most broadcasters also are still keeping close tabs on Gaza (like the resumption of UN aid, BBC), general Arab reactions to the Israeli elections (VOA), and the possible warming of ties between the US and Iran (Russia Today), not too mention today's attacks in Iraq (AJE). NHK World? Not interested. Even after a thorough exploration of all of the articles posted on the website (don't give me too much credit, there really aren't that many), there is little mention of the Middle East, and when there is, the stories are less informative that a Reuters newswire. There certainly is not a unique Japanese perspective offered on global events, or a window opened to Japanese culture or society. Also lacking, sans a very short story about Sudan, is NHK World's coverage of the entire African continent. This is despite today's swearing in of Zimbabwe's new Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, which even the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation found interesting. Also, the website is about as high-tech as this blog (no offense intended to Blogger).


I'm not writing this to trash NHK World, or at least that wasn't my initial intent. NHK World claims to want to compete with global news giants such as CNN and the BBC, and I was thus genuinely intrigued to see what they would bring to the broadcasting table. It may be the case that the actual broadcasting is far superior to the content on the website, though that seems to beg some larger questions of NHK's understanding of today's media environment.

Is Russia Today the Kremlin's Channel?

Mark Dillen's most recent post on FPA nicely introduces an international broadcaster that I will be analyzing for the next few months.  Dillen writes,

As the Kremlin’s channel, Russia Today has every right to practice its old-new style of public diplomacy as it pleases.  But it will appear more like old-fashioned propaganda than new fashioned public diplomacy if it adopts a strident anti-U.S. tone.  Particularly if the Kremlin at the same time continues to pressure Russian domestic media, such as  Novaya Gazeta and radio station “Ekho Moskvy,” whenever they fail to toe the Kremlin line.  Emphasis Added.

The 'old-new style of public diplomacy' that Dillen laments is Russia Today's (RT) eagerness to criticize the United States at every available opportunity while leaving Russia completely unscathed.   

Is Dillen's prognosis of RT accurate?  I will settle for the unsatisfactory, 'it is too early to say'.  This media monitor (a more detailed description of RT is forthcoming) will take a thorough look at RT's video broadcasts, web content and blogs to determine what biases and agendas do and do not exist.  

Beyond the propaganda question, this media monitor will discuss the quality of RT's journalism.  Check out the clip below to gain a better understanding of what I am referring to.  I'm pretty sure that my local 5 o'clock news wouldn't even produce this segment.  

Stay tuned!