Russia’s dirty war on journalists

The brazen murder last week of Anna Politkovskaya, one of Russia’s top investigative reporters and a frequent critic of the Putin administration’s human rights record, is another chilling reminder that in Putin’s Russia, telling the truth can get you killed.
Politkovskaya reportedly was shot to death in a contract-style killing the day before filing a story about the torture of civilians by the Chechen government.
Her newspaper is offering a $1 million award for information leading to the killers. Don’t expect the Putin administration to do much. It has an abysmal record of investigating the murder of journalists.
Russia is one of most dangerous places in the world for reporters to work. Politkovskaya was the 12th journalist killed there during Vladimir Putin’s regime, which in its ongoing crackdown on press freedoms looks increasingly like a throwback to the oppressive Soviet era.
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev called Politkovskaya’s murder “a blow to the entire democratic and independent press” in Russia.
She was a fearless journalist who died defending democracy, or what’s left of it in Russia.
Posted by Randy Scholfield

4 Comments

  1. Ian Santiago
    Posted October 11, 2006 at 1:43 am | Permalink

    The Russians, if they are wise, will do away with the abomination known as democarcy, forever!

    V.L.R.B!!

  2. Ben Huie
    Posted October 11, 2006 at 7:04 am | Permalink

    George Bush looked into Putin’s eyes and saw a soul he liked. hmmm …

  3. Ben Huie
    Posted October 11, 2006 at 8:11 am | Permalink

    Media Bush likes:

    “The Media Can Legally Lie

    CMW REPORT, Spring 2003Title: “Court Ruled That Media Can Legally Lie”Author: Liane Casten

    ORGANIC CONSUMER ASSOCIATION, March 7, 2004Title: “Florida Appeals Court Orders Akre-Wilson Must Pay Trial Costs for $24.3 Billion Fox Television; Couple Warns Journalists of Danger to Free Speech, Whistle Blower Protection”Author: Al Krebs

    Faculty Evaluator: Liz Burch, Ph.D.Student Researcher: Sara Brunner

    ——————————————————————————–

    In February 2003, a Florida Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with an assertion by FOX News that there is no rule against distorting or falsifying the news in the United States.

    Back in December of 1996, Jane Akre and her husband, Steve Wilson, were hired by FOX as a part of the Fox “Investigators” team at WTVT in Tampa Bay, Florida. In 1997 the team began work on a story about bovine growth hormone (BGH), a controversial substance manufactured by Monsanto Corporation. The couple produced a four-part series revealing that there were many health risks related to BGH and that Florida supermarket chains did little to avoid selling milk from cows treated with the hormone, despite assuring customers otherwise.

    According to Akre and Wilson, the station was initially very excited about the series. But within a week, Fox executives and their attorneys wanted the reporters to use statements from Monsanto representatives that the reporters knew were false and to make other revisions to the story that were in direct conflict with the facts. Fox editors then tried to force Akre and Wilson to continue to produce the distorted story. When they refused and threatened to report Fox’s actions to the FCC, they were both fired.(Project Censored #12 1997)

    Akre and Wilson sued the Fox station and on August 18, 2000, a Florida jury unanimously decided that Akre was wrongfully fired by Fox Television when she refused to broadcast (in the jury’s words) “a false, distorted or slanted story” about the widespread use of BGH in dairy cows. They further maintained that she deserved protection under Florida’s whistle blower law. Akre was awarded a $425,000 settlement. Inexplicably, however, the court decided that Steve Wilson, her partner in the case, was ruled not wronged by the same actions taken by FOX.

    FOX appealed the case, and on February 14, 2003 the Florida Second District Court of Appeals unanimously overturned the settlement awarded to Akre. The Court held that Akre’s threat to report the station’s actions to the FCC did not deserve protection under Florida’s whistle blower statute, because Florida’s whistle blower law states that an employer must violate an adopted “law, rule, or regulation.” In a stunningly narrow interpretation of FCC rules, the Florida Appeals court claimed that the FCC policy against falsification of the news does not rise to the level of a “law, rule, or regulation,” it was simply a “policy.” Therefore, it is up to the station whether or not it wants to report honestly.

    During their appeal, FOX asserted that there are no written rules against distorting news in the media. They argued that, under the First Amendment, broadcasters have the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on public airwaves. Fox attorneys did not dispute Akre’s claim that they pressured her to broadcast a false story, they simply maintained that it was their right to do so. After the appeal verdict WTVT general manager Bob Linger commented, “It’s vindication for WTVT, and we’re very pleased… It’s the case we’ve been making for two years. She never had a legal claim.”

    http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/10/10/fox-news-sued-for-the-right-to-lie-and-won/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.projectcensored.org%2Fpublications%2F2005%2F11.html&frame=true

  4. J M Walker
    Posted October 11, 2006 at 2:14 pm | Permalink

    “The Russians, if they are wise, will do away with the abomination known as democarcy, forever!”

    If democracy is such an abomination, why don’t you please yourself and move back to Cuba? You won’t have to deal with such an abomination then, now would you.