Diplomacy and journalism make strange bedfellows, Mr. Medvedev
Media and Internet, UzbekistanOne Comment
Medvedev looking very futuristic and media savvy, but is he really our friend? Image courtesy of the Kremlin's official site.
The Moscow Forum of European and Asian Media opened last Thursday to much fanfare. Valery Niyazmatov, Uzbek journalist and editor of the Russian-language newspaper New Century, put this interesting question to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev:
In recent years, in the media from time to time [there is the] hotly debated question of freedom of speech. Sometimes it is replaced by the notion of a certain permissiveness, until the use of profanity. I would like to hear your opinion about freedom of speech in Russia — more specifically, in mass media of Russia …
To begin with, when an Uzbek journalist inquires about the situation for freedom of speech is quite a statement about how lousy the situation must actually be in Russia (not to mention his guts for daring to ask the President himself).
Medvedev responded in an odd fashion:
I hope, first, that you have in Uzbekistan [this] right, freedom of speech. [Since] you ask me this question, apparently [for] Uzbek reasons you are not very worried. As for freedom of speech in our country, let me answer [by saying] the same thing: we, too [...] use a variety of ways of delivering information to the consumer.
[...] In my opinion, freedom, of course, assumes responsibility and competence. I recently spoke on this subject and I repeat to this distinguished audience: the primary duty of a journalist — to tell the truth, but how he does it — it’s your business, it’s your decision.
Hmmm an “Uzbek” kind of question? Medvedev suddenly the mentor of journalists (or, as he likes to say now that he’s a blogger himself, “colleagues”)?
It’s hard to say whether Russia’s leader is trying not to remember when most Russian channels were blocked in Uzbekistan. Let’s recall what Uzbek President Islam Karimov had to say during the ban:
I have no claims against the Reuters news agency, BBC BBC, CNN, Deutsche Welle radio. I may disagree with their views and assessments, but their work gives me respect. [But] Russian TV channels, in particular, Ren-TV and NTV, propagate insinuations about the events in Andijan and the place where the alleged shooting of peaceful demonstrators by government forces.
Mr. Medvedev, if you really aspire to be a journalist of the 21st Century, I advise you to take a note of that “Uzbek” question: diplomacy and journalism make strange bedfellows; their pillow talk is entirely omission.
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А что ожидал услышать узбекский репортер?.. То, что Медведев скажет, что в РФ нет свободы слова? (Хотя можно предположить, что свобода слова в РФ все-таки есть, но до определенных границ, впрочем, как и в других странах, к примеру в США) Или же то, что в Узбекистане нет свободы слова? Это в свете того, что РФ пытается вновь реализовать свои имперские амбиции в ЦА регионе, что без влияния на Узбекистан это невозможно. Следовательно, Медведев будет идти на некоторые уступки Каримову. Свобода слова - это несколько эфемерное понятие и каждым воспринимается по-разному.
And I expected to hear the Uzbek reporter?.. The fact that Medvedev will say that in Russia there is no freedom of speech? (Although it can be assumed that freedom of speech in Russia still exists, but up to certain limits, however, as in other countries, for example in the U.S.) Or the fact that in Uzbekistan there is no freedom of speech?
This is in light of the fact that Russia is trying to realize its imperial ambitions in the Asian region, with no impact on Uzbekistan’s impossible. Consequently, Medvedev will be to make some concessions for Karimov. Freedom of speech - it is somewhat ephemeral concept, and each is perceived differently.
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