WP: In Russian Media, Free Speech for a Select Few

[kskiska]

So now we have the battle of the press corps shills? The WP is fingering Putin's press corps as mouthpieces for his government. If so, are *'s flacks any different?

If President Bush thought he would receive support from Russian reporters when he raised the cause of free speech, he did not know much about the Kremlin press pool.

"What is this lack of freedom all about?" one Russian reporter challenged Bush during his joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday. "Our regional and national media often criticize government institutions."

(snip)

The exchange illustrated more about the state of freedom in Russia than met the eye. While Putin travels around with a contingent of reporters just as Bush does, the Kremlin press pool is a handpicked group of reporters, most of whom work for the state and the rest selected for their fidelity to the Kremlin's rules of the game. Helpful questions are often planted. Unwelcome questions are not allowed. And anyone who gets out of line can get out of the pool.

(snip)

If Bush does not trust the Russian press to get the story of yesterday's news conference right, he can at least go to the Kremlin's own Web site. On it was posted a transcript of the joint news conference. Only all of Bush's statements and answers were deleted.

In the U.S., even some of *'s statements are altered or deleted.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51587-2005Feb24.html

[kainah]

1. and that would be different from our press -- HOW???

another example of living in alternative realities. Well, tomorrow he can receive Durbin's demand for an open and transparent investigation in Gannongate. Let's see how he responds to that. I'm sure he'll be totally in favor of investigating whether our independent press has been breeched.

[Dirk39]

2. Bush: In US Media, gays, feminists, liberals.....

and other muslimic communists are terrorizing freedom loving Americans 24 hours a day. The freedom loving heroes of Fox-News are the only remaining defenders of Freedom, Free Speech and Liberty.

"the Kremlin press pool is a handpicked group of reporters, most of whom work for the state and the rest selected for their fidelity to the Kremlin's rules of the game. Helpful questions are often planted. Unwelcome questions are not allowed. And anyone who gets out of line can get out of the pool."

File under "embedded"

Dirk

[TomClash]

3. "Da, Mr. Gannonavitch . . . "