Big loss for Russian media

"United Press International" , USA
Peter Lavelle (Peter Lavelle),
June 3, 2004

Political television journalism in Russia has lost one of the most noticeable figures and a highly professional analytical program, which cannot but affect its quality. On Tuesday (the message about this was published the next day) was dismissed by Leonid Parfenov - an indomitable, witty and sophisticated TV presenter in politics - and his weekly program “The Lentified” was removed from the air.

Parfenov claims that special services are behind his dismissal. The company where he worked - the NTV channel, which is under state control, said that Parfyonov violated corporate ethics.

Perhaps the Parthenov and NTV are right, but this event became an alarming evidence of how the Kremlin understands the issue of freedom of political analysis on Russian broadcasting.

The question because of which Parfenov’s career ended as a political telecument is related to an interview with the widow of Zelimkhan Yandarbiev, the murdered leader of the Chechen separatists, suspected of involvement in terrorism. Two Russian citizens are accused of his murder: they are currently being judged in Qatar.

The Kremlin denies all involvement in the murder. The interview was shown in the program "P endo" on Sunday - but only to the eastern regions of Russia. A few hours later, the NTV management ordered the interview before the transfer reaches the western part of the country.

According to NTV, representatives of the special services gave an order to remove the interview, claiming that his demonstration may negatively affect the course of the trial in Qatar. As expected, Parfenov expressed an energetic protest.

On Tuesday, Parfenov was dismissed, and his program was closed. As stated in the statement posted on the NTV website, Parfenov violated the labor agreement, "without supporting the management of the company." Parfenov, of course, claims that he and his program fell victims of undisguised censorship from the Kremlin.

Was Parfenov really dismissed for showing an interview with the widow of Yandarbiev? Most likely not. According to many observers, two Russians will condemn in Qatar, then quickly have mercy and send from the country.

His career was not destroyed by a politician and not a refusal to follow the Kremlin’s political line: the reason for this was his attitude to politics, journalistic professionalism and civil conscience - the phenomenon is not so frequent.

As a permanent viewer of “the other day”, the author of these lines can give an infinite set of examples, which is why some in the Kremlin could keep a “stone behind the bosom” on the Parfenov. The "other day" was one of the few political information programs of state electronic media, whose authors were not aware of fear. Parfenov did not know restrictions in his satire, criticism and exposure of the actions of the Russian political and financial elite. In addition, the “other day” was distinguished by global coverage, making reports, for example, about events in the Middle East, which the American audience could hardly have ever seen.

The program, with its peculiar style - witty inserts and funny graphic design - did not spare anyone. On Sunday, a report on the Epistle of President Vladimir Putin to the nation was shown in the “M endo”: with the help of computer graphics, the picture was processed in such a way that all listeners in the hall turned into cloned Putin. The “other day” did not criticize the actions and goals of the president, but ridiculed the Kremlin’s overly cautious political style.

From the point of view of citizenship, not a single program on Russian television could be compared with the "other day." In the weekly section of the program called “Poor People”, reports on poverty reigning in Russia were not just demonstrated - various social layers were placed in the all -Russian context. “The other day” did not blame someone specifically of this poverty, and the Kremlin is more, but showed that poverty is a problem that should worry all Russians. Like no other television program, the “other day” sought to show the state of society as a whole - and not its individual aspects, illuminated in ordinary news releases.

Many observers specializing in the problems of the Russian media suggested that the Parfenov open clash with NTV and the Kremlin would sooner or later happen. The tension between them arose a few months ago, when a report was removed about one book, where gossip was transmitted about the Kremlin’s relationship with the press. Thus, the ban on the interview with the widow of Yandarbiev is regarded as a “test of strength”, a competition in which the Parthenov does not want to concede. Partenov did not give up - he refused to sacrifice his journalism with professional standards.

Now the Russians, including the Kremlin itself, have lost an important public forum. “The other day” did not try to influence public opinion - she was simply his reflection. He did not use his stunning parfene talent to make someone laugh; He simply gave the Russians a good reason to laugh together. “The other day” did not pursue political goals: she simply tried to show the Russians that politics and society can be thought not only as it was prescribed from above.

Published on the website inosmi.ru.