"Mouthpiece" instead of "emissary"

On November 3, 2005, Gazeta.Ru published an article by Oleg Serlov, “Dictionary of Trustworthy Words,” from which it follows that the heads of central Russian television channels received from representatives of the presidential administration a “list of terms” that should be used when covering events in the North Caucasus.

For example, instead of the word “Wahhabi” it is proposed to use the phrase “Islamic extremist”, “jihad” is recommended to be called “sabotage and terrorist activity”, “Chechen terrorism” - “international terrorism”, and “emissary of the Chechen separatists (A. Zakaev)” is required call it "the mouthpiece of Chechen militants."

It is obvious, the author of the article writes, “that these are the ideologemes that, thanks to journalists, Russian society should learn ,” peaceful life in Chechnya has improved, “everything has stabilized,” and the republic is on the eve of “good elections.”

“Through simple terms defined at the top, a very specific point of view is imposed on society. And TV channels here are nothing more than a means for “cleansing the brain,” O. Serlov concludes.

Sources

• Serlov O. Dictionary of trustworthy words // Gazeta.Ru. 2005. November 3.