"Times" by Vladimir Pozner: discussion of the program

On April 2, 2006, Vladimir Pozner's Vremena program discussed the problem of xenophobia in Russian society. The program, which was attended by Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Vladimir Zhirinovsky, writer Alexander Prokhanov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Alexander Krutov, writer, member of the Public Chamber Dmitry Lipskerov, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Russian Federation in the highest judicial bodies Mikhail Barshchevsky, Chairman of the Commission Federation Council on Information Policy Lyudmila Narusova and film director Ivan Dykhovichny, caused a mixed reaction.

The fact that the program is turning from a discussion into a direct propaganda of ethno-nationalist views right on the air was pointed out by one of the participants in the discussion:

* "Mikhail BARSHCHEVSKY: Vladimir Vladimirovich, our program is becoming, in my opinion, counterproductive. In my opinion, this is what is happening now, this is ...

V. Posner: And what is happening, what is happening in our society.

M.B .: ... what has been happening lately is the incitement of ethnic hatred "*.

On April 3, 2006, journalist L. Radzikhovsky expressed his indignation at the broadcast by publishing an article "These are the times today" on the website of the Daily Journal. Leaving aside many of the polemical statements of L. Radzikhovsky (with some of which, in our opinion, we cannot agree), we note his indignation at the fact that, having provided a platform for well-known xenophobes, V. Pozner, precisely as a professional, could not oppose anything to their speeches: " If already called - so at least argue!" - the journalist exclaims, offering his own answers to the demagoguery of the same Zhirinovsky. Otherwise, the program really turns not into a discussion, but into propaganda: “A (rhetorical) question to Mr. Pozner, Ernst, lawyers (for example, Barshchevsky): if this program is not propaganda of racism, xenophobia, ethnic hatred, etc. and etc. - what is it, huh? And if this is propaganda of all of the above, then who should be prosecuted - Zhirinovsky? Posner? Ernst? Someone else?"

For our part, we note that this is not the first experience of a discussion of ethno-nationalists and their opponents in the program "Vremena" and again extremely controversial (this time, however, at least Alexander Sevastyanov was not involved). And, as before, the problem is not who can or cannot be invited to participate in the program (this is the professional choice of a journalist), but that it is the presenter who fails to organize discussions as such, as a result of which some speeches turned into ethno-nationalist propaganda to a mass audience.

Sources

• Time // First channel. 2006. April 2.
• Radzikhovsky L. These are the times // Daily log. 2006. April 3.