The limits of solidarity

Why does society ignore a scream for the help of an entire editorial office

Vedomosti, one of the country's two largest national business newspapers, live live. I.O. The editor -in -chief Andrei Shmarov, put on the leadership of the new owners, contrary to the consolidated opinion of journalists, does not deny himself anything.

Shmarov removed from the Vedomosti website the already published column of economist Konstantin Sonin, in which he recalls that the collapse of the ruble in 2014 could be provoked by Rosneft's interventions in the credit market.

I.O. Glavred orally forbids reporters to publish the data of the Levada Center, which contains unpleasant information about the mood of Russians for the Kremlin.

Shmarov does not consider it necessary to explain his position: in personal social networks it is finished with remarks in the spirit of “NOT YOUR BOOK”, he refuses the official interview.

Vedomosti journalists, brought to despair, go to the gesture unprecedented in the profession: directly on the website of the newspaper, manifestos are published with an appeal to remove such a leading and appoint a person with whom it would be possible to work. This is how the long funerals of the newspaper look like that began some time ago.

For these events, the ominous figures of people are guessed, who really control “Vedomosti” and who have long been accustomed to the fact that various assets in Russia should be in their personal possession.

When Tatyana Lysova, who created an exemplary business publication in Russian conditions, left the newspaper, the very “Vedomosti” that is so sorry for losing today, we wrote that the “double continuous” now applies to the topics not forbidden for Russian journalism. She crosses out the very idea of ​​professional journalistic work.

The betting of “Vedomosti” never consisted in fighting the authorities, its journalists only did not silent about the existence of one or another socially important information, they did not have “Temnikov” or “Stoplists”.

Such professional journalism already several years ago, in the "postcrymal situation", began to be considered by the authorities as an unacceptable freemen.

Like, now the moment is not suitable for objectivity and professionalism, when the country has such a complex historical period.

And yet last year, Vedomosti, along with two other business publications, Kommersant and RBC, went to the most important gesture of journalistic solidarity, delivering to the court, that is, to the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, three identical covers in support of Ivan Golunov.

The detention of Golunov, to the surprise of his pursuers, became a nationwide event, provoked resignations, criminal cases and special appeal of the Minister of the Interior Kolokoltsev.

The question that needs to be asked now is why society is indifferent to a desperate attempt by journalists of Vedomosti to protect its profession?

Unfortunately, the answer is trivial. From the beginning of the case, Golunov has passed for almost a year, and the society had very little effort to self -defense.

“Moscow business” and a velvet political terror, declared in the fall, helped us unite.

But during the growing economic crisis and epidemic, people have less and less moral resources in order to protect others.

Today everyone is too worried about the future of loved ones.

It is for this reason that there is no space even for a virtual, quarantine protest against the destruction of “Vedomosti”. A lot today depends on whether such a space will find again when the epidemic goes to decline.