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Russia: Kommersant journalist calls on journalist colleagues to not be silent

08.12.2011    source: www.kommersant.ru
With the television news avoiding mention of mass protests over electoral infringements, Stanislav Kucher writes: “You can throw out all the “Teffi” awards that you received for “the best news programmes”. During these days you are shaming yourself and your profession”.

Katya, what will you tell your children?  (addressed to the newsreader on ORT; posted on the facebook site for those planning to attend a protest rally on 10 December (http://facebook.com/events/198328520252594/)

In the light of the determined silence on federal television channels in Russia about the many thousand-strong protests against electoral fraud in Sunday’s election to the State Duma, Kommersant’s political correspondent Stanislav Kucher has made an open appeal to his colleagues.

“This is not about politics, but only about professionalism”.  Kucher goes on to explain that he has been prompted to make the appeal after watching the evening news programmes on Channels 1 and 2 where there were reports asserting a “clear victory” for United Russia.

“When in the centre of the two capital cities of what is for now our common homeland for the first time in 10 years thousands of people have come out to demonstrate their attitude to the elections which the President speaks about on your channels, and you say nothing about that (the protests), that is unprofessional. Full stop. When military technology is being brought to the capital and transport is paralyzed, and you are silent, that is also unprofessional. When they beat and detain your colleagues from central media outlets and you are silent, that is – no, I’m not talking about the moral aspect, not swinish. It’s also unprofessional. That’s all.”

“You can throw out all the “Teffi” awards that you received for “the best news programmes”. During these days you are shaming yourself and your profession”. 

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