On The Media

When you do wonderful stories like your coverage of the media and the free press in Russia, i hope you realize the stark similarities with our own situation. Please do a program on self and overt censorship and the corporate and governmental powers limit and corupt American media

The view on the media in Russia today was understandable, but unfortunate. While technically accurate, the approach was too narrow to be mature, for it sought to confirm a position rather than find understanding. In September, while working in Russia, I was asked to be the guest on a live talk-show which dealt with incredibly thoughtful issues. I was asked what three elements I considered essential to American society? My answer touched on the strengths of democracy, freedom, and religion. Were those things essential to Russian society, the host continued? We discussed the fact that they were needed to preserve a higher humanity and were not dependent on nationality. The host's final question, "Can knowing the good of each other outweigh political strife?" did not surprise me. I have, in fact, be interviewed on television almost every time I've gone to Russia and inevitably have found a height to the interviews I have rarely found in our reporting. I invite NPR to consider such a thoughtful show of its own, for freedom of the press also means breaking out of stereotypes and bringing breadth to reporting.

Today's piece on Putin and the press is one of the best pieces on Russia I've ever heard.

It is unfortunate that to hear the "news" I often learn more from your program than reading the NYT, WSJ etc.

Thank you.

Jane Carlson

Regarding Mr. Philips' comments, he is correct regarding American media. I believe you have in general done very well in this area.

Our species' cross-border need for security and survival tend to trump a willingness to take political risk. Mr. Ferber's comments are fine in a general sense. However, he is unlikely, having made them, to be found poisoned or otherwise inconvenienced.

Jane Carlson

I believe that the time for us to point ourselves as a shining example of a free and independent press has, for moment, passed. Our media is owned by just a handful of Corporations. Our news is constantly cherry-picked. In short we do not get nearly 'all the news that's fit to print'. Our Democracy is quite threatened by this situation.

I was frustrated by Ms. Gladstone's verbal dance with the Russian journalist who claimed that "freedom of speech" is equivalent to "who's on top", which political theory is temporarily "stronger," or which government agent is willing to wipe out his opposition and opposing ideas via homicide. "Freedom of speech" and "freedom of the press" are governing principles (i.e., for application to everyone equally), not partisan or Party platform strategies, and not a prize to be awarded to the bloody political survivor who's left standing. By not requiring him to respond to a question about "freedom of speech" for everyone as a principle of governing, Ms. Gladstone let him get away with misusing and mocking the principle. He will always win that argument.

(not previous person, A. Carroll)

I agree with previous comments by Mr. Philips and Ms. Carlson, and intend this to be a thank you to Brooke G. and Bob G. for many excellent programs.

I find it very ironic that the truth about American mass media and how it operates has to come out of the chief of the pro Russian Govt.'s leading newspaper, Izwestia. Although I'm not a fan of Putin and I have visited the country on ocassion , I have to clearly state that it would be much better for the NPR's own credibility to describe in detail of how the US own media corporate complex operates and why the truth of the matter often lies not with a "freedom of speech" but with "freedom to be listened to." Otherwise ,the truth about newsreporting and any manufactured and stylized "outcry" looks more like a meaningless spin of the so-called "chattering classes" that prefer to be entertained and not informed. Izwestia 1:0 NPR.

In the middle of today's radio drama (how good and free we are and how evil and enslaved the Russians are), I had to pull my car off the road after hearing the bomb dropped by Gerald Posner. He said (paraphrasing) that press freedom in the US is restricted to a handful of journalists who are talking to a tiny slice of the population; once a journalist gets into the "mainstream" media, freedom of the press essentially disappears.

Posner's remark was a non-sequitor, having little if any connection to Ms. Gladstone's question. Nonetheless, it had heft as perhaps the pithiest and most incriminating summary of the state of US media I have ever heard. Yet, his remark went without comment, the head wagging about the sorry state of Russian media hardly wavered. I wish OTM would abandon its penchant for black & white characterizations like the one from today's show. How about an entire hour on Mr. Posner's views and a deep exploration of whether he is right? Or has OTM gotten too big for that?

I too want to thank OTM for such a well-rounded, thorough segment on Freedom of the Press in Russia. I've read books about Russia in the late 90s such as "Sale of the Century", "Godfather of the Kremlin" and "Casino Moscow" and I question how golden that age was really for "fair" media coverage or anything else. Regarding US superiority in unbiased reporting, I've got to comment on that "found poisoned" comment from Ms. Carlson above. I'm on the line about who was behind the 'poisoned spy' incident, put as an OTM regular I certainly can recognize a very well-financed, well-executed PR operation with a story to sell when I see it. Wow, brought to us by the same people responsible for what OTM called Russia's Golden Age of Media Freedom. I can see why the Russian editor of Izvestia doesn't see our Freedom of the Press as bringing about better results - that is, a more informed populace capable of critical thinking.

What is the media in Russia? It sounded like Brooke was only referring to print & a/v. What about the internet & bloggers? This is where the journalists are in the US, is it different in Russia?

I have to applaud Mr Ferber, Glass and Sullivan for clearity of opinion and intellectual honesty. Unfortunately in this country media has become the part of military-industrial-media complex and the views that are represented must be in concert with socio-economic interests that run it. Actually, I have been to Russia only once during how the OTM's characterized "golden age of Russian media" under Yeltsin. The country was in state of chaos and it was heading toward status of failed state. Instead, Putin as undemocratic and authoritarian as he is, turned the things around just in 7 years, thanks in large part by our "addiction to oil" (I thought I could never sensibly quote Pres. Bush, but here it is). So if the popular leader of the country stands up to the US Govt. interests (cheap oil, central Asia and Radar Missile Bases in E. Europe) it is then considered "undemocratic authoritarian= evil?" What about Musharaff, Al-Saud Family not to mention so many political faux pax in the past. I think there is some intelectual clarity and honest mea culpa required by NPR and media on this side the great pond before we , as nation, pass the convenient political opinion/judgment, du jour , on others.