Watchdog warning about TV in post-Soviet states
Published: 11/26/09, 2:48 PM EDT
By VERONIKA OLEKSYN
VIENNA (AP) - Government-influenced television is hampering democracy in Russia, Belarus and most post-Soviet countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, and it could endanger international peace and security if misused as a propaganda tool, a watchdog warned Thursday. Miklos Haraszti, the outgoing media freedom representative at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said even TV stations that are not directly state-owned are often in the hands of people close to those in power. "We cannot speak about free elections, we cannot speak about true democracies where most people get most of their information from television that is either quite firmly in governmental hands or, if privatized, then in the hands of cronies or even families of governmental leaders," Haraszti said. "Or if (the countries) nominally have public service broadcasting, then it is in fact just a propaganda tool for the government."
Government influenced television – not overtly owned by the government but strongly influenced. Sort of makes a tingle run up your leg doesn’t it MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and NBC? You guys get all giggly over Obamao don’t you? Isn’t this the kind of country you want where the press is simply a mouthpiece of the government?
Government influenced television – not overtly owned by the government but strongly influenced. Sort of makes a tingle run up your leg doesn’t it MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and NBC? You guys get all giggly over Obamao don’t you? Isn’t this the kind of country you want where the press is simply a mouthpiece of the government?
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