#6036
[Second Issue of the Day]
#11
From: "Peter Lavelle" <plavelle@metropol.ru>
Subject: Untimely Thoughts
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002
Peter Lavelle:
Untimely Thoughts - A sorry cast of characters
Pulling the plug on TV6 was a sad day for Putin's Russia. Not only has this unsavory tangle of events hurt the cause of freedom of speech in Russia, the rule of law has been grossly assaulted and President Putin has lost a lot of goodwill with the very people in the west he hopes to impress and emulate.
Closing TV6 in many ways is an appropriate reflection of what has gone wrong in Russia since 1991 into the present. Many share blame for what has gone wrong; the character-types surrounding the closure of the TV station have been with us from the very start. Greed, power, position, and egos have beset the electronic media since the advent of post-Communist Russia. The debacles of NTV and TV6 are only two of the best examples of this country's halting leap to become a normal country. Both are examples of Putins selective approach to restructuring Russia.
However, I fear emotions are flaring more than reasoned thoughts. Unlike some elements of an almost frenzied western press, freedom of speech has indeed suffered a set back, but a return to the Soviet Union it is not. It is not strange that the west focuses on this single issue so much. The concept of freedom of speech is one issue that the west -- because of its importance in the west -- can identity or differ itself from Russia. Everything else about Russia remains, to one degree or another, a mystery.
Both the Russian government and the market place (of ideas) are still learning what a free media actually means. For some in the government, a free media is only free to champion and praise the ruling elite. Some monied individuals used the media to forward personalized agendas. Neither group has taken the interests of society to heart. This remains the case today. Besides, much of this whole affair was about money as well. Whoever gets the renewed license in late March -- with good management -- can look forward to attractive advertising revenues. I would not be surprised that this has been part of the Kremlin's plans all along.
Putin and Kasyanov made claims to protect the people of TV6 only days ago. Putin's kind and magnanimous words, as usual, were made while abroad. (Sometimes I wonder if it would be better if the president ruled Russia while living in a more idealistic western environment). These words appear quite empty after the fact. Putin disappoints his personal vendetta with Berezovsky is unbecoming of a statesman. I am as pleased as punch that the baneful Berezovsky is losing his influence in Russia. But as it seems to be the norm in Russian history, the cost may be higher than the lofty aim. Lesin also shows his most grotty side in this affair. The Minister has (again) made a mockery of the rule of law. Again, to please his master, he has drifted into the realm of ad hoc law making. Minister Lesin can no longer surprise us, but unfortunately he can continue to disappoint.
The so-called victims of the government's work are not blameless. Many members the TV6 cast merely carried over the war of words and positioning from their NTV days. NTV and TV6 were more truthful about the war in Chechnya. Both were even better than their rivals in revealing government corruption. At the same time they had a political agenda that appeared more about the personal interests of Gusinsky and Berezovsky. Does anyone remember the media campaign covering the Duma elections of 1999? NTV's reporting was less than noble. I may be out of step with the conventional wisdom, but Kiselyov should not be remembered as Russia's godfather of the free word.
The greatest casualties (besides the truth) are the rule of law and public confidence in the media. Again, the "dictatorship of law" is more "bout arbitrary political preferences of the powers-that-be. Engaging in illegality (or the legal void) and bad faith to make an difficult situation right is unacceptable. The "dictatorship of law" confirms the strong will continue to dominate the weak. The weak have no recourse, no different from TV6's dilemma. TV6 was legally exhausted into to submission. Putins victory over Berezovsky is as empty as it is meaningless. Satirist Viktor Shenderovich was right; the skill set of journalists does not include legal niceties. The law and the threat of force is the strong hand of the authorities. Does the tune "I fought the law and the law won" come to mind? TV6 in many ways out-manipulated itself. TV6 miscalculated about how the law, as it stands, in the end would probably defeat it. Legal reform remains an area of reform sadly lagging in Russia's restructuring project.
The Russian public is also a victim. Not because they are outraged, but because the loss of TV6 is politics as usual -- and just one less TV broadcast in the regions. My very unscientific public opinion survey of this story tells me as much. Very few Russians I spoke to about TV6 mentioned the issue of freedom of speech. Rather they spoke about who is now stealing from whom. Putin is not seen as the bad guy, he is seen as a Russian ruler quieting an insalubrious business-political interest. What Putin, his government, and the Berezovsky-like business interests have done though is to undermined public confidence that the public sphere can ever truly change in Russia.
The mistakes that have been made do not mean Russia is slipping back in some kind of Soviet past. The mistakes that have been should inform us that Russia's ruling elite has yet to take seriously the meaning of democratization. Disagreement with the government is not sedition. Disagreement with government policy can often help rulers fine-tune or correct misdirected policies. Would be media magnets have yet to learn that the electronic media is not a personalized soapbox. Both sides have yet to realize that TV should be much more than just another revenue stream to capture.
Both sides still cannot manage to capture the hearts and minds of the average Russian. Reform of the electronic is still on the agenda. Putin and Russia are not evil, to recast a past reference. Reform is just occurring much more differently and painfully than we all had hoped.
Peter Lavelle, Head of Research, IFC Metropol, Moscow, Russia
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