6 October 2006
Press Freedom in the North Caucasus Poses no More Danger to Federal Center

Свобода слова на Кавказе более не грозит федеральному центруPRAGUE, 28 September, Caucasus Times. Press freedom situation in Russia is currently marked by the fact that the level of mass media independence here is defined by direct or indirect dependence on state authorities. According to quite widespread opinion in Russia, mass media can be considered free and independent only if that media is not belonging to the authorities, that is, if it is not directly paid from the budget.

As a rule, those relatively independent media usually belong to the Russian oligarchs or high state officials interested in media business. In the first place, those media serve their owners. However, unlike those media paid by the state, they are capable of providing some criticism. However, it should be noted that federal center is usually not criticized. Criticism is mostly directed against certain regions – in case if Kremlin is interested in such a criticism.

Russian media reality looks like that, which is not a surprise for the local observers. However, such a reality evokes increasing concern and indignation in the West, which cannot get accustomed to a peculiar “Russian democracy”.

North Caucasus, which is rightly considered by many as “doubly Russia”, demonstrates huge variety of all kinds of distortions of democratic norms. Under North Caucasus conditions, “Russian democracy” transforms itself even more under the influence of the local traditions and starts to look absolutely unrecognizable.

At present, in the words of journalists and chief editors of the independent media outlets providing objective coverage of the situation in the North Caucasus, they have to serve the authorities on all levels by presenting rosy picture of their deeds just to be able to survive.

Chechnya. Media situation in this republic is marked by extremely high number of print media reaching around 40 different print media outlets. 19 newspapers are financed from the republican budget; the rest of the newspapers belong to different educational institutions, district administrations and local officials interested in media business. Those newspapers are writing about everything, but not about Chechnya. Four years ago there was established weekly independent political newspaper “Chechenskoe obshestvo”.

In the words of Chechen journalists, republican authorities currently have at their disposal powerful set of instruments enabling them to effectively deal with the “truth-seekers”. Territorial Office of the federal Press Ministry, which is supervising observance of Russian media legislature, is one of those numerous instruments. Publication of any undesirable materials is followed first by a warning and then by a trial. As a rule, results of such trials are not favorable to press freedom. If mass media outlet is registered in Chechnya, its registration is usually cancelled. If mass media is registered in Moscow, it is subjected to a huge fine, which financially undermines the mere existence of this media outlet.

Dagestan. There is no official censorship here. Local legislation regulating media business and contradicting to Russian federal legislation is also missing. There are about ten newspapers in Russian, Avar, Dargin, Kumyk and other languages, which are financed from the republican budget. Content of those newspapers is fully in line with the demands of state journalism. There are practically no critical materials about authorities or state officials in those newspapers. Such headlines from those newspapers as “Results of the visit of the Head of Dagestan to Moscow”, “Lets praise our mothers”, “From the programs – back to work”, “Sowing of winter crops is successful” and so on are quite typical for the republican press.

At the same time, there is some independent press in Dagestan. The most opposition-minded media outlet is newspaper “Chernovik” belonging to so called “Northern opposition” represented by Khasavyurt mayor S. Umakhanov and State Duma Deputy G. Makhachev. Before Mukhu Aliev’s coming to power in Dagestan, this newspaper strongly criticized former Head of Dagestani State Council Magomedali Magomedov and his team. However, after new republican leadership came to power in Dagestan, this newspaper’s content became much less critical.

Other independent republican newspapers include “Makhachkalinskie izvestiya” (city administration’s newspaper) and “MK in Dagestan”, which is controlled by Makhachkala Mayor Said Amirov. Until recently regional edition of “MK” belonged to Gadzhi Makhachev, but later it changed its owner due to political reasons. Almost each article in this newspaper starts or ends with such phrases as “Only due to Said Dzhaparovich Amirov…” or “Thanks to Mayor of our capital” and so on.

North Ossetia represents a classical case. Subsidized newspapers and republican TV are totally controlled by the regional authorities. Main instrument against independent mass media in North Ossetia is depriving journalists of the possibility to attend certain official events. Press freedom in North Ossetia is manifested only in coverage of those events connected with Ingush-related topics and in coverage of South Ossetian issue. Population of North Ossetia is quite unanimous in their attitudes towards Ingushs and South Ossetians. Ingushs, to put it mildly, are not in favor in North Ossetia. On the contrary, attitudes towards South Ossetians are generally very positive.

Republics of Ingushetia and Kabardino-Balkaria decided to resort to the methods from the “good old times” by surrounding themsleves with their own modification of “iron curtain” in media sphere. In the framework of the presidential press services of those republics there were created special bodies resembling Main State Secret Control Office. Practically all materials are being strictly censored by the heads of presidential press services in those republics before publishing or going on air.

In the words of Anna Politkovskaya, journalist from “Novaya Gazeta”, presidential press services in those republics are not only a body providing information about the activities of the republican authorities, but also quite effective filter mechanism, which is tracking all information in the republic. Of course, very few independent from the republican budget newspapers are exceptions. But journalist community in those republics is very well aware of all possible consequences of “truth-seeking”, which can result in cancelling registration, cancelling contracts with distributors of the press or in huge fines.

Karachaevo-Cherkessia has quite interesting and “innovative” experience of dealing with press freedom. In the case of this particular republic, Head of Karachaevo-Cherkessia decided to take media situation in the republic under his personal control. In March 2006, President Mustafa Batdyev issued a special instruction prohibiting all state and municipal officials inluding the ministers and their deputies, to communicate with the representatives of mass media without a special preliminary permission from the presidential press service.

At present, there are five official print media outlets in Karachaevo-Cherkessia, which are financially supported from the republican budget. List of those print media includes newspaper “Den respubliki” as well as various newspapers in the languages of the indigenous peoples of Karachaevo-Cherkessia such as “Karachai”, “Cherkes kheku”, “Nogai davysy” and “Abazashta” with the total circulation around 35 thousand copies. Presidential administration keeps tight control over the topics of the materials published in those newspapers. For instance, deputy head of presidential administration Murat Karaketov is conducting weekly working conferences with the chief editors of the newspapers using those meetings for expressing dissatisfaction with certain materials. It is worth of noting that in accordance with the oral instruction from the presidential administration, none of those newspapers publish information about the former presidential son-in-law A.Kaitov’s trial.

After Mustafa Batdyev’s victory in the presidential elections in Karachaevo-Cherkessia there was established opposition newspaper “Vesti gor”. At present this is the only newspaper in the republic, which is in opposition to the current leadership. However, at times this newspaper is taking excessively critical stance towards the government and is often publishing non-verified materials, which undermines trustworthiness of its information. Journalists working in this newspaper are mostly young and not enough professional journalists with insufficient education and expertise, which have a negative impact on the quality of the materials.

In general, media freedom situation in the North Caucasus region is deteriorating. In media experts’ opinion, Russian President Vladimir Putin is mostly responsible for this process since he initiated new laws and legal regulations aimed at suppressing media freedom in Russia.

At present regional authorities in Russia are fully equipped with powerful set of legal tools designed for effective suppressing independent opinion in the regions. Such laws as law “On extremism”, “On terrorism”, “On non-governmental organizations” and “On mass media” provide necessary legal conditions for successful suppression of independent journalism by the authorities. However, efforts to maintain stability and peace in the North Caucasus area cannot be successful unless Russian authorities create necessary conditions for normal existence and development of independent media in the region.
Islam Tekushev, Prague, Caucasus Times
http://www.caucasustimes.com/article.asp?id=10874