Last week, I discussed a story about the firing of one of Russia’s more prominent television journalists in the wake of what seemed to be a government movement to keep an investigation off the airwaves. This week, the Sacramento Bee picks up a Christian Science Monitor article that talks about the broader scope of censorship in Russia.
The Monitor’s Scott Peterson writes about threats towards broadcasters when they are following various stories and describes what some in human resources would describe as a “hostile work environment” in more ways than one.
The Glasnost Defense Foundation reports that 10 journalists were murdered, 96 assaulted, and 24 media offices attacked in 2003. Some 378 court cases were also brought - down slightly from more than 400 for each of the previous two years - and in 24 cases the plug was pulled on programs while on the air.
I’m sure they’re just lining up at J-school after hearing about these statistics. Oh, wait. No one heard about them.
