See, America has a problem with the rights of journalists, too! All you smarmy, self-indulgent Russia critics better be ready to swallow a big glass of ‘shut-the-hell-up’ juice because America is obviously no better when it comes to abusing reporters. Biznesslanch was shocked – shocked I tell you – to learn of the arrest and detention of two Russia Today employees at a protest over the weekend outside Fort Benning, Georgia at an annual protest against ‘the School of the America’s’ (or whatever it’s called these days) training center there. The two were held for 32 hours in jail with, gasp, convicted criminals before being released on bail Monday.
The OSCE, Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have criticized/sharply criticized/condemned (depending on the headline) the arrests. Pavel Gusev, spokesman for the Russian Public Chamber, said the arrests are proof that conditions for foreign reporters in the U.S. are “far from ideal” before smugly pointing to the ‘fairly comfortable working conditions’ for foreign reporters in Russia; the RIA Novosti article then pointed out how not so great things are for Russian journalists, but that, of course, is besides the point.
My favorite part of this video is when they bring on the old dude talking to them on Skype from his living room…RT can’t afford to pay bail in a timely fashion or bring guests into studio?
The best thing about this how Russia Today’s sense of martyrdom practically drips out of the computer or TV screen. The plucky journalists standing up for freedom of expression against a brutal oppressor and all that jazz. Their stories listed ‘insubordination to the authorities’ - a very Stalinist-way of saying of ‘failing to obey a police order’ – as one of the charges.
Even better, the story about their release revealed that the handcuffs used by police are the same kind as ’commonly used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.’ My God! Next thing you know, the U.S. will be throwing journalists into Guantanamo Bay with the other people they use those handcuffs on. The stories have been grouped under the ‘Journalist’s Attacked’ theme alongside stories about Oleg Kashin having his fingers being bludgeoned off by a metal pipe-wielding assailant.
All this, from a news channel whose news section today prominently featured a story called ‘Saucy Summit: Georgian NATO Delegation in Wild Orgy Scandal – Media.’ That would be Georgia, the country, not the Georgia where they beat up and jail journalists like nobody’s business. The same Kremlin-funded news channel competing to be the Fox News – or at least Radio Free Europe – of the Russian news niche in the U.S. Still, people watch it; the last time Biznesslanch was in Radio Shack, all several dozen TVs in the store were tuned to Russia Today. At least it was muted; thank God for small mercies
