Quote Originally Posted by Bisquit
Guys, I want to say something of critisizing Russia in Western media.
I've read Western papers on www.inosmi.ru & www.inopressa.ru for 3 years. I also sometimes visit English papers' websites to read original publications. I think that 80% of publications of Russia is bias. It's not sheer lie, they are too smart to write something like that, but
I don't know, Bisquit, I've seen those websites. But they don't seem to publish all articles about Russia, they only do select ones. For example, I tried to find the New York Times article (a very serious and respected newspaper) about the protection of the Kamchatkan trouts (see my topic), published October 16th, but it wasn't there. I am wondering whether they select articles on purpose that concern them directly and therefore seem more critical... I don't know.

Quote Originally Posted by Bisquit
1. Western journalists rarely ask Russian newsmakers of their opinion. They seldom ask ordinary Russian people what they think of some political or social event in Russia. On the contrary, they tend to use so-called "experts on Russia". (Oh, Is there any school or university that gives the degree in "experting on Russia"?) These "experts" are either Russians who work in Western funded NGOs, or Westeners who visit Russia two or three times a year to meet with Russian "experts". The fact is that both of these groups are not independent. NGOs can't be independent since they are funded, directly or indirectly, by Western governments. Most of these people are virtually unknown in Russia and their opinion has not credibility among ordinary Russians. Politkovskaya is a good example. It's very easy to pose oneself as an "expert" if nobody knows you and you say or write something that pleases people in the West.
True, most news agencies can not afford to have Russia 100% staffed. But if you look at all the main media outlets, you'll see that they do have people on the ground and in Russia.

Quote Originally Posted by Bisquit
2. Most of Western journalists don't speak Russian or their Russian is very poor and, therefore, they can't read Russian quality press (both state controlled and oligarchs controlled) or directly ask questions to Russian people.
That's what translators are for, but you are right they can't directly talk to every single person.

Quote Originally Posted by Bisquit
3. Most of Western journalists live in Moscow spending their time in night clubs or with whores. They seldom visit other cities exept Moscow or SPb and, therefore, have no consistent view on life in Russian province.
Now that I find offensive. I am sorry, but that is a profound lie. I am personally aqcuinted with journalists covering Russian news. Yes, they are based in Moscow (naturally, that is where politics happen), but they travel every place where things happen. My friend did a story on Norilsk (traveled there), Vladivostok (water shortages in 2004) as well as countless of provincial towns and cities since he got assigned to cover Russia. Night clubs and whores Who is biased now, eh?

Make sure you read stories from well-known newspapers and not "the Exile" or "The Weekly Standard" which are totally unknown in the "West" and which I found on your inosmi.