Putin fooled by his own media's disinformation

08/09/2008 / RUSSIA

Putin fooled by his own media's disinformation

Putin pounced on a Fox News interview in which an Ossetian woman trying to praise Russia is cut off by the interviewer. Maybe he'd only seen the Russian-dubbed version, when the interviewer, almost comically, coughs and hums loudly over her speech.

When Vladimir Putin was invited to speak on CNN on 28 August, he made a point of bringing up the Fox News interview of a young Ossetian of US nationality, who was visiting Tskhinvali when she witnessed combat between Russia and Georgia. The 12-year-old had come to the studio accompanied by her aunt. After describing what she saw in South Ossetia, she condemned the Georgian attack and thanked the Russians for their help. Her aunt then continued the anti-Georgian attack by blaming president Saakashvili for the war- until she was cut off by a well-timed publicity break.

Although the pair reappeared on the channel after the break, the Russian blogosphere saw the event as proof of censorship by the American media, who they said refused to hear the truth, and placed the ad break to shut up the girl and her aunt. However, the version they were basing their attacks on had been retouched, to emphasise this supposed censorship, by Russian broadcasters. And it's also that version that Putin makes reference to during his interview with CNN.

Contributors

Team Observers

The Fox interview with the Ossetians

The Fox News version:

Posted on YouTube by "dmitry1989davydov".

Russian channel RTR’s version:

The Fox interview was notably aired on RTR's top news shows. The channel went even further to make another version, where this time the girl has no chance to speak at all, and her aunt's interview after the ad break is reduced to 12 seconds, when originally she had 25 to conclude her point. But the best part has to be the overly dramatic coughing and humming from the dubbing of the presenter, giving the impression that he tried to cover up what his guest was saying.

Translation of the RTR piece:

The Russian host:

An Ossetian girl and her aunt who've been living in the USA for several years, but who came under bombing when visiting their homeland, have been invited on to a live programme on Fox News TV channel. Apparently, the journalist thought that the talk would go along with of US politics. But they were wrong.

The American host (a Russian voiceover):

This war... I can't even imagine, a 12-year-old girl going through all this. It must've been horrifying.

The aunt (a Russian voiceover): Yes, it was horrifying. I want to say it on television. I want you to know who's to blame for all this, in this conflict. It's Mr Saakashvili who started this war.

The voiceover of the American host starts coughing and mumbling very loudly. The following words are accompanied by the coughing.

The aunt (a Russian voiceover): It's Mr Saakashvili who's the aggressor. Two days my people, Ossetian people were killed, and bombed, two thousand people were killed. I'm against it.

The host: Unfortunately we have a commercial break, then we'll be back to the studio.

The aunt: I know, you don't want to hear all that.

The host: We'll be back in a moment.

The host: Hello. We're back in San-Francisco. The programme ended a minute ago, but I want to give you 30 seconds to conclude your thoughts. Come on!

The aunt: My house in South Ossetia where I lived... We can blame only one person.

The host: Ten seconds.

The aunt: And the Georgian government. I'm not blaming Georgian people. I blame the Georgian government, and he [Saakashvili] has to resign.

The host: Yeah, that's what the Russians want to hear. If I had more time, you would get it, but I have but five seconds. Thank you. That was a young girl from San Francisco. I understand, there are gray areas in war.

The irony of the matter is that this account of disinformation tricked even Putin himself. In the interview with CNN, the Russian PM refers to the coughing and wheezing of the Fox News interviewer, which only existed on the dubbed Russian version.

Putin on CNN: "Is that an honest and objective way to give information?"

On 28 August, the Russian PM was interviewed by Matthew Chance on CNN.

The interview was translated by CNN here.

Let's recall, for example, the interview with that 12-year-old girl and her aunt, who, as I understand, live in the United States and who witnessed the events in South Ossetia. The interviewer at one of the leading channels, Fox News, was interrupting her all the time. All the time, he interrupted her. As soon as he didn't like what she was saying, he started to interrupt her, he coughed, wheezed and screeched. All that remained for him to do was to soil his pants, in such a graphic way as to stop them. That's the only thing he didn't do, but, figuratively speaking, he was in that kind of state. Well, is that an honest and objective way to give information? Is that the way to inform the people of your own country? No, that is disinformation."

Français

Comments

If this videoclip is

Submitted by Igor Frolov on Tue, 09/09/2008 - 10:33.

If this videoclip is fabricated by the Russian broadcasting company, Putin should very much (very much!) rigidly to punish those who has made it. It is very a shame for the Russian news media if it is a fake. I do not exclude that it is a fake - fools are everywhere, and still there are provokers. It is necessary to make investigation, to find and punish the guilty.
But this case does not change an essence of the matter. Words of the interviewer "Yeah, that's what the Russians want to hear" - nobody forged these words. From its words follows that the Osset girl is the spy of KGB who says that Russian wish to hear. Why the interviewer has not told, what it is awful, and the aggressor (Georgia) should be punished? And Russia operates correctly, protecting Ossetia and punishing Georgia - why he has not told it?
The guilty should be punished - be it the idiot from Russian TV, or the president of the Georgia who has begun war. All world knows that without the order of America small Georgia could not attack Ossetia. America has given Russia a slap in the face by the Georgian paw, and has received in the answer by the Russian fist. Next time we will kick. Be appeased, friends!

Igor Frolov

Russia
Journalist

>If this videoclip is

Submitted by Denis Gerasimov (not verified) on Fri, 12/09/2008 - 18:55.

>If this videoclip is fabricated by the Russian broadcasting company, Putin should very much (very much!) rigidly to punish those who has made it.
Do you really believe that Putin will punish someone who has made it?

Unregistered user

I mean if I was Putin I very

Submitted by Igor Frolov on Fri, 12/09/2008 - 19:38.

I mean if I was Putin I very severely would punish those who discredited me. And to sound it for the whole world. But what Putin will make - I do not know. It is a pity, if he misses this possibility for increase of the rating in the world.

Igor Frolov

Russia
Journalist

discredited?

Submitted by ruben on Fri, 12/09/2008 - 20:12.

Frodo,
If you're trying to make me look like a fool, touche, but otherwise: I think you don't understand. The point of this whole article is that Putin was mistakenly fooled by his own stalwarts in the Russian media!
What do you think this is all about? Little green men?

ruben

Netherlands, the
unemployed

There is no difference -

Submitted by Igor Frolov on Fri, 12/09/2008 - 22:29.

There is no difference - fooled by mistake or fooled intentionally. Both in that and in other case they discredited him. It's indisputable.

Igor Frolov

Russia
Journalist

but whose fault

Submitted by ruben on Fri, 12/09/2008 - 23:12.

Okay, so we've come back to square one. The joke is that Putin would look even dumber if he was going to punish the one who discredited him because he(his loyalists)did it to himself. I can see Putin putting himself over his knee to whip his own behind.
It's like hearing back your own lie and then believing it's true. That's god damn funny man!
(is this microphone on?)

ruben

Netherlands, the
unemployed

ruben;"I can see Putin

Submitted by Igor Frolov on Sat, 13/09/2008 - 08:52.

ruben;"I can see Putin putting himself over his knee to whip his own behind"

;)))
It's a good pun.
But I speak about self-criticism. I say that there is a first power and the fourth power. If they work in a sheaf (as in this case) their actions should be optimum synchronised. If the first uses the information from the fourth, the fourth should be responsible for quality of this information. Especially if on a game there is a reputation of image of Russia.

It means - mercilessly to cut - even if it's own ass.

Igor Frolov

Russia
Journalist

Are you serious?

Submitted by ruben on Sat, 13/09/2008 - 14:11.

I admit that you've been consequent all along.
But the nationalistic tone of your comments strike me. Your level of nationalism is so alien to me that I had not noticed it before.
I ask you two questions to give an example: Is the RTR news an independent news outlet which only tries to bring news to people? Or is it heavily influenced by a very particular political party?
And: Is it a good thing for a people to have a source of news which isn't biased? Or should people only listen to what some politician wants them to hear?

I say that the media should have as few ties with politicians, big companies, etcetera as possible. You say that the media and Putin should work like a team, influencing the people so that they do as they're told.

I know it happens, but you really believe in it. That boggles my mind.

What has Putin ever done for you to earn such loyalty? Trust me, these politicians like Putin, Hu Jintao and Bush don't get successful because they care about a people. They got where they are because they took care of themselves!

ruben

Netherlands, the
unemployed

1. RTR is a power

Submitted by Igor Frolov on Sat, 13/09/2008 - 16:35.

1. RTR is a power broadcasting company. Therefore RTR expresses the point of view of the power.
2. I am not the nationalist or Putin's fan. I have many claims to him and all present our power . But that Yeltsin together with the West has made - almost has completely destroyed Russia, all have become impoverished, it was falling improbable, - all it forces people concerns Putin as to the person who has returned self-esteem to the country. All horror of 90th years associates in the people with words "liberalism", "democracy", "human rights" - under these slogans the robbery of the people has been made by a small group of rascals.
3. I argue as a member of the society to whom danger to be destroyed threatens, and this danger goes from the West. Therefore I will support the power, but only in the event that this power struggles for preservation of my country, instead of works on its disorder as it was done by Yeltsin.

Igor Frolov

Russia
Journalist

Well pardon me but

Submitted by ruben on Sat, 13/09/2008 - 20:12.

Perhaps the RTR should be honest to their viewers and tell them about their intentions. "Good evening people of Russia. We only say what makes the president look good. There will not be any plurality in our news report today." What is the god damn point of a broadcasting company like that?
---edit---
And by the way frodo, you should ask more of your government. Much more! So you're grateful for what you've got from Putin so far. That is no reason to accept what he is doing to Russia now! What are you so frightened of? The god damn bomb?

ruben

Netherlands, the
unemployed

Ruben, very well said about

Submitted by DavidtheBuilder (not verified) on Thu, 18/09/2008 - 04:22.

Ruben, very well said about Russian media.

100% of Russian media and most of Russian TV is controlled by the Kremlin. This is a fact.

American media can sometimes have inaccurate information or bias, but never
balled faced lies as in Russian media.

Russian troops had advanced into Georgia before anyone launched an attack on Tskhinvali.

Russians claim President Saakashvili started the war when he ordered the Georgian Army to go into Tskhinvali on August 8th. Lets not forget Tskhinvali, along with all of South Ossetia, is sovereign, internationally recognized Georgian territory. So Georgia would be "invading" its own land.

This is from the official Russian Defense Ministry newspaper called Krasnaya Zvezda:

Russia claims that President Saakashvili started the war on August 8th by "invading" Georgia’s own territory of South Ossetia:

"On Sept. 3, Krasnaya Zvezda, the official newspaper of the Russian Defense Ministry, published an article in which a captain in the 135th Regiment, Denis Sidristy, said his unit had been ordered to cease a training exercise and move to Tskhinvali on Aug. 7."

The next week, the captain changed his statement and claimed the date was August 8th.

Unregistered user

I am not frightened. I at

Submitted by Igor Frolov on Sun, 14/09/2008 - 08:25.

I am not frightened. And the bomb does not frighten me (look my "hawk" statement here: http://observers.france24.com/en/content/20080825-russian-blog-review-nu... ).I at all do not accept a capitalist formation. I do not like almost everything that becomes today - this aggressive expansion of money which have been taken away from the people and are concentrated in hands of several oligarchs. For example, in the 90th bank contributions of citizens have been frozen and only now return, but drops. My parents have died already, and at them on the account has been saved up so much that I and my sister could buy apartments and cars. And we as successors any more will not receive it back. How I can love capitalism in such execution? But I repeat - it's a West aggressive policy on transformation of Russia into the fuel tank of the USA and Europe and that Russia was weak and did not prevent to the West to plunder the East. But I was born in the USSR and I want, that my country continued to be the guarantor of the world on our continent. Also I think that eventually in Russia more fair system will be established, but for this purpose the hostile environment should be removed and influence of the USA on Europe is stopped.

Ruben, I suggest you to write article for my magazine: how Europe sees Russia today. I promise that no censorship will exist. Everything that you will write, will be published. But I warn that the fee is very small and will send these 50-100 euros to you inconveniently. I suggest to write from interest (I often so do:), I too will write my vision of the West, and these articles we will hang out on the Internet.

Igor Frolov

Russia
Journalist

Who, me?

Submitted by ruben on Sun, 14/09/2008 - 21:53.

Well I guess we all have our cross to bare. Maybe mine is a bit smaller than most, but still...

I'll get back to you on that article for your magazine. Meanwhile, read this essay by Bill Moyers:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/2008/09/bill_moyers_after_911.htm...

I'm sure you'll find it enlightening.

Cheers,

ruben

Netherlands, the
unemployed

millitant

Submitted by ruben on Wed, 10/09/2008 - 15:10.

Putin's intentions are too obvious while he says different things than what he does. This makes him look thick. Just like all the people who are fighting this so called media war.
Russians make fools of themselves because they've been provoked by this dinosaur of an institution called NATO. Europeans don't care for NATO and they shouldn't since the USSR isn't there anymore. I say that it would be a good idea to stop this tool for American imperialism. But that is my opinion, I could be wrong.

ruben

Netherlands, the
unemployed

>Fox News interview of a

Submitted by Yuriy (not verified) on Mon, 08/09/2008 - 17:46.

>Fox News interview of a young Ossetian of US nationality, who was visiting
>Tskhinvali when she witnessed combat between Russia and Georgia.

You said about lie, but write lie....
She was in Tskhinvali when Georgian troops started bombing of Tskhinvali and started killing civilians...

And in Russia media always gives man to end their speech by one or two minutes. It is impossible for good Russian media to speak every 10 seconds about time.

Are all American media so bad? Or only Fox News so bad?

Unregistered user

This is a scandal!!! This is

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 09/09/2008 - 00:28.

This is a scandal!!! This is an excellent example of how normal it is for Russia media (not to mention government) to blatantly lie! There was never any coughing in the original segment, and the Fox News host gave 25 seconds after the commercial, not 12 as the Russia media edited it to be. Furthermore, as a Russian-born Russian-speaking anglophone, I can vouch that the translation is dishonest, deliberately edited to portray Fox News as a "censor". My blood boils when I encounter things like this! This is so petty it is beyond words! Imagine what the translator and video editor, not to mention their producer, were thinking when they deliberately edited this video to make it seem that American media is dishonest. I have news for Russians, American media channels (with the exception of Voice of America) are 100% private and independent of the government. In Russia, however, all the media networks are either directly or indirectly (through Gazprom Media, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, which is majoritarily owned by the Russian government) owned and controlled by the Russian government. This fact is easy to verify.

Unregistered user

>This is a scandal!!! This

Submitted by Yuriy (not verified) on Tue, 09/09/2008 - 16:50.

>This is a scandal!!! This is an excellent example of how normal it is for
>Russia media (not to mention government) to blatantly lie!

I've just show you how West media lie....

And one more: http://www.vz.ru/politics/2008/9/4/204372.html
Here is the article about video. This video was made by Georgian troops, when they shoot houses in Tshinval from tanks.... And we see, how RTVE (Spain Television) showed this video and said, that it is video "How Russian soldiers attacked Tshinval"... People of Spain don't know, that the speech on video is Georgian...

I can give you for one lie in west media on one your post...

West media are liars... This fact is easy to verify.

Unregistered user