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When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991
one of the first things to be abolished by
the new Russian leadership was censorship of the media
For almost a decade Russia enjoyed a press freedom
it had never ever seen during its history
Since the turn of the century, under president
Vladimir Putin, things started to change.
The state's influence on especially
the electronic media grew
Some journalists adapted to the new situation
others, like Pavel Sheremet, chose not to
For more than twelve years Sheremet worked
as a reporter and presenter
at the first channel of Russian television
In 1998 the international committee
to protect journalists awarded him
for his contribution
to press freedom in Russia
Now he has left television
to work for a weekly printed magazine, Ogonyok.
Pavel, you published a book aimed
at beginning journalists. Why?
I wrote a book called 'Television between
illusion and the truth of life', because
I wanted to share my television experience
and in this way mark the end of my career
as a television reporter.
I knew that in the foreseeable future
I would not be able to work at the
main Russian television channels
for political reasons and because of censorship.
More and more I conducted seminars and
training courses for young journalists
and I decided to write a book for them
about my own experience and the experience
of other stars of Russian television and show
them the main direction which may lead to success.
The new generation of young journalists
and television reporters and presenters
they live in entirely different circumstances
than their colleagues just ten years ago.
Today we see a sharp rejuvenation
among television reporters and presenters.
Twenty to twenty-five year old boys and girls
are making stories and are presenting news programs.
Even the main news programs are presented by people
who are around or just over thirty years old.
Why is that? Why are there no adult,
experienced people in leading positions?
Because it is easier for the owners of the channels
and for politicians to manipulate younger,
still not established journalists
The situation of press freedom in Russia
is very, very complicated.
We can say that there is a very serious,
fundamental problem with press freedom.
Of course, compared to the period of Stalinism
or the time when the Soviet Union stil existed
then today an enormous step forward has been made.
But if we compare it to the time of president Yeltsin
or to European or American standards of press freedom
we can speak of colossal problems in Russia.
Because a state is only full-grown and strong
when it has strong social institutions.
And media are one of the key social institutions.
I do not just think, I am convinced that in Russia
the mass media should not just be free,
they should be unleashed and be aggressively free.
Because the country is so huge that a signal
coming through state channels from Vladivostok
to Moscow, always arrives distorted.
And only free, unleashed media are able to show
what is going on in this huge, difficult country.
President Medvedev wants to tackle corruption.
Nothing will come of it if this problem
is not tackled in a systematic way,
if there is will be no opposition in parliament,
if there will be no free mass media,
if not every civil servant knows
that if he does something wrong, then tomorrow
all newspapers and all TV channels will report it.
Without that, it is like running on the spot.
Without free media, without free social institutions
Russia will never rise from its knees
and will remain a barbaric country which will jump
from fire to fire, from revolution to war
from war back again to revolution.
That is my conviction, which I always defend.
Therefore I could not in the current situation
keep on working at the First Channel.
Because what is happening at the federal channels
contradicts my convictions and principles.
You are welcome.