Tuesday 8 April 2014

News roundup

Putin's partition of Ukraine is running to script with "locals" in the east calling for independence. Be patient. Demands for annexation by the new Saint Vladimir will follow shortly. It's the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact all over again without the inconvenience of Ribbentrop.

So how is British TV reporting the imminent dismantling of one of the largest countries in Europe this morning?  BBC and Sky News headlined with the death of Peaches Geldof and are giving us rolling coverage of the Oscar Pistorius trial. Voyeurism into private grief is now serious news. It was down to Al Jazeera English to begin its bulletin with events in Ukraine.

In a parallel universe, Russia Today led with the news that Russian security forces have taken time out from their busy amateur dramatics schedule in Ukraine to kill Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov again. I make that the third time his death has been reported so far this year. This just proves the superiority of Putin's agents over American special forces, who did a sloppy job and only killed Osama Bin Laden once.

3 comments:

  1. They can't get enough of it, like that boy from a Russian joke who kept coming back to the burnt-out building of his school to ask what had happened. "We've told you a dozen times, can't you see: it burned down." "Sounds so good - say it again!"

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  2. It's also a rare example of Russia Today having a story about Russia (maybe they were forced to change their name to RT by advertising standards). Mostly, they tend to focus on Western decadence. Presumably, this is a form of "whataboutery": "Yeah, we know Russia is bad, but let's not mention that and talk about YOU instead."

    My first real experience of RT was their coverage of the end of the war in Libya. They had some weird English Trotskyite woman explaining that Tripoli would never surrender. I kept flicking over to Sky News to watch its correspondent heading with a rebel convoy to the city centre amid cheering crowds.

    My friend reckons that Press TV (Iran's English-language propaganda news service) was even funnier, but sadly it got taken off the air here. Both RT and Press TV have offered gainful employment to George Galloway. Never a good sign.

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    Replies
    1. Didn't know Press TV was Iranian. I've been directed to their site by a Putinist once for some "leaked" quote. Now I get it.

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