"Our readers are the so-called demshiza": employees of the "liberal media" talked about their work

“You can write only what the authorities allow”

Gregory (hereinafter the names were changed at the request of the publication’s heroes themselves. - RT ), 32 years old, correspondent of the editorial board of the Internet project Medusa (funded by advertisers and grants, including from Western organizations OAK Foundation and SIDA).

- I moved to Riga from Moscow several years ago at the invitation of my friend, who already worked at Medusa. Before that, for quite a long time, about ten years, I worked in various online publications in Moscow and St. Petersburg and was well acquainted with news journalism. And then there is such a tempting offer - to live in a European city, to write whatever you want without censorship, and a decent salary - an average of € 2.5-3 thousand. I agreed. However, my stay in the feeling of complete freedom was short-lived.

In the spring of 2018, it became clear that Medusa has commercial obligations to some Russian commercial structures and regional leaders. And it turns out that you can write only what the authorities allow. The editors of the departments should coordinate the topics with the chief editor Ivan Kolpakov or in person with the general director of the project Galina Timchenko.

However, for ordinary correspondents of Medusa, a feeling of complete freedom and democracy is created. Write what you want. And if someone begins to ask the editors why this or that invoice was removed from the texts, they simply explain to them that the correspondent could not professionally collect the necessary facts.

One of the huge problems is that Russian officials simply do not want to communicate with Medusa, and the federal departments do not respond to our requests.

• Office of the Internet project "Medusa" in Riga
• RIA News
• © Ints Kalnins

“My ideas were illusory, in fact, there is nothing to strive for here”

Svetlana, 29 years old, correspondent of Dozhd TV channel (funded by advertising, paid subscription and tranches of the European Commission).

- I have always believed that working on television is prestigious, and even on the opposition channel. At the Rain, I saw for myself the development prospects. In addition, it is not difficult to get here, the leadership is loyal to the interns. But after a couple of years of work, I realized that all my ideas about Rain were illusory, in fact, there was nothing to strive for. For the most part, majors from wealthy families come to join the channel. They can afford to work hard for a salary lower than the market - the correspondent is paid up to 50 thousand rubles a month, and often they have to work 12 hours a day. Salary is the first thing that unpleasantly struck me, and this despite the fact that Rain is not a periodical, but a television channel where, in principle, money should be found. If you want to earn, look for another place. For this reason, employees do not particularly bother.

But the most important thing is that all the professionals have long since dumped the channel, there is nothing special to learn here either. Today, the presenters of the broadcast are often boys and girls who stutter and get confused in words. Operators do not seek to make quality content; reporting topics are not always carefully considered.

At one time, the former editor-in-chief Roman Badanin promised to transform the TV channel into an authoritative Internet portal with serious investigations, but this turned into a criminal case (the first part of the documentary project “St. Petersburg. Father and Son” about the businessman Ilya Traber was broadcast on the Dozhd TV channel in the summer 2017. The authors of the film accused the businessman of having connections with crime, and a criminal case was initiated against Roman Badanin under Article 128.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Slander.” - RT ).

Despite this, the "rain" thinks of itself as stars and are sure that they are the best. Their faith in their elitism is unshakable. Doubt about the professionalism of colleagues is not accepted here. It is better to keep your opinion to yourself.

Well, about double standards, where without them. In 2015, the channel’s editor-in-chief Misha Zygar was excommunicated for the fact that his book “The entire Kremlin army” about the officials of the presidential administration and the government of the Russian Federation did not like, as they said, the then press secretary of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. However, it is believed that there is no censorship on the channel.

The list of those who should not take comments does not really exist. But the base of experts who are ready to come down with criticism of the Moscow mayor, president or prime minister, is always at hand.

But they will simply not criticize the head of FBK ** Aleksey Navalny and his associates in programs and news stories. During the summer Moscow protests, Dozhd made access to the air free. The protest became the main agenda on the channel, which was supervised by the deputy chief editor of the channel Maxim Glikin and personally the director general of the channel Natalia Sindeeva. Caught hype on the opposition leaders.

• TV channel studio "Rain"
• RIA News
• © Evgeny Biyatov

" The New Times has never been a truly independent magazine."

Sergey, 47, a journalist who collaborated with The New Times magazine (receives funding from the Press Freedom Support Fund ***).

- The New Times has never been a truly independent magazine. Its publisher and editor-in-chief Evgenia Albats in his work lobbies the interests of some businessmen, politicians, but skillfully hides it. The principle of her work is not to publicize her patrons, but to criticize and discredit their opponents. At the same time, Ms. Albats, as often happens, adheres to democratic principles in words, and she herself does not mind turning on the dictator. He does not accept criticism and meets her very aggressively, does not like to argue with her, and immediately tries to suppress the interlocutor. To convince her is almost impossible. If it is necessary to confirm her point of view, she willingly resorts to unverified and even obviously fake messages. ”

“Our readers are the so-called demshiza”

Elena, 37, editor of the site of the Moscow Bureau of Radio Liberty * (the media is recognized as a foreign agent, funded from the US budget through the United States Agency for Global Media).

- The team at our “Freedom” is not to say that it is very large, about 100 full-time employees. And our readers are the so-called demshiza. If an article is published in which, for example, the author scolds Vladimir Putin, up to 100 thousand people can click it. And so, if a note about the fate of a disabled person who is not helped by the regional authorities, or a civil activist offended by the police, these articles can be read five to ten thousand per day on the website.

But the traffic to the site of the director of the Russian service "Radio Liberty" Andrei Sharogo, whose office is located at the headquarters of the radio station in Prague, is not very worrying. The main thing is that daily on the website of the Moscow Bureau of Radio Liberty, materials are published on the problems of the Russian government, on regional dissatisfaction with the policies of the federal center, and, of course, human rights texts about “infringement of the freedom of speech in Russia”, about the protests and their participants. The work is very calm, and they pay well for it - on average, more than 100 thousand rubles.

The main thing is to find sane regional authors who know where oppositionists are found in their province who are rocking protest topics.

“The less you do, the more likely it is that the contract will be extended with you”

Peter, 30 years old, an employee of the TV channel "Present" * (the media is recognized as a foreign agent, funded from the US budget through the US Agency for Global Media).

- We must start with the images. The headquarters in Prague, where Radio Liberty and the TV channel "Present" are located, is a huge glass. They say, but it’s inaccurate that underneath is a bunker that can withstand a nuclear strike. When you go there, you understand that you didn’t get to the editorial office, but to some kind of super department, the corporation of the future. Inspection is tougher than when crossing the border: you go through several metal detectors, passport control, a search by the security service.

Unlike some “Media zones” or “Rain”, where people work for the idea, here you serve the eychar and for a good salary. It seems to me that the goal of every person working on the TV channel “Present Time” is to extend the contract for a year first, and then wait until it becomes indefinite. And then you can completely stop worrying about the future. But at some point you understand that if you already began to live in order to secure your old age, then you need to get out of here.

Nevertheless, few people want to quit, because the conditions there are really cool for a post-Soviet person. A normal salary, a social package, everyone gets a residence permit in Europe, and after ten years - an American passport on a simplified system, because in fact you are an employee of the US Department of State. Therefore, your documents are considered more loyally.

And everyone mainly thinks about the benefits: what will be the premium at the end of the year, how much will be paid as the 13th salary, what will be the compensation for rental housing and so on. And they try not to delve into what they are essentially doing. And by and large, the less you do, the greater the likelihood that a contract will be extended with you.

And most importantly, many of the colleagues simply do not understand who they work for.

The people who run the TV channel “Present” are not journalists, but middle-aged managers with little experience. Basically, they lack an understanding of the Russian agenda, because some have not been in Russia for ten years or more. These are people who, in all seriousness, think that if they fly to Moscow now, they will be detained at the airport for cooperating with American intelligence. And they cultivate this belief in themselves.

There is no direct ban on some people, there is no black list. There are some manuals, but they relate mainly to American events. And it’s understandable why: we are part of the American state machine. However, basically you are not talking about America, but about Russia. There is no need for censorship, managers select people who share their views. You can, of course, speak with Russian pro-government speakers, but this is rarely possible: half are forbidden to communicate with us, the other half do not know what “Present” is, since this project is not presented in Russia as television.

* Media recognized as a foreign agent by decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated 12/05/2017.

** The Anti-Corruption Fund is included in the register of NGOs performing the functions of a foreign agent, by decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation of 09.10.2019.

*** “Press Freedom Support Fund” - is included in the register of NGOs performing the functions of a foreign agent, by decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated 12.30.2014.