Russian journalists have expressed their support for Ukrainian colleagues and stated their solidarity in monitoring the propagandist lies of Kremlin mass media.
This is said in a statement signed by 15 Russian journalists, reports “Yezhednevniy Zhurnal.”
“We are stating our solidarity with journalists of Ukraine and our intent to aid them in monitoring the propagandist lies which follow the reports on the events in Russia and Ukraine,” says the statement.
Also the journalists have announced the creation of the “independent professional union of journalists, the goal of which will be professional, legal and social protection of journalists.”
They also intend to organise “an independent monitoring of the violation of journalist rights in Russian regions, as well as the violation of the right to freedom of speech in the Internet and in aiding the journalists, whose rights have been violated, in getting legal support.”
“The Kremlin needs a historically unprecedented flow of lies and low-grade propaganda in order to make excuses for the Russian intervention in Ukraine’s affairs and the annex of part of its territory. As a result, the majority of the workers of state-owned and affiliated mass media have de facto stopped being journalists,” says the statement.
The signees think that the necessity has arisen for complex means to protect and preserve the journalist profession in Russia. To their mind, for this “demarkation has to be carried out, to separate the field of journalism from the field of propaganda and PR, create an autonomous free journalism space which is able to withstand political and economical pressure and censure.”
“The country is falling into a totalitarian regime before our eyes. The leading role in this process belongs to mass media which are waging a massive information war against the citizens of its own country, forming in their consciousness the image of internal and external enemies, creating mass illusions regarding the possibility of returning to empire. It is impossible to stop this pall using only the efforts of journalists. But without the efforts of professional journalists our country cannot be moved away from the brink of catastrophe,” says the statement.
The document was signed by journalists Arkadiy Babchenko, Natella Boltianska, Alexandr Goltz, Vladimir Kara-Murza Sr., Galina Sidorova, Maria Slonim, Lev Rubinstein, Igor Yakovenko, Maksim Matveychikov (Blant), journalist, director of the Fund for Investigative Journalism “19/29” Grigoriy Pasko, journalist, general director the Internet publication “Yezhednevniy Journal” Olga Pashkova.
Source: Obozrevatel
Translated by Mariya Shcherbinina
