According to the National Endowment for Democracy's website:
2007 Democracy Award to Spotlight Press FreedomAnd further reminds us:
Activists from Egypt, Thailand, Russia and Venezuela will be honored by NED on September 18
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On September 18, 2007, the National Endowment for Democracy will present its annual Democracy Award to an organization and three individuals who have bravely contributed to increasing and preserving press freedom and independent media in Egypt, Southeast Asia, Venezuela, and Russia.
"A free press is a critical ingredient for any democracy," said National Endowment for Democracy Chairman Vin Weber. "In countries with little or limited press freedom, independent journalists and activists committed to providing citizens with honest news and information often find themselves in the vanguard of the struggle for democracy, sometimes with their lives on the line. This year's Democracy Award calls attention to the courage of those journalists who risk so much."
The four recipients of the 2007 Democracy Award are: [...]
Anna Politkovskaya, the courageous reporter for the Moscow newspaper Novaya Gazeta who was murdered at her apartment building on October 7, 2006, will be honored posthumously. Throughout her distinguished career as a Russian journalist, Anna was an outspoken advocate for human rights and an end to the devastating war in Chechnya. Politkovskaya's award will be accepted by fellow Novaya Gazeta reporter Elena Milashina.
October 7, 2007 will mark the first anniversary of the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Throughout her distinguished career as a Russian journalist, Anna was an outspoken advocate for human rights and an end to the devastating war in Chechnya. Up to the day of her death, Anna reported on the corruption and abuses of high-ranking officials and the need to protect those who were victims of the war. Her career was marked by a determination to report the truth regardless of the consequences, for which she paid with her life. Earlier this month she received UNESCO's World Press Freedom Prize on the 10th anniversary of the award, the first time it was awarded posthumously.Surprisingly, Lenta.ru's story about this seems devoid of hostility or snarkiness. Actually, it's the same neutral tone that Lenta.ru used to report about Politkovskaya's posthumous receipt of an award from the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
Anna's award will be accepted by her colleague at Novaya Gazeta Elena Milashina, a courageous investigative journalist in her own right. Ms. Milashina has reported from Chechnya on a number of occasions, focusing primarily on investigations of the Beslan tragedy.
11 comments:
Like the NED often displays "neutrality".
Mike, it's hardly surprising that the NED is perceived as not neutral by some who believe in things like "managed democracy" - after all, it does have an agenda, as do most NGOs. Specifically, according to its website, it is "guided by the belief that freedom is a universal human aspiration that can be realized through the development of democratic institutions, procedures, and values."
Given all of the paranoia about "Western NGOs" being involved in anything of political significance in Russia, I was pleasantly surprised to see a major, mainstream Russian media outlet taking a neutral tone not only about Politkovskaya but about NED itself.
Lyndon, the NED participates at some of the most "managed" (as in censored) discussions imaginable. Your "according to its we site" is noteworthy as in: according to its web site.
There's nothing paranoid of noting how some Western funded NGOs have greatly influenced the politics in other countries. In some instances, it can be legitimately debated if such manner was/is for the betterement of the given society.
Russian mainstream media isn't perfect as is true with other media.
As for Politkovskaya, the bias is shown by the lack of relatively high profile posted/published Eng. lang. commentary critical of her work. I can only think of two from Kirill Pankratov and Jon Hellevig.
Did I write "according to its we site" anywhere? I looked for a typo but didn't find it, so I'm not sure what you're on about.
I'm not sure what "'managed' (as in censored) discussions" you're talking about. If you're referring to conferences sponsored by NGOs, where they invite their NGO buddies to chat about whatever, I'm not sure how that's comparable to restricting the plurality of political views available to the public at large through actual censorship or self-censorship of the media, which is an element of "managed democracy."
I'm talking about one sided panels featuring the likes of Aslund, Gershmann (pardon likely misspell)and Satter.
The NED conforms with your own biases. What about those valid views in disagreement?
Mike, is it any surprise that an NGO with an agenda would organize a panel discussion that conforms to said agenda?
Your claim to be in touch with my "biases" rings hollow, especially since it's the same claim you made long ago in one of our first comment exchanges at SRB. You had no idea about my "biases" - or about my opinions - then, and you're still making assumptions. Don't you know what happens when you assume?
Your biases have been clearly shown over the course of time Lyndon.
Like how you pooh pooh the NED biases getying the upper hand.
Mike, I apologize for my "bias" against the professional liars who produce the Tiraspol Times. A "bias" in favor of the truth is a nasty problem indeed, and I'll try to be more careful about it in the future.
As for certain points of view "getying the upper hand" (which would be a decent pun if Getty had given money to NED) it's a free country. Go ahead, start an NGO and use it to promulgate your own views if you disagree with the ones "getying the upper hand."
According to such a utilized characterization, you're a liar and a very disingenuous one at that.
The Tiraspol Times (TTT) is far more objective than the three main Moldovan news orgs. At TTT, you will find material that's pro and anti Kosovo independence, an anti-Pridnestrovie government petition signed by Moldovans outside of Pridnestrovie, a recent anti-Pridnestrovie commentary from one of the top three Moldovan news orgs. and regularly posted/published material from inside Pridnestrovie, which is critical of the Smirnov administration (Smirnov's family included). In addition, I know that TTT invited a leading critic of it to submit an article, with the understanding that it wouldn't be censored. That person declined the offer.
Some aren't sympathetic to Pridnestrovie having a Russocentric direction. TTT correctly reflects Pridnestrovie's political climate, while being open to posting/publishing other views.
Mike, thanks for making me chuckle again. I'm not just a liar, I'm a disingenuous liar! You are quite the wordsmith. I'm not sure where you've seen me getting paid to produce a website that falsely claims to be that of a print newspaper, though, so I'm not sure how the "utilized characterization" applies.
And I see your busy fingers have once again found the Control-V combination, and you've pasted in your blurb in praise of TTT. The same blurb which you've posted in the last couple of days at Sean's blog and at AFOE, as well as pasting it in to a comment you made on this blog yesterday. Do you think that if you just repeat yourself enough times, I'll come around to your point of view?
Just seeting the record straight Lyndon. You're the one repeating half truths and outright fallacies.
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