Anna Politkovskaya
We examine the ongoing investigation into the murder of the Russian journalist.
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| It took almost 11 months for the Russian authorities to make arrests in the Politkovskaya case |
In this week’s episode of The Listening Post, Richard Gizbert examines the ongoing investigation into the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the challenges faced by journalists reporting on China and how CBS News anchor Katie Couric came under fire for going to Iraq.
We start in Russia this week, where ten people were arrested in connection with the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya including members of the FBS, the intelligence service that succeeded the old KGB.
The authorities also pointed the finger at Russian oligarchs living abroad and Chechen criminals.
The press in Russia was divided over this recent development. Politkovskaya’s former paper, Noyaya Gazeta, complained that the real masterminds of the crime had not been found.
However, government-backed newspaper, Rossiskaya Gazeta, declared the case closed with a headline ‘Politkovskaya Murder Solved’.
Anna Politkovskaya tackled the stories that mainstream Russian media shied away from; the war in Chechnya and the failures of Putin’s regime. At the time of her death she was preparing a piece on the use of torture by the Russian military in Chechnya.
According to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Politkovskya was the 13th journalist to be murdered in a contract style killing since President Vladimir Putin came to office in 2000.
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| China has relaxed its strict reporting restrictions for foreign journalists |
With the Beijing Olympics on the horizon, China has relaxed its strict reporting restrictions for foreign journalists.
As a result we are seeing more stories coming out of the country, but some Chinese journalists are accusing the Western media of focusing on the negative; made in China toys recalled after lead poisoning scare, pollution over the new Olympic stadium, human rights abuses.
They argue that valid stories about China as a successful, vibrant nation are being ignored.
In Newsbytes, we stay in China to look at a new internet censorship tool which has been rolled out in Beijing.
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| Katie Couric was accused of putting her job before her children |
Authorities there are using pop-ups of cartoon cops called Jingjing and Chacha to advise web users where they should and should not surf.
In the US, Fox News has criticised anchorwoman of rival station CBS for reporting from Iraq.
They argue that as a single mother she has no business reporting from a warzone.
Last but not least, our internet video of the week, it’s a parody of the wonderful virtual world of Second Life.
Watch this episode of The Listening Post here:
Part 1:
Part 2:
This episode of The Listening Post aired from 7th September 2007
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