Kremlin Picks Its Press Pool
Is there freedom of the press in Russia?
Sure - as long as you don't upset the Kremlin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, like President Bush in the U.S., is usually surrounded by a press pool. But what many don't know is that his pool — unlike American reporters who cover the president — lacks the freedom to perform its essential role as a watchdog on government.

During a joint news conference with Putin in Slovakia this week, Bush was challenged by a pair of Russian pool reporters over his assertion that key freedoms in Russia were disappearing under Putin's rule.

"What is this lack of freedom all about?" asked one. "Our regional and national media often criticize government institutions."

To the untrained eye, it certainly seemed as if independent media were alive and well in the former Soviet Union.

But, the Washington Post reports, scratch the surface and you'll find that the American ideal of press freedom is an illusion.

For one thing, each pool reporter is hand-picked by the Kremlin. Each must follow strict rules and guidelines. And each runs the risk of getting booted out by the Kremlin if those rules aren't followed.

The illusory freedom of the press follows a similar pattern in other Russian institutions. The Post reports:

"Television channels air newscasts with fancy graphics but follow scripts approved by the Kremlin. Elections are held, but candidates out of favor with the Kremlin are often knocked off the ballot. Courts conduct trials, but the state almost never loses. Parliament meets but only to rubber-stamp Kremlin legislation."

Some print and media outlets do remain critical of Putin, but there is plenty of interference from Moscow.

For instance:

The Kremlin instigated the takeover of the nation's only independent television network, NTV, firing its journalists.

When those fired journalists took over another outlet, TV-6, and tried to make it independent, Moscow ordered it shuttered.

They made one final attempt with a separate network, TVS, but it, too, was pulled off the air, this time by Putin's press minister, who put up a sports channel in its place.
Meanwhile, for Internet-equipped Russians and others who missed the joint press conference with Putin, they can visit the Kremlin's Web site for transcripts, said the Post.

Minus Bush's statements and comments, that is.