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The New York Times is setting up its first news bureau in Kyiv, Ukraine, according to a statement July 22. First order of business was naming Andrew Kramer as bureau chief. He has worked for the NYT since 2005, eventually becoming an international correspondent working from the Moscow, Russia bureau. Most recently he followed events in Ukraine.
The NYT functionally closed its Moscow bureau this past spring following another round of legislation aimed a curtailing critical reporting. “We have been working with legal counsel, security teams, and our team of highly experienced journalists in the region to understand the potential ramifications of this latest maneuver,” wrote NYT assistant managing editor Michael Slackman in a memo to staff, quoted by Poynter (March 9). “In order to protect the safety and security of our editorial staff, we are moving them out of the country for now.” The BBC “suspended all staff activity in Russia, said director general Tim Davie, quoted by Press Gazette (March 14). (See more about press/media freedom here)
The Washington Post announced in May that it would establish a Kyiv bureau. Moscow correspondent Isabelle Khurshudyan was named bureau chief. Max Bearak was named chief Ukraine correspondent, from the WaPo Nairobi office, but transitioned this past week (July 20) to the NYT Climate Desk based in New York City. News agencies AFP and DW have Kyiv bureaus. (See more about international reporting here)
Mr. Kramer was part of the NYT investigative team that produced a series of reports on Russian Federation president Vladimir Putin’s dodgy activities abroad. It was honored by the Pulitzer Prize Board for International Reporting in 2017. Mr. Kramer contributed a story about the “growing body count” among those who defy Mr. Putin. The following year (2018) the NYT and WaPo were jointly awarded the Pulitzer for National Reporting, which focused on “Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration.” Mr. Trump threw a hissy fit, demanding - twice - the Pulitzer Board rescind the award. “No passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes,” said the Pulitzer Board in a statement (July 20) denying the claims.
Successful sales people know that money flows from opportunity. A prospective buyer has a set of needs, some not so obvious. Sizing that up correctly is the mark of a good sales person. Not surprisingly, propagandists also size up opportunity. Buyers can, of course, be remorseful.
Russian propaganda channel RT, still best known as Russia Today, is opening its first bureau in Africa, reported Bloomberg (July 22). It will be located in South Africa. Other details have been left unclear. (See more about media in Africa here)
Except for one: the bureau chief will be Paula Slier, a South African national who has been the RT Jerusalem (Middle East) bureau chief. She is also the founder and chief executive of NewshoundMedia, which sources media crews. Prior to the RT assignment in Jerusalem she had been an editor and breaking news anchor with South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), dismissed in 2005 for “allegedly sympathizing with Israelis against the Palestinian Liberation Organization,” reported NBC News (October 26, 2006). Ms Slier has been loyal to RT ever since. (See more about propaganda here)
The RT announcement suspiciously coincided with a “business forum” in Johannesburg (July 20 and 21) organized by the Russian Export Center, reported Canadian news outlet Globe and Mail, which has a Johannesburg bureau. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeatedly criticized Western sanctions on the Russian Federation after the invasion of Ukraine and welcomed the short-lived agreements to re-start grain shipments. In February, RT announced the imminent opening of a Nairobi, Kenya bureau, even posting on its English-lanugage website (February 10) for job applicants “from all across the continent.” Shortly thereafter Kenya’s ambassador to the United Nations Martin Kimani delivered a blistering condemnation at the Security Council (February 22) pointed at the Russian Federation looming over Ukraine as looking “ever backward into history with a dangerous nostalgia.” Nothing more has been said since about an RT bureau in Nairobi.
UPDATE: RT news bulletins are to appear twice a day through state broadcaster Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC). The announcement coincided with the arrival of Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for a “working visit,” reported Russian state news agency TASS (July 25). Mr. Lavrov is on a tour of several African countries, mostly sympathetic to Russian views on human rights. Expect other similarly minded African countries to welcome RT’s news bulletins.
Meanwhile, Russian state propaganda channel Sputnik News has ended all activity in France, reported AFP (July 20). Rossia Segodnia, the parent of Sputnik News, filed for French bankruptcy protections in April following EU-wide operational sanctions. That became compulsory liquidation in May. About €500,000 in liabilities remain uncollected, “about half of this amount in Russia,” said bankruptcy administrator Christophe Basse. RT France continues online distribution, available only for those accessing virtual private networks (VPN).
Angola’s state TV broadcaster TPA has launched the nation’s first 24 hour all-news channel. This is being accomplished by a staff of 40 technicians and reporters. TPA Notícias is operating from TPA facilities in Launda, capital of Angola. The launch is timely as general elections will be held in August. Angola is sub-Saharan Africa’s second biggest oil producer.
“The 18th will go down in the history of Angolan television and Portuguese-speaking countries, because the Public Television of Angola will make history with the launch of the news channel,”said Cabingano Manuel, quoted by RFI (July 18). “We will update the news continuously and permanently. We hope to be able to put on the air a schedule that meets the viewer's interest in being very well informed.” (See more about media in Africa here)
Public Television of Angola also operates three channels; general interest channel TPA 1, entertainment channel TPA 2 and TPA International serving the Angolan diaspora. TPA 2 is expected to merge in October with Palanca TV, once owned by former Communications Minister Manuel Rabelais and ceded to the state, for an entertainment and sports channel. Radio National of Angola operates general interest channel Canal A, sports channel Radio 5, multi-lingual Rádio N'gola Yetu and Rádio Luanda. In February RNA introduced access via internet streaming. Both TPA and RNA operate under the Angolan Ministry of Social Communications.
There is a long history of editorial cartoons eliciting strong responses. Some people are pleased as punch, belly laughs always justified. Others not so much. Most in the journalist world deem this a necessary part of the job.
Earlier this month, Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) (July 9) published an article about imagery in internet narratives. It was a “think piece,” very common for the NZZ, the country’s newspaper of record. Compared and contrasted were the image narratives of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian Federation president Vladimir V. Putin: “Rising underdogs and fallen villains.” President Zelensky was depicted as a Middle Ages warrior; President Putin as a clown, big red nose, face painted with rainbow colors. It was less a cartoon than an editorial illustration.
For its editorial efforts, NZZ chief editor Eric Gujer received a stern official letter from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Switzerland. “We are extremely outraged by the publication of the insulting cartoon,” it said, quoted by Swiss news portal Watson (July 17). "We believe that freedom of expression is in no way compatible with the freedom to spread insults and fakes,” with no hint of irony. Also threatened with a defamation lawsuit, the NZZ published the letter this past weekend.
Though not quite an election events, UK TV channels have broadcast lively interactions among several Conservative Party participants in the leadership contest to replace out-going prime minister Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader. The first two debates were described as “heated” as participant battered each other to claim further and further right-wing positions. The only voters in this selection process are Conservative Party MPs.
The third live event had been scheduled for Tuesday (July 19) but two participants backed out and Sky News cancelled the show. “Conservative MPs are said to be concerned about the damage the debates are doing to the image of the Conservative party, exposing disagreements and splits within the party,” said the Sky News statement, quoted by the Guardian (July 18). (See more about elections and media here)
With UK news media keeping strictly to impartiality rules, the advertising people continue their civic duty injecting much needed levity. Coincident with PM Johnson’s resignation (July 7), maybe, at least one and perhaps more trucks painted with a special message and the fast food giant Burger King logo spirited through London streets, reported Business Insider (July 8). "Turns out there is such a thing as too many Whoppers,” said the text formed into the number “10,” fairly obvious reference to the prime minister’s residence, number 10 Downing Street.
British slang for obfuscation is “whopper,” which may have led to PM Johnson’s political demise. “Whopper” is the name of the trademark burger of Burger King. The brand has been graciously served by London creative agency BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty). A few days earlier, in the midst of PM Johnson’s cabinet resignations, frozen food retailer Iceland posted a social media ad with a photo of the PM tagged “Having trouble keeping your cabinet full?”
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