The Russian counterpart to "The View"? Who's their Whoopie? Do they invite Putin?
Posted on 02/25/2022 3:39:01 AM PST by tlozo
“The streets are quiet and calm in the Ukrainian capital,” a news presenter on Russia’s state-run Perviy Kanal TV channel told viewers in a Friday morning news program, while showing live webcam footage of Kyiv on a giant screen behind her desk.
“It is also an ordinary day in Kharkiv,” she said as the footage switched to an apparent live stream of a deserted city center, Ukraine’s second largest, which international media have reported Russian forces have launched missile strikes on and are advancing toward.
“Against the background of lies from the Western media, we are showing you exactly what the situation is right now in Ukrainian cities,” the presenter said.
The surreal broadcast is a snapshot of how Russia’s invasion of its neighbor is being depicted on state TV.
Taking their cue from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address to the nation early Thursday morning, when he announced a limited “special military operation” to “demilitarize” Ukraine and protect citizens in the Donbas from what he said was a Ukrainian “genocide,” the country’s state TV channels have gone into overdrive to peddle a similar message to a somewhat hesitant Russian public.
“Ukrainians do not need to fear Russia’s special operation,” said a correspondent for rolling news channel Rossiya-24, as headlines flashed across the screen announcing Russia’s military successes and an apparent imminent Ukrainian threat.
“Ukraine launched three missiles at the Donetsk People’s Republic in the last seven minutes,” a breaking news banner read.
“Russia’s Defense Ministry: The first day’s tasks were completed successfully,” said another. A message pinned to the top of the screen read: “All Ukrainian service personnel who voluntarily lay down their arms can return home peacefully.”
All of this is in stark contrast to reports from the ground from other media organizations.
Images of Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital, a firefight with Ukrainian forces for control of an airfield, or Ukrainians sleeping in underground metro stations for fear of Russian overnight raids are nowhere on Russian airwaves.
Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor on Thursday threatened media outlets with significant fines if they broadcast images and news updates which do not come from official Russian sources. Analysts believe such threats are hardly needed in Russia’s sterile media environment, where TV channels are adept at pushing forward the Kremlin’s narrative across their outputs — from hyped-up choreographed debate shows to selective news bulletins.
In a top-of-the-hour news briefing Friday morning on Rossiya-24, clips from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s latest address to the nation were played. A correspondent commented: “He said that Ukraine stands alone. That the West is only offering support in words. NATO will not take Ukraine into its alliance and is not sending troops. Zelenskiy asked for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but that has been rejected.”
Images of Western arms deliveries to Ukraine over recent months were shown, while a presenter said: “The West, of course, has no real interests in the security of Ukraine, but rather wants to contain Russia.”
Before it invaded, Russia depicted Ukraine as being on the verge of joining the NATO military alliance. Presenters criticize Western media's portrayal of the invasion.
Updates on the military situation are also limited in scope.
On the Vremya Pokazhet (“Time will tell”) morning talk show, the in-studio presenters and guests — eight men — flashed a headline from Britain’s The Sun tabloid about Russian forces seizing Chernobyl, as part of a section criticizing the Western media’s response.
Otherwise, information on Russian advances and actions beyond the Donbas and Crimea were not discussed. Updates were limited to statements from Russia’s Defense Ministry about “military objects being destroyed” and Russian forces “pushing the Ukrainian resistance back another kilometer in Donetsk.”
There was no discussion of Russian losses — either personnel, which Britain estimated could have reached 450 in the first day of the assault, or equipment.
Videos shot by the FSB of Ukrainian soldiers who “refused to continue serving on the territory of their country” were given prominence, as was grainy smart-phone footage from inside the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples’ Republics, purporting to show damage from what correspondents said were Ukrainian attacks.
At the same time, Western coverage showed live footage of a destroyed residential building in Kyiv, struck by Russian airstrikes overnight. Western media carried reports of civilian injuries and eyewitness accounts of explosions and gunfire in a suburb just north of Kyiv, as Russian forces approach the Ukrainian capital. FSB footage of Ukrainian border force troops having "abandoned" their positions.
Russia’s presenters also aped Putin’s language on Ukraine, referring to “the current regime” or “the situation on the territory of Ukraine.” Commentators say that referring to Ukraine as a “territory” rather than a country or state is part of the Kremlin’s campaign to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty in the eyes of the Russian public.
“We really don’t like that we had no other options, but that’s the case,” said Vremya Pokazhet host Artyom Sheynin, one of the Kremlin’s most highly paid propagandists, as he invited his guests to weigh in on the merits of Russia’s invasion.
“The West impacts our lives. You can’t deny it,” said one.
“We had to take this action to demilitarize Ukraine and provide safety and security.”
Russian press: “Ukrainians do not need to fear Russia’s special operation,”
It does seem that Russian attacks are only on military sites.
Yes, a few examples of collateral damage, but the focus seems to be on taking out Ukraine’s military capability.
Donbass region claimed Ukrainian forces were shelling them before all this started. Neither side could prove that other than showing buildings that were hit.
Ukraine is not completely clean in this. Of course, Russia is not as well.
The “truth” lies somewhere in the middle and Western saber rattling did not help the situation.
There should have been peace talks to make Ukraine neutral and to recognize the Donbass republics that want independence and alignment with Russia.
President-For-Life Putin is invading a democratic Ukraine. Not sure why you think Ukraine cannot defend itself.
The leader of Ukraine, Zelensky, had the leader of the #3 vote getting party imprisoned since May 2001.
He tried to get the #2 vote getting leader imprisoned also but the courts stopped it.
He yanked off the air the two tv stations associated with both of these parties, that were critical of him.
The Russian counterpart to "The View"? Who's their Whoopie? Do they invite Putin?
Straight outta Goebbels playbook.
Please, President Zelensky shut down two tv stations owned by pro-Russian oligarchs, who were spouting Russian propaganda, at a time Ukraine was fighting for its life.
Please, Poroshenko was not a pro Russian oligarch spouting Russian propaganda.
His TV station was shut down by Zelensky.
Democratic, yes, as in an extension of the foreign policy and corrupt schemes of the US Democratic Party.
Excuse you.
Russia is attacking cities and towns. Collateral damage is not “some” but widespread.
The “truth” is that Pooty is a despot who wants to invade Ukraine to take it over and restore a “glorious” one-man show empire again. Pooty does more than “sabre rattle.”
What Ukraine does is none of Russia’s business. If Russia were truly a free democratic state it would have no problem with Ukraine joining NATO. If Russia had truly changed, we might could’ve allowed them to join or cooperate with NATO (like Sweden and Finland). But Russia doesn’t like freedom and self-choice.
Democratic Ukraine, as in holding free and fair elections vs President-For-Life Putin.
Show me where I said Ukraine cannot defend itself?
Don't put words in my mouth. Comprehend what I posted.
Ukraine has not had clean hands in this in the years leading up to this. Neither has Russia.
And kicking Trump off of Twitter and Facebook was to prevent his assault on Our Democracy (TM) and his support of the Jan. 6 coup attempt.
/sarc
Except when the vote goes the wrong way, then you have a US-sponsored coup, and someone like the Gas Princess, supported by Hillary Clinton and John McCain (bipartisan!), gets installed.
I see you believe the propoganda fed to you.
The fog of war is in place and the information from either side is not reliable.
Concept of self-defense is simple. If you invade my house(Ukraine) and I shoot at you(Russian rebels), according to you I would not have "clean hands".
You are not comprehending anything. You just keep spouting.
There is no point in trying to open your eyes. You have swallowed the gov't ejaculate and believe it 100%
The truth is that Russia invaded yet another a sovereign nation (which it had already partially invaded) that was no threat to Russia, and did so using the same false pretexts that Nazi Germany used to invade Czechoslavakia, and Saddam Hussein used to invade Kuwait and capture and murder the families who owned land there so as to end their property rights. It really is that simple. Putin just didn’t like paying rent and is solving his rent problem by murdering the landlord and stealing the land for himself.
Poroshenko's tv station was never shut down, he sold 5 Kanal. Tv stations owned by pro-Russian oligarch Victor Medvechuk were blocked, 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZIK channels.
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/ukraine-shuts-tv-channels-owned-russia-friendly-tycoon-75661067
Its stupid to say both sides are not clean, when one side(Ukraine) is being invaded.
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