VZCZCXRO5628
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #2497 2341140
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211140Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9614
INFO RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 3886
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS MOSCOW 002497 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PBTS PINR PINS PNAT PREL GG RS
SUBJECT: TFGG01: Russian media focuses on American hostility toward 
Moscow, a divided Europe, and Western media bias 
 
REF: A)MOSCOW 2343 B)MOSCOW 2366 C)MOSCOW 2383 D)MOSCOW 2407 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: In the week since the signing of the six-point 
agreement, the Russian media concentrated largely on the conflict's 
aftermath, U.S. antagonism towards Russia, the division in Europe 
over how to deal with Moscow, and continued Western media bias. 
Outrageous characterizations of Saakashvili and Georgian "crimes" in 
the media dramatically decreased but not without a few potshots and 
unflattering pictures.  While it remains the number one news topic, 
overall coverage of the conflict has given way to other themes, 
including the Olympics and the economy.  End Summary. 
 
Media Anti-Americanism in media growing 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Since the end of active hostilities last week, Russian 
media shifted its focus away from slandering Georgia to blackening 
U.S. policies and actions in the Caucasus.  Television news and 
print media castigated the U.S.  Komsomolskaya Pravda, a popular 
tabloid, carried a photo of the Secretary with her head superimposed 
on the body of Conan the Barbarian and a caption urging her to "cool 
down."  Anti-American television commentator Mikhail Leontyev 
continued the highly emotional attacks, comparing the Secretary to a 
mental patient. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Statements from Russian officials echoed the anti-American 
theme.  Russian UN diplomat Vitaly Churkin blamed the U.S. for 
preventing a UN resolution aimed at helping to settle the conflict. 
Russian Ambassador to NATO Dmitriy Rogozin said he would be 
"disgusted" to work with those who sided with the "aggressor", a 
clear jab at Washington.  Pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestiya accused 
the U.S. of trying to scare Russia by threatening sanctions and 
diplomatic isolation. 
 
Europe divided? 
--------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) While Washington was painted as the aggressor in Russian 
media, Europe was portrayed as divided over whether to go along with 
the U.S. or keep an open line with Moscow.  Russian media played 
upon this image in its coverage of the NATO ministerial.  Izvestiya 
quoted UK Foreign Minister David Miliband as deviating from the U.S. 
line, commenting that "such a position in London... leaves Rice in 
the pleasant company of the Poles and the Balts."  Channel One, a 
state-owned broadcaster, said that despite Washington's intention to 
isolate Russia, "the doors of the NATO-Russia council aren't shut." 
 
Western media bias 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Since the beginning of the conflict, Russian media and 
officials accused Western news agencies of anti-Moscow bias (see 
reftels.)  These charges were parroted last week and have surfaced 
again this week.  The state-owned Russian TV station Vesti-24 
announced that Russia's mission to NATO has launched an Internet 
site designed to "break the information blockade of Russia regarding 
the events in South Ossetia."  Channel One ran a piece on a 
pro-Russian rally at NATO headquarters.  A Russian MP at the rally 
said "Western media will not show this [the rally] because they have 
an entirely different goal.  They work in this situation not as a 
media, but mostly as propagandists."  On the website Gazeta.ru, a 
commentator said coverage on BBC, CNN, and SkyNews was rife with 
"deliberate subjectivity." 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Comment: As foreseen in reftels, the Russian media put the 
South Ossetian conflict in the context of a wider conflict between 
the U.S. and Russia.  Continued complaints of Western bias from 
Russian language news outlets seem aimed to fuel domestic suspicion 
of reporting not coming from Kremlin controlled/influenced media. 
End comment.