Newspaper editor sacked over Beslan coverage

[Minstrel Boy]

Newspaper editor sacked over Beslan coverage

Sept 7, Sidney Morning Herald

The editor of Russia's top daily, Izvestia, was forced to resign for his "emotional" coverage of the Beslan hostage crisis as the focus fell sharply on the state's use of the media in Russia's most recent disaster.

The respected Raf Shakirov - who gave new life to a Soviet-era daily that had become stodgy in recent times and lost many of its readers - said he was forced out by a holding company of the tycoon, Vladimir Potanin.

The media and metals magnate has tried to keep on good terms with the Kremlin amid President Vladimir Putin's drive against so-called oligarchs with political ambitions.

...

Shakirov said he got into trouble with Potanin when he ran a full-page heart-wrenching photo on Saturday of a man carrying a terrified girl to safety during the bloody siege.... A source in Izvestia said the holding company found the coverage "too radical and negative".

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/07/1094322753398.html?oneclick=true

[Moderator]

1. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x806695

[emad]

2. Beslan: Failure of military intelligence or political nous?

In Moscow, the BBC's Rob Cameron says people are still consumed with anger and frustration at the events in Beslan.

But newspapers have also been posing awkward questions, such as whether the security services really had no plans to storm the school.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3634674.stm