Article on Russia in The New Yorker

[Renee Stillings]

I noted the word "Kremlin" on the latest New Yorker cover at the local
store's checkout register the other day, read the headline more closely and
didn't even bother to pick it up. It is extremely frustrating to see what
journalists are producing these days about Russia. Not being a specialist on
other parts of the world, I can't judge as to whether they are equally as
erroneous, superfluous, etc. in reporting on those areas. Most of what I see
written about Russia, especially in mainstream media, is such gibberish that
I fear at some point the fact that mainstream American might actually
believe this stuff could come back to bite us ... . Steven Cohen made some
very good points about such reporting in a recent interview with Washington
Post.

What exactly are they teaching journalists these days - both in school and
on the job? Seems to be very little when it comes to research and analysis. 

Might be an interesting joint course offering between Russian Studies and
journalism/communications departments to do something like "Reporting on
Russia." For non-Russian majors it gives a good sense of how to approach
reporting on any complex country/situation. For the students of Russian,
they can apply their studies by actually doing research that uses the
language. It would include an overview of the media structure in Russia as
by nature the course would tie in very well with other related courses on
politics, economics, etc. Journalism is a very viable career path for
Russian Studies grads and as such, a course like that would enhance any
resume. Seems to me it would be a fun and very lively discussion course as
well.

Have any SEELANGers offered a similar course?

Renee


>>Why is that every time I read a New Yorker article on Russia (I recall a
similar one in the spring of 2005), I end up feeling like a spokesperson
for Russia? (I in fact lean somewhere closer to the Russophobe pole than
the Russophile.) 

-----------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------