John McCain in Pravda.ru

[John Dunn]

I suppose the clip that Ben Rifkin sent round answers the first question.  The second question is extraordinarily hard to answer, partly because I think there are three different questions:
1. Where it would be read by the largest number of Russians
2. Where it would be read by the sort of people who Senator McCain wants to have his words read by
3. Where it will have the biggest impact.

I strongly doubt if there is now any single publication that would be read by the majority of Russians (but then you will know better than I do whether the New York Times is read by the majority of U.S. citizens).   Others may disagree, but I don't think there is at present a single print or on-line media space that is shared by large segments of the population.     The answer to question 1 might be Komsomol'skaja pravda; the answer to question 3 might be Nezavisimaia gazeta or Kommersant.  Question 2 depends on which audience Senator McCain is aiming to reach: if it is the Putinistas, any of the already mentioned solutions would serve; if it is young(ish), well educated, oppositionally-minded segment of the population, then Matt Taibbi's suggestions of Novaja gazeta would seem the best.   The impact will be all the greater if the story is picked up by the main television channels, but that will be decided in Staraja Ploshchad'.

John Dunn.


From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of George Kalbouss [kalbouss at MAC.COM]
Sent: 20 September 2013 17:00
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Subject: [SEELANGS] John McCain in Pravda.ru

A question has arisen from my colleagues in Political Science regarding John McCain's recent
letter published in Pravda.ru excoriating Vladimir Putin.    This is  not Pravda, as I gather, the
Communist Party publication, but an internet publication bearing almost
the same name.

The question, simply, is, "do Russians read Pravda.ru?" -- in other words, did McCain reach
any Russians buy publishing it there?    If you were to advise McCain, where
would you recommend his letter be published so that the majority of Russian citizens could
see it (assuming, of course, it would be published)?

Thanks,

George Kalbouss
The Ohio State University

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