-Caveat Lector- Government must be safe from a free press, says new Russian media minister Copyright � 1999 Nando Media Copyright � 1999 Associated Press By ANNA DOLGOV MOSCOW (July 22, 1999 12:48 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - The head of a new media ministry that has left journalists worried about press freedom said the state must be protected from a free press, while insisting that the government would not try to impose censorship or editorial control, according to an interview published Thursday. Mikhail Lesin, head of the new Ministry for Press, Broadcast and Mass Media, didn't explain the apparent contradiction in his remarks during an interview with the Kommersant daily. "There is no doubt that mass media today have a lot more ways to influence the state than the other way round," Lesin said. "That is why protection of the state from free mass media is a very pressing issue today." Yet he repeatedly said the government wouldn't try to restrict media freedom. "I consider it wrong to use some kind of levers on the media if somebody doesn't like what they broadcast," Lesin said. Lesin said the government could protect itself partly by hiring skillful public relations agents who would explain - and presumably put a favorable spin on - the government's policy. But his remarks are likely to sound ominous to the country's independent press, which has been worried about losing its freedom since the creation of the new ministry early in July. Officially, the ministry's functions include development of state policy on media and advertising and control over the use of broadcast frequencies. But its exact powers remain unclear. President Boris Yeltsin has been a firm supporter of media freedom and has resisted censoring even those media outlets that criticize him. But with parliamentary elections approaching in December and a presidential vote next summer, Russia's political forces appear to be vying for control over newspapers and television stations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Steve Wingate California Director SKYWATCH INTERNATIONAL Anomalous Images and UFO Files http://www.anomalous-images.com DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
