RIGA – Telegraf, Chas, Vesti Segonya – the Russian-language newspapers in Latvia all have a certain degree of bitterness toward this free, democratic country, where they’re published.
The latter two newspapers, however, are overflowing with poison that spills off their pages. Their readers, it seems, are mostly angry men and women who salivate at the thought of how the state discriminates Russians in Latvia. Some of those readers gathered at the Victory Day celebration earlier this month.
A news story in Chas on economy would usually entail some kind of citizenship angle seemingly irrelevant to the actual economic news. It frustrates a journalist. Chas openly supported the PCTVL party mostly of archain Stalinists that barely made it into the parliament after the 2006 elections. Ironically, the party hacks blamed the media for their losses.
I subscribe to the best of the worst Russian-language newspapers in Latvia, Telegraf. As a friend of mine described it, it is the most loyal newspaper of the three. It’s not ideal – it whines every once in a while, but it also contains interesting political and economic news, some exclusives, and avoids dwelling on issues like citizenship and language laws. After all, their status quo is likely to remain for years to come.
This morning Telegraf and Chas announced a merger. New newspaper is expected to be launched this August. Its format and name aren’t known yet. Although officially it is a merger, but in reality Telegraf’s taking over Chas. The Telegraf owner London resident millionaire Valery Belokon has bought more than half of the stock in the Chas publisher, Petit publishing house.
The Telegraf managing editor Tatyana Fast confirmed the merger news on the radio last night. However, it’s the bad news for the Chas editor Ksenya Zagovorskaya, who was incommunicado yesterday. After all, her days as the managing editor of the newspaper are counted.
I personally welcome the news. If the new project improves on the Telegraf’s take on news, it’ll make an interesting informative newspaper about Latvia for the local Russian community. And perhaps, will signify the end of PCTVL in the next elections and teach more loyalty toward the country the Russian community likes to call its home.
“If the new project improves on the Telegraf’s take on news, it’ll make an interesting informative newspaper about Latvia for the local Russian community.”
I guess a lot will depend on who becomes the new editor in chief. Some say Ms. Fast will be given that position, which is a good thing.
“Chas openly supported the PCTVL party mostly of archain Stalinists”
Wasn’t Zagorovskaya their MP candidate in the last elections?