18:00, 1 March 2010

RWB criticizes media for the way they cover preparation to Sochi Olympics

The international organization "Reporters Without Borders" (RWB) believes, as stated in its special press release on the state of things with mass media in Sochi and in Krasnodar Territory as a whole, that the Sochi-based press had failed to give due attention to ecological consequences of the Olympic construction.

The victory of Sochi in the contest to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games was one-sidedly covered by local media, runs the document placed in the RWB's website.

Acting under the slogan "Games at all costs!" the Sochi press disregards ecological consequences of the Olympic construction. The protest of residents of Imereti and other Sochi districts forced to resettle from their homes was not duly covered. These residents were accused of "anti-patriotism". However, it is only one part of the general problem of regional press' dependence on politicians, the RWB writes.

In its opinion, regional mass media are too strongly dependent on local authorities; and the main reason is in scanty funding.