Obama Repealing the Global Gag Rule: The Russian Media Spin

Russian media is neither independent nor objective. I know that, even though the facts of ever-erupting political disputes between Russia and its neighbors  lie somewhere between the anti-Western views of Russia’s media and the more muted “Russia’s always to blame” undercurrent in American media.

But today’s NTV report on Obama’s repeal of the global gag rule was an obvious case of anti-Americanism, or at least bad reporting. The global gag rule, instated by Reagan, repealed by Clinton, and reinstated by George W. Bush, refused American international aid monies to health providers who did so much as referrals for abortions. Opponents of the gag rule, according to a Reuters article, argue that the restriction not only restricts access to abortion, but to contraception, HIV/AIDS treatment, and basic health services.

Yet by NTV’s report, the global gag rule was only restraining abortion providers. (At this moment in the report, footage of a glowing parents and a newborn appears. Subtle.) Therefore, by repealing the gag rule, opines NTV, Obama contradicted his promise to lower the number of abortions.

Fact-check, anyone?

 

Watching the Inauguration from Russia: Not Just Americans

Last night my Internet went on the blitz (not unusual), so I only caught 2 minutes of the live translation of Obama’s inauguration.

They were a good two minutes. Right as he began to speak about our role in the world, I tuned in. An hour later, frustrated that I missed most of the speech, I ran into one of the African students who also lives here in the dorm. “Oh, it was great, did you see it?” he asked. Turns out, there were at least two rooms full of African students watching the broadcast live on other floors.

This morning I finally got to watch the whole speech, which had me a little teary-eyed, I admit. One of my German floormates had it going at full-volume an hour later.

Although I was disappointed not to hear the speech immediately, it was great to be here in Russia, knowing that people all around the world were watching and celebrating along with us.

Today I gave a local reporter a quick phone interview about the event, so I hope Novgorod residents enjoy hearing about my reaction and how I wasn’t the only foreigner here to gain new hope from our new president. Sometimes, it’s not so bad being the token American in town!

Happy Inauguration!

Update (January 22): Here’s the article where I’m quoted (it’s in Russian). Turned out well, except for the part where the reporter corrected my quote talking about the African students in our dorm to say “African American” students. Oops.

 

The Musing Muse

I’ve gone from reporting to being reported on during the last four months here in Novgorod. Luckily, it’s the good kind reporting–for newspapers and TV, not for deportation.

The local Argumenti i Facti paper interviewed me when I first arrived, and the TV news came after me, too. The cameras returned to find out my reaction to Obama’s election, which was an impromptu review of all the political vocabulary I learned during my summer course in political Russian at Beloit College in 2007.

I’ve also had a few opportunities, though, to pen my own thoughts — the bonus of being a fairly fluent foreigner. First, I wrote about Thanksgiving in an article that was published as a letter to the editor.

My second article was about how my friends and family in America are surviving the financial crisis. It was published on Novgorod’s Argumenti i Facti website (http://sz.aif.ru/society/article/1682).

I’m off to my next interview, comparing American celebrations of student achievement (ice cream parties with the dean for making the honor roll is a popular celebration at St. Olaf) with Russia’s “Students’ Day,” January 25. I’ll post a link then, if it goes online!