Moscow Suicide Bombing and the Russian Media
Moscow’s Metro station was the site of two suicide bombings this morning, tragically killing at least 38 people and injuring more than 60 others. Two females were responsible for the bombings and have been linked to Islamic terrorist groups from the North Caucasus region of Russia, terrorist groups that the Russian media had claimed to have been eradicated.
Although the people of Russia have been comforted for years by state-controlled television telling them the threats of danger from terrorist groups in the North Caucasus region were pacified, that comfort came to an abrupt end this morning. This bombing, along with evidence connecting the suicide bombers to the North Caucasus region, suggests that these terrorist groups are still quite active.
What does this say about the media in Russia and how censorship of television has affected awareness?
With censorship being a hot topic in the news because of Google in China, it’s hard to ignore it in regards to the events that occurred in Russia and how the presence of North Caucasus terrorist groups was unknown to the Russian people.
After a series of bombings back in 2,000, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told the Russian population that measures would be taken to end the violence and the attackers would be punished. Subsequently, the Russian media told citizens that the threat of violence from the Northern Caucasus had been erased. Obviously, it hadn’t.
You can imagine the Russian population’s dismay and disbelief when they awoke to news of a metro suicide bombing seeming to stem directly from those terrorists groups.
Some would say falsifying the news in that way could be effective in keeping a general populous satisfied with a situation they can’t change, but others would say that they deserve to know the truth about world events no matter what the effect. This raises the question of the day:
Is ‘blissful ignorance’ acceptable if you can’t change your situation?
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Thank you so much for putting this online.
Hi Everyone i¡¯ve just joined here and wanted to say hi to all of you!I really hope to give something back to this board¡ Cheers
It seems really talented writers who are willing to share a very good article online.
It looks like you have attracted a pretty good following now! I’m glad!
I truly enjoy following your updates. It adds something to the day.
It sounds like you and your family have really spent a lot of time traveling…that is great. Everyone should spend time traveling even if it isn’t something they have done much or necessarily love to do.
Understanding what the rest of the world is like, or even the rest of your own country, is important in gaining a clearer perspective on your own home location. Once I lived in a location where it snowed, I gained a huge appreciation for my western home state. It’s true that the United States offer an amazing amount of variety.
Do you have any memorable and interesting stories from your trip to Alaska? Taking an RV all on your own must be an incredible experience.
I feel The Az Republic is adequate and local reporting is, for the most part, unbiased. However, the editorials are a different story – agree maybe only half the time. We recently were in Lake Havasu, Az. where they do not get the Az Republic, so we read the Las Vegas Review. The interesting thing, is that it had an insert of a small newspaper called Las Vegas Sun, which was really excellent. Like finding a prize in a cracker jack box. It was two separate newspapers delivered as one. Very unusual.
We love to travel and have been to the South Pacific, Europe, Carribbean, Mexico, Canada. We are
also campers so, over the years, we have been with our family to many National Parks and all over
the west coast. Our dream vacation last summer was taking our RV on the Alaska Hwy to Alaska.
An amazing trip! I recently read an article, where someone said that traveling to different states
within the U.S. is like visiting a foreign country. If you live in Maine, how exciting it is to see the
Az. desert and the wild west. Or if you live in Az. the amazement at seeing NYC. How different
Alaska and Hawaii are from the lower 48. How right he was!
What do you think about the AZ Republic? Does it give you an ubiast look at the news, or does it give you an angle on the news that you agree with?
Since you’ve traveled and read so many, have there been other newspapers you liked more than your favorite?
Also, I’d love to hear about where you have traveled!
The Arizona Republic. When we travel, also enjoy reading other local newspapers.
Thanks for the comment Kal,
I am sure that you are not alone. I get my news online, but I do almost everything online.
What newspaper do you read?
Give me my morning newspaper every time!
You’re right, we don’t need to know every detail but being informed is a personal choice that we should each make for ourselves. Blissful ignorance works for some people, but it makes me feel uneasy. Unfortunately, many people live in this mental state without even relaizing it.
Every news story seems to have 10 different sides. It’s hard to fully understand what is happening after reading just one article or seeing a quick news story.
We are lucky to have our choice of news sources and the ability to access them so easiy.
“Blissful ignorance” would be a wonderful state to live in, but not for me.
While I don’t need to know every detail of a national situation, I feel
better when I am an informed person. Although, I must add that
our media goes overboard in the other direction – breathless TV news
reporters talking about events even before they know all the facts! And
all just to be “the first” with the story. Its almost embarrassingly hard
to watch.!