A promo video of Putin as if from the Soviet times long ago
Published in Reviews
on 4 - 10 - 2015 Author: Владимир Мирчески
[Review: WHY THE WORLD WANTS A LEADER LIKE PUTIN: Watch Putin flying bomber jets, driving combine harvester, racing Formula 1 car and much more!]
Lauding, lauding, lauding and a bit more sucking up…
Link to the original article: ЗОШТО СВЕТОТ САКА ЛИДЕР КАКО ПУТИН: Погледнете го Путин како лета со бомбардери, вози комбајн, се трка со Формула 1 и многу друго!
Date and time of publishing: 26 September 2015
Date of review: 30 September 2015
Reviewer: Vladimir Mircheski
FRIVOLOUS SQUANDERING OF EPITHETS AS IN THE ERA OF STALIN
Frankly, I’m amazed. If we were in Russia, I suppose that such articles would be and are normal, but we are not. I’m trying to discover the reason for this kind of idolatry to the “head of the Kremlin”, but I find it difficult. This article complies with all non-journalistic criteria necessary for embedding itself in the media propaganda machinery of the rulers in Moscow. If we start from the basics, this piece contains no information in it whatsoever. Why it is so important for the Macedonian audience to see a promo video of Vladimir Putin, as if it had been made in some Soviet times long ago, submissively lauding his life and achievements? The answer is – nothing. I assume that such “frivolous squandering” of epithets hasn’t occurred since Stalin: “bearer of the multi-polar world, the most powerful military nation, Putin is a leader that almost every nation in the world would want to be led by”. Boasting without arguments but with exceptionally strong commentator touches:
“His extraordinary, surgically precise policy, ideology that rose Russia to the pedestal, but also his simplicity and sense of affiliation to the ordinary citizen is the reason why almost everybody wants such leader for their country. See why Putin is a political giant, but at the same time a simple Russian.”
What’s there left to say, only that these formulations represent classic Soviet agitprop.
HOME VERSION OF THE SOVIET “ОТДЕЛ АГИТАЦИИ И ПРОПАГАНДЫ”
“Отдел агитации и пропаганды”, abbreviated agitprop, covers speeches, pamphlets, texts, films and other forms of expression with explicit political message.
You don’t sell a story about the new Russian order, led by Putin, with the headline “Watch Putin flying bomber jets, driving combine harvester, racing Formula 1 car and much more!” Why not this headline instead “Watch how Putin systematically eradicates the opposition, how he completely suffocates the media, how he annexed territory of a sovereign state, how he supports civil conflict in Ukraine and much more…” So, lauding, bias and unprecedented selectivity, all in one! Thus, what type of content we would expect? Not one of the highest quality, that’s for sure!
Let’s conclude. Yes, Putin is one of the most important politicians in the world, but no matter the craving of this vulgar, anti-journalistic pamphlet to portray him as a Superman, he is just a human of flesh and blood, who has made errors, who has plenty of serious flaws and weaknesses, a man who certainly not everybody wants to lead their country. I surely don’t.
This review was created within the framework of the USAID Media Strengthening in Macedonia Project - Media Fact-Checking Service Component,, mplemented by Metamorphosis. The review is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of its author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Metamorphosis, USAID or the United States Government. For more information on the work of USAID in Macedonia please visit its website (http://macedonia.usaid.gov) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/USAIDMacedonia).
INFOGRAPHIC
TRUTHFULNESS
partially
partially
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
no sources are presented
cannot be determined
EXTENSIVENESS
non-extensive
concealed information
BIAS
partially presenting the truth
spinning the truth
cannot be determined
biased
political bias
COMMENTING
comments included
integrated with the facts
PLAGIARISM
probably an original
author is not attributed
TITLE QUALITY
misinforms
non-creative
sensationalistic
appropriate
tendentious
PHOTOGRAPH
has a photograph
spreads propaganda
author (source) is not attributed
HATE SPEECH
offensive speech
no hate speech
doesn't encourage violence
no discrimination
EDITED FOR THE WEB
medium readability
low quality multimedia elements
has no contextual links
somewhat orderly
not connected with tags