CAUCASUS TIMES - NEWSLINE

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Today, the situation in the Northern Caucasus is such that Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan and Ingushetia have become combat zones. Ordinary people do not have the opportunity to communicate with their governments through public and civilian organizations, and their frustration turns into armed revolt (as it happened on 13 October 2005 in Kabardino-Balkaria, when tens of young local Muslims, led by Chechen separatists, attacked the Republic’s law enforcement structures), as well as extremism, seen in the examples of Dagestan and Ingushetia. In 2006 alone, over 80 law enforcement personnel died at the hands of Dagestani extremists. This adds to the 270 total attempts that have occurred in the Republic in the past two and a half years.

The absence of objective analysis in media sources that deal with the Northern Caucasus leads to the Russian government’s distorted perception of the processes presently occurring in the region. Ignorance of the situation causes misunderstanding of the region and its problems, as well as consequent mistakes by uninformed government officials.

As far as freedom of the press in Russia is concerned, the situation has gotten considerably worse over the past year. Due to laws passed concerning “Extremism,” “Terrorism,” “NGOs,” and “Media” many media outlets ended any sort of resistance to pressure from the government.

Vladimir Putin, who initiated the laws, has armed not only regional governments, but government officials against the free press. Today, according to the Law “On Terrorism,” a journalist who conducts an interview with a terrorism suspect can end up in jail. The Law “On Extremism” provides the same consequence for pieces concerning inter-ethnic and inter-national disputes. The Law “On Media” forbids any criticism of government officials.

Today, virtually all media sources in Russia are controlled by the government. With the help of various fiscal organs, federal and regional laws, the media has become subject to strict censorship. The ability to speak the truth is being suppressed, especially as far as federal policy and corruption of regional elites in the Caucasus is concerned. Practically 99% of all Russian media outlets are treated as federal institutions.

The unwillingness of the federal government to hear unpleasant things about the real situation in the Caucasus has turned into a real war against independent media and journalists. The death of Anna Politkovskaia serves as the most blatant example of the terror that is being waged by the powers-that-are against the freedom of speech.

In the Northern Caucasus, which is justly called “Russia squared,” any Russian trait assumes unrecognizable, hypertrophied forms. In these conditions, “Russian democracy” mutates, crosses with local traditions, and – with the neglect of the federal center – becomes absolutely unrecognizable.

Thus, if in 2001-2002 people in the Northern Caucasus had the opportunity to analyze events unfolding in the region based on information obtained from federal newspapers and foreign television stations (Internews, BBC), then today the citizens of Ingushetia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria only have access to Russian government channels (ORT, RTR). All private companies that previously broadcasted Euronews or the BBC have either been shut down or stripped of their licenses by appropriate government agencies. Printed media distributors, who previously had almost not trouble disseminating any newspaper they wished, now have to read each issue of Novaia gazeta in its entirety before it hits newsstands. This is only one way in which the government manages to limit the number of sales-points.

This is given that, according to surveys conducted by Caucasus Times in the region, 85% of the local population lists television as its primary news and information source. The overall figures in Russia range from 70% to 74%, based on various sociological studies.

Caucasus Times surveys have shown that the second-most popular source of information is newspapers (28.7%). Traditionally, communication with friends and relatives as a source of information has been popular (22%). The Internet is currently fourth-most popular (16.8%), but growing in use.

The Internet is currently one of the few resources not under government control, and publications like Caucasus Times can fill in the information gap.

In these conditions, when the majority of Western media sources do not have their own reporters in Northern Caucasian republics, and Russian sources are subject to strict censorship and persecution, Caucasus Times has the unique ability to obtain information directly from the regions thanks to its network of its local reporters, and publish it independently through its editing headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic.

Today, Caucasus Times is one of the few independent media sources able to provide objective information about the Northern Caucasus.

2. AIMS OF THE PROJECT

The aim of the project is the development of freedom of speech in the Northern Caucasus, support for democratic processes and civilian initiatives in the region though informing local populations of events unfolding in the Northern Caucasus.

3. MEANS OF ACHIEVING THE PROJECT’S GOALS

In the 12 months that the project will span, Caucasus Times plans to receive and disseminate news – which the Russian media is forced to keep silent about – from its correspondents in Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkesia, Adygea, Northern Osetia, Krasnodarskii and Stavropolskii regions, as well as Moscow and Rostov-na-Donu. The estimated number of news items expected over the 12 months of the project is 4000.

4. EVALUATION

The main criterion by which the success of the Caucasus Times’ project is to be measured is the level of demand for its materials. This will be evident from the number of references made to news published by Caucasus Times, the number of visitors to the site, its rating in Internet search engines, as well as the number of subscribers to its paid materials.