BBG Watch Commentary
For an update see: Voice of America ignores return of Greenpeace Arctic 30 American Captain Peter Willcox to U.S. soil, BBG Watch, Dec. 28, 2013.
The VOA English website has two reports on Greenpeace activists – five Britons and one Canadian – who have left Russia after being granted amnesty from charges of hooliganism. Neither of the two reports mentions the two American citizens, Peter Willcox, the Greenpeace ship’s captain, and Dimitri Litvinov, of the famous Litvinov family from Russia.
Dimitri Litvinov has both American and Swedish citizenship. His father, Pavel Litvinov, was a political prisoner in the Soviet Union and was later forced to live in exile in the United States, where Dimitri Litvinov went to school and became American citizen.
Other U.S. as well as international media outlets reported that Dmitri Litvinov boarded a train heading for Finland late yesterday (Dec. 26).
Throughout the ordeal, the Voice of America paid very little attention to the two Americans among the Greenpeace activists jailed in Russia. BBC has reported extensively on the British nationals among the jailed protesters. Additionally, BBC posted numerous interviews with their family members in the UK.
Both BBC and VOA are public institutions in their respective countries. Both are funded by taxpayers. BBC gets user fees and also revenues from advertising. VOA is completely publicly funded. Its Charter, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1976, has two legal requirements to report specifically on U.S. news:
“VOA will represent America, not any single segment of American society, and will therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.
VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussions and opinion on these policies. (Public Law 94-350)”
Over the last few months, BBC posted on its website dozens of reports focusing on British nationals detained in Russia after the Greenpeace protest against drilling for oil in the Arctic. The VOA English website had hardly any information about the American prisoners or their American families. During that time, VOA relied heavily on Reuters reports about Greenpeace activists in Russia. Reuters is a UK-based news agency. In its reporting on the detained Greenpeace activists, Reuters also focused on British, Australian, and Canadian nationals and paid little attention to the two Americans.
A short VOA News report, which does not mention the released American prisoners, “Russia Releases Greenpeace Activists From Detention,” shows 0 (zero) Facebook “Likes” as of 5:30PM ET, Dec. 27.
A BBC report posted only four hours ago already shows 811 Facebook “Likes” as of 6PM ET. The BBC report focuses heavily on the British nationals among the Greenpeace group who left Russia.
See: Freed Greenpeace Arctic detainees home from Russia, BBC, Dec. 27, 2013.
Another VOA News report, also short and not mentioning the Americans, “Detained Greenpeace Activists Leave Russia After Receiving Amnesty,” shows 3 (three) Facebook “Likes” as of 5:30PM ET, Dec. 27.
While the VOA report itself says nothing about the American Greenpeace activists, it shows one photo with a caption “Greenpeace International activist Captain Peter Willcox of the U.S. leaves the departure lounge at St. Petersburg airport, St. Petersburg, Russia, Dec. 27, 2013.” Yet VOA English News failed to say at this point who Peter Willcox is, where he is from, or anything else of interest about him. VOA also did not say at this point anything about Dimitri Litvinov, his famous father or his father’s articles (The Washington Post) and media appearances (Public Radio International – PRI) on behalf of his then imprisoned son.
Shame on VOA for ignoring these Americans.
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VOA NEWS REPORTS
Russia Releases Greenpeace Activists From Detention
VOA News
December 27, 2013Six Greenpeace activists – five Britons and one Canadian – have left Russia after being granted amnesty from charges of hooliganism.
The activists left Russia Friday after more than two months in detention, in connection with a September protest at a Russian oil rig in the Arctic Sea. Briton Alex Harris told reporters “It’s over. We’re finally, truly free.” She said millions of people around the world had worked for the moment when the activists would be released.
The first of the 30 people detained in that September 19 protest was released Thursday. Swedish citizen Dima Litvinov said after his release that he did not regret speaking out or being arrested.
The rest of the activists are set to be released from detention in St. Petersburg in the coming days. Russia dropped charges against the activists earlier this week under heavy pressure from Western nations.
Critics say dropping the charges is an attempt by Russia to improve its public image ahead of the winter Olympic Games to be held in February in the Russian resort city of Sochi.
The Russian government has released a number of high-profile prisoners in the past week, including oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the last two jailed members of the Pussy Riot band.
Greenpeace says crew members of its ship Arctic Sunrise had been peacefully protesting at a Russian oil rig when they were arrested. The protest was aimed at drawing attention to the environmental threat of oil drilling.
The 28 Greenpeace activists and two freelance journalists were initially charged with piracy. The charges were later downgraded to hooliganism, which carries a potential 7-year prison sentence.
Detained Greenpeace Activists Leave Russia After Receiving Amnesty
VOA News
December 27, 2013
Six Greenpeace activists‒ five Britons and one Canadian ‒have left Russia after being granted amnesty on charges of hooliganism.
The activists left Russia on Friday, after more than two months in detention in connection with a September protest at a Russian oil rig in the Arctic Sea.
“It’s over,” Briton Alex Harris told reporters. “We’re finally, truly free.”
The first of the 30 people detained in that September 19 protest was released Thursday. Swedish citizen Dima Litvinov said after his release that he did not regret speaking out or being arrested.
The rest of the activists are set to be released from detention in St. Petersburg in the coming days. Russia dropped charges against the activists earlier this week under heavy pressure from Western nations.
Critics say dropping the charges is an attempt by Russia to improve its public image ahead of the winter Olympic Games to be held in February in the Russian resort city of Sochi.
The Russian government has released a number of high-profile prisoners in the past week, including oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the last two jailed members of the Pussy Riot band.
Greenpeace says crew members of its ship Arctic Sunrise had been peacefully protesting at a Russian oil rig when they were arrested. The protest was aimed at drawing attention to the environmental threat of oil drilling.
The 28 Greenpeace activists and two freelance journalists were initially charged with piracy. The charges were later downgraded to hooliganism, which carries a potential 7-year prison sentence.
“Thanks for having us, you know, St. Petersburg is a beautiful, wonderful city,” said released activist Briton Anthony Perrett. “We are still very much concerned about invasive drilling in the Arctic. the campaign won’t stop, we’ll take a breather, but the ultimate goal is to stop drilling in the Arctic, so we are going to carry on.”