Even though this portal specializes in the topic of Christianity, I will also publish this article of a different nature here:
I understand that this article is quite long. However, I definitely recommend that you read it all and carefully, because it deals with a very serious issue.
TASR (Press Agency of the Slovak Republic) is a state information agency that has a huge impact because all other media copy information from it.
South American indigenous shamans claim that the period of great changes began in 2012, and they are right. People are disoriented and cannot even keep up with these major changes. If you had said a year ago that TASR's reporting would turn into even greater demagoguery and propaganda than alternative media, everyone would have thought you were crazy and would have almost sent you to a psychiatric hospital. The reality is really harsh.
TASR's cooperation with SputnikNews
https://medialne.etrend.sk/tlac/tasr-po-kritike-odstupuje-od-zmluvy-s-ruskou-agenturou-sputnik.htmlBefore we go to the main topic, let's first go back to the recent past.
SputnikNews is such pathetic propaganda that even alternative media are ashamed to quote it, so as not to be accused of disinformation. Even alternative media no longer quote SputnikNews, but TASR, under the leadership of comrade Radoslav Rezník, has sunk to the very bottom and decided to cooperate with this disinformation portal. TASR is trying to shove itself even deeper into the Kremlin's ass than alternative media. It is a total scandal and a total disgrace.
TASR has decided to take an extremely controversial step: to cooperate with the Russian media outlet SputnikNews, which is an absolute information sewer that even Russian citizens themselves laugh at. What Russian citizens consider to be feces (because they have already realized it's just disinformation), we here in Slovakia consider to be a trustworthy source of information. And we here in Slovakia think how fantastically progressive we are, when we are more pro-Russian than the Russians themselves.
To illustrate how trustworthy Russian state media are, this video shows: According to Russian propaganda, Europe is starving (CZ subtitles) http://www.mojevideo.sk/video/29abe/podla_ruskej_propagandy_europa_hladuje_(cz_titulky).html
In Russia, non-state media are much more trustworthy, and they also contain criticism of the government. Their critical content towards the Russian government is also censored by alternative media – in Russia, freedom of speech is not as bad as some people think. Alternative media select only those non-state Russian media where the Russian government is mentioned in the best light. The goal of alternative media is to deliberately spread one-sided propaganda, and they do it absolutely purposefully. An example of this is that Russian media are full of how Western sanctions have harmed the Russian economy, but alternative media report the exact opposite: sanctions have strengthened Russia's economy. The moral credit of journalists/presenters from alternative media is absolutely zero.
Questions: why didn't TASR rather cooperate with a more objective non-state Russian media outlet instead of Sputnik? Why did they choose to cooperate with the biggest information sewer from Russia? Representatives of TASR would blush a lot at such questions and would not be able to answer them.
Important fact: it should be noted that the fact that TASR finally cancelled its cooperation with SputnikNews after criticism is no victory, because the fanatical admirers of the Kremlin remained in the TASR management. After this case, no fundamental personnel changes took place in the TASR management.
Fanatical Russophile Rezník moved from TASR to RTVS, which is extremely dangerous. RTVS will undoubtedly experience total censorship of criticism of Russia, just like under communism. https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaroslav_Rezn%C3%ADk
TASR and censorship
TASR reports on Russia exclusively positively and censors negative information about Russia. It is very sad that we have not learned anything from the past. During socialism, negative information about Russia was censored in Slovakia, and today it is the same. It is a shame that we have fallen so low. I will give just one of many hundreds of examples, e.g. this: in TASR, this critical report on Russia was censored: The Russian parliament banned private online sites https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/508099/rusky-parlament-zakazal-sukromne-online-stranky/ (in practice, this means that the secret service will be able to find the email inbox of every person and view all messages – total control – total criminal dictatorship)Another important reminder : TASR is so fanatically Russophile and one-sided that alternative media do not need to write their own articles about Russian politics at all. They just need to take over the news from TASR.
When TASR turns into an even bigger information sewer than alternative media
http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/ukrajinski-separatisti-ohlasili-vytvor/270996-clanok.htmlTASR has adopted the most radical line of fanatical Kremlin propaganda, arbitrarily changing the standard phrase "pro-Russian separatists" to "Ukrainian separatists" in the article's headline. The headline is particularly noteworthy (and the headline is always the most important part of an article); let's not concern ourselves with the rest. With this phrase, Kremlin propaganda seeks to conceal any connections between the Russian government and the separatists as such. Even alternative media would hardly dare to manipulate information in this way. All commercial media uncritically copied the disinformation headline.
And the main thing is how alternative media complain morbidly about how mainstream media are terribly anti-Kremlin!!! Here we see the exact opposite.
When a person sees no difference between TASR and alternative media
Even TASR is starting to have a similar style of disinformation as alternative media: the West is bad, Putin and Russian politicians are the greatest heroes, the West and NATO do nothing but prepare to militarily attack Russia, Russia is a sufferer because of the West, etc. Many such specific examples can be found.Alternative media do not hide their open adoration of Putin. And now, neither does TASR. TASR has openly promoted Putin, portraying him as a pleasant romantic who enjoys playing the piano. It is sad that the news was mindlessly copied by the server aktualne.sk, which until recently was considered relatively critical of Russia.
http://www.teraz.sk/magazin/putin-rad-citam-historicke-romany/271632-clanok.html
https://aktualne.atlas.sk/zahranicie/europa/co-ste-putinovi-mozno-nevedeli-prezident-prezradil-cast-svojho-sukromia.html
While Russian non-state media constantly criticize the government for its inability to cope with Western sanctions, TASR selectively and manipulatively chooses only those press releases that talk about how sanctions have allegedly strengthened Russia. There is no difference in the demagogic and selective style of reporting between alternative media and TASR. One no longer knows whether one is reading alternative media or TASR. There is no difference between them. http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/putin-sankcie-su-skrytym-protekcioniz/269062-clanok.html
When you don't know if you're reading a Catholic pro-life magazine or a tabloid. TASR has already hit rock bottom:
British media reported the death of 11-month-old Charlie Gard. http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/britske-media-informovali-o-umrti-1/272724-clanok.html
Another very sad and alarming piece of evidence that alternative media no longer need to write their own articles. It is enough for them to take over the demagogic information from TASR. TASR has turned into a demagogic, fanatical Christian pro-life tabloid. A total disinformation cesspool https://www.facebook.com/SlobodnyVysielac/posts/1416423005110518 ** (reminder: the teraz.sk page is owned by TASR) http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/flamsky-profesor-navrhuje-pravnu-ochranu/274309-clanok.html
I ask: does TASR really have nothing else to do than write about the private opinion of some insignificant Belgian professor? Why does TASR engage in open hateful propaganda against the West, claiming it is "perverted"? This is reminiscent of the same propaganda from Russian state media.
Warning: this propaganda tabloid article was written after the departure of the fanatical Russophile Rezník from TASR to RTVS, the conditions in TASR have not changed for the better even after his departure.
Slovak mainstream media have surpassed even the media in Russia itself in propaganda, one-sidedness, and censorship.
Slovaks try to be more pro-Russian than the Russians. There is not as much propaganda in Russia as there is in Slovakia, mainly due to the adoption of news from TASR. In Russian non-state media, you will find much more criticism of the Russian government than in the Slovak mainstream media. It is very sad that we have fallen so low.Slovakia is a country of unlimited possibilities.
While in Russia many journalists risk their lives and risk becoming political prisoners, we do not appreciate freedom of expression in Slovakia at all and are even becoming voluntary defenders of Putin's criminal regime.
Why do we voluntarily censor information in Slovakia?
In Slovakia, people do not have the option to choose information. Alternative and mainstream media are about the same, there is practically no difference between them. The right to information is in great danger in Slovakia. Although Slovakia is not a political dictatorship, it is a democratic country, the information embargo in Slovakia is much harsher than in the dictatorial regime of Russia. We voluntarily put ourselves in the role of inquisitors and censor everything negative about Russia.Solution to this bad situation
For this bad situation, attention should be focused mainly on politicians. They are responsible for it. Politicians are responsible for who was nominated to the management of TASR. And of course, the fanatical Russophile Rezník should immediately resign from RTVS. The parliament should vote on the dismissal of Rezník and the election of someone else.Will the media stand idly by and watch this bad situation or will they start doing something about it? The media should do their utmost and communicate as much as possible with politicians, MPs and the Ministry of Culture.
There should be an extraordinary session in Parliament because of these things, because TASR has gone to a crazy extreme.
The mainstream media should set themselves the main goal of balancing the one-sided disinformation of alternative media and try to write more critically about Russia, publishing news about Russia other than positive news.
Furthermore, mainstream journalists should not feel guilty about constantly accusing alternative media of being "Russophobic" when the opposite is true.
It should be noted that alternative media in Slovakia have approximately the same readership as mainstream media, and that is why mainstream media should make it their task to balance the one-sided information waste of alternative media. First of all, the situation in TASR should be improved. TASR should make it its task to balance the one-sided information waste of alternative media. One-sided reporting is nothing but censorship. Furthermore, private media should make it their task to publish much more negative information about Russia to balance the alternative.
The task of commercial media is to make it clear to TASR that they protest: a protest against its lack of objectivity. And this can be done very simply: terminate the license agreement with TASR and stop receiving its news. TASR should also be clearly informed that the termination of the license agreement/non-receipt of news is due to the protest. Instead of TASR, receive more objective news from SITA (= https://www.webnoviny.sk/ ).
In the Czech Republic, the situation is much better; the Czech Republic can be an example to all European countries in journalism. The Czech mainstream media really balance the one-sided brainwashing of alternative media well. Evidence of this can be found in these reports: http://forum24.cz/lzi-mi-priteli-dvacet-lzi-kterymi-vladimir-putin-obelstil-olivera-stone/ http://forum24.cz/putin-podle-putina-oliver-stone-si-v-rusku-uziva-svobodu-chvalit-cara/
In the Czech Republic, people have a choice of information. In Slovakia, they don't!!
In Slovakia, we are very much lagging behind in the plurality and diversity of opinions: we are all fanatical Russophiles.
Mistakes that mainstream media should avoid
Some more radical pro-American media write articles with open hatred towards Russia. This is a huge mistake because it is just more grist for the mill for alternative media. This is exactly what alternative media are waiting for, otherwise they would have nothing to write about. It is precisely on such failures of mainstream media that alternative media gain points. After all, the propaganda of the alternative is fundamentally based on portraying Russia as a sufferer, the West is bad, the West constantly hurts Russia. Instead of spreading primitive hatred, journalists should do serious, objective, and well-argued analyses.Another mistake the mainstream makes is that it sometimes portrays Russia as an enemy (especially in connection with NATO). And it is precisely for such articles that the alternative is waiting, and it is on this that the alternative is gaining points. The evil, malicious West considers good Russia to be an enemy. Russia is portrayed in the alternative propaganda as a sufferer and a martyr.
The mainstream, on the contrary, should argue exactly the opposite, that NATO is not hostile to Russia. Only in this way will the mainstream stop giving grist to the mill of alternative media.
A call for investigative journalists and NGOs
Investigative journalists should very diligently monitor the sources TASR draws from and whether it handles information sources selectively and demagogically. In the case of major errors, journalists should not spare TASR sharp criticism. For example, it may happen that it selects only positive information about Russia from AP press releases.Furthermore, journalists or NGOs should compile statistics on how many positive, neutral, and critical reports TASR produces about Russia. Of course, TASR would fare very poorly in such statistics. All negative reports about Russia are very diligently censored; this is one of many : https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/508099/rusky-parlament-zakazal-sukromne-online-stranky/ . Statistics should also be compiled on how many reports TASR censors about Russia in the name of Russophile propaganda.
The poor argumentation of alternative media: we are one-sided because we balance the mainstream media
When the alternative media is criticized for its disinformation and one-sidedness, they say that we are one-sided because we are balancing the mainstream media. Such an argument is absolutely pathetic. Only a person with the intelligence of someone with Down syndrome can truly hold such an opinion. The argument that the evil mainstream deliberately misinforms about Russia is absolutely pathetic, but many debaters, journalists, or moderators from the alternative media still argue this way. And even when the mainstream publishes something negative about Russia, in 99% of cases it is objective and truthful information, and the idiotic fools from the alternative media have nothing to complain about. For example, this: https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/506642/rusko-skuma-skodlivy-vplyv-fidget-spinnerov-na-zdravie-deti/ But even under such articles, many pathetic debaters, whose brains have been completely washed by the alternative media, will say that the mainstream journalist is lying.The spinner toy comes from the USA (the spinner is a bit of a symbol of the USA and the West) and Russian propaganda has such a hatred for the West that they want to ban spinners. Absolutely pathetic.
Will alternative media apologize for their hoaxes when they realize and wake up to the fact that they have lied?
Alternative media have constantly bombarded readers with disinformation that Western sanctions have not only not harmed Russia, but have, on the contrary, strengthened it economically. However, Russia's reaction to the second package of US sanctions was extreme, which must be clear even to the most fanatical Russophile propaganda that Western economic sanctions must have really harmed Russia. When will alternative disinformation websites take responsibility for their disinformation? Will they find the courage and apologize for the disinformation cesspool they spread when it became clear in black and white that they were lying?!?!? https://www.etrend.sk/ekonomika/ruske-sankcie-proti-usa-zacinaju-platit-atmosfera-je-napata.htmlAnd why did the alternative media censor even such news? Poverty is dangerously spreading in Russia. Every tenth person does not have money for food. http://hnonline.sk/svet/989220-rusko
It has now become clear that the entire alternative media is just one Russophile piece of trash.
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Hoax in the film The World According to Putin
TASR will never publish such information. Although alternative media promote a propaganda film about Putin, they will never draw attention to this scandal. Putin showed Oliver Stone a video of Russians fighting IS in Syria. The catch, however, is that it's fake. Putin showed not the Russian army on his smartphone, but an action of the American army in Afghanistan against the Taliban. This is just proof that this film about Putin is pure propaganda, in which there was no truth whatsoever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L64Fpm97TYI
http://www.redstate.com/streiff/2017/06/21/vladimir-putin-punked-oliver-stone…-used-us-military-video/
The Slovak mainstream media are cowardly silent on this topic!
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Alternative media: we are heroes-sufferers against whom everyone is fighting
The characteristics of the alternative media propaganda strategy are interesting: every other article is just about someone constantly fighting against us, the alternative media. Alternative media constantly put themselves in the role of a scapegoat, whom everyone hurts. To put oneself in the role of a "sufferer" who is persecuted by everyone is a very effective propaganda that can appeal to people very well.
(By the way, very similar to Russian government propaganda, where the sacrificial lambs and sufferers are Russian politicians, against whom the West is constantly fighting).
The latest EU initiative: Labeling media that disagree with the EU as "Russian propaganda" under the leadership of Soros – Main News
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Alternative media are elevating themselves above the Russians
I really don't like the enormous pride of the alternative media, which elevate themselves above the Russians and say that they know Putin better than the Russians. Russians like Putin about as much as people in Slovakia like Fico, but the alternative media portray Putin and Russian politicians as morally blameless and morally pure people who only want the best for the whole world. The Russians would rather kick Putin in the ass, but in Slovakia, people idealize him and admire how perfect he is. The alternative media have so much pride that they would like to lecture the Russians themselves about how perfect Putin is. If the editors of the alternative media realized how primitive they are, they would be ridiculed by the Russians themselves!!
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Alternative media spread Russian propaganda: racist hatred towards Ukraine. Russian propaganda needs to justify its military involvement in Ukraine by constantly demonizing Ukraine. Many alternative media outlets commit the crime of defamation of a nation when they portray Ukrainians as a stupid, inferior nation that fell for "American propaganda." The alternative portal kvonline.sk, which pretends to be serious, drew on an anonymous Russian website, on which not a single name or address is signed, to defame Ukraine. A prime example of disinformation.
BREAKING NEWS: The USA has supplied lethal weapons to Ukraine http://www.kvonline.sk/bleskova-sprava-usa-dodali-na-ukrajinu-smrtiace-zbrane/
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Additional information. There are several studies that show the differences between the rich and the poor with different results. Russia is usually among the worst countries in them. Putin certainly did not deal with the oligarchs in Russia, it is a country of oligarchs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality
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The official reason for the emergence of the alleged "separatists" in the southeast of Ukraine was the language law, which banned teaching in Russian in schools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBVnPvGC-FE It was all just propaganda and it is not true. This law was approved only in 2017 https://spravy.pravda.sk/svet/clanok/442921-porosenko-podpisal-kontroverzny-skolsky-zakon/ http://zpravy.idnes.cz/propaganda-v-krizi-na-ukrajine-rusko-dv5-/zahranicni.aspx?c=A140306_154112_zahranicni_jw *********** Instead of balancing the one-sidedness of alternative media, the mainstream media publishes an article about Putin in the best light, but does not publish anything negative about Russian politicians. The front page of the atlas.sk server (aktualne.sk)
https://aktualne.atlas.sk/zahranicie/azia/rusi-zlikvidovali-svoj-chemicky-arzenal-putin-kritizuje-usa-tak-neucinili-tiez.html?utm_source=hp-atlas&utm_medium=box-spravodajstvo-asktualne&utm_campaign=hp
12.4.2018. TASR helps disinformation websites
12.4.2018 An overly tabloid-style TASR article supporting conspiracies. One doesn't know whether they are reading alternative media or TASR. The article is perfect grist for the mill of alternative media, who are having an orgasm of joy from this article, gladly taking it over and spreading it further. TASR knows very well that it is thus helping alternative media in their propaganda. A Hungarian pro-government magazine published a list of Soros's mercenaries http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/madarsko-provladny-casopis-uverejnil/319084-clanok.htmlA strongly tabloid press release in TASR, which should not be there. TASR should be the highest quality and most dignified source of information that does not spread tabloids. Disinformation websites shared this news with great euphoria. US Air Force personnel guarding nuclear missiles used LSDhttp://www.teraz.sk/najnovsie/prislusnici-americkeho-letectva-straziac/326998-clanok.html