Cooperation between the military and media is a must

11.05.2009
Igor Babenko, spokesperson for Russia’s Northern Fleet, believes that cooperation between media and military forces leads to more truthful and balanced information on military issues.

In a speech to the Barents Press annual meeting in Murmansk last week, Babenko said that the military structures are the first to understand the importance of cooperation to advance truth as a mean for keeping peace.

- Cooperation with the military leads to higher quality in the work of journalists, Babenko said. 2008 was a very busy year for the Northern Fleet. The fleet resumed sailing at the world’s oceans and Northern Fleet vessels visited several ports around the world. Many representatives for the media used this event as a part of an information war. They wrote about “the rise of the Russian bear” and “the Russian threat”, Babenko said with regret.

The Northern fleet has over the last years invited representatives from both Russian and foreign media to attend exercises. Two years ago a large group of Western correspondents visited the Northern Fleet. They were, as the first journalists in history, let aboard the fleet’s flagship, the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky.

- We asked the journalists to send us copies of articles they wrote about us, but only two of all the journalists responded to our request, Babenko said, and added that the relations should be kept on equal terms. – When we open our doors for journalists, we wish to read what they are saying about us.

Before becoming Head for the Northern Fleet information service ten years ago, Babenko worked as a journalist for 15 years.

Source: www.barentsobserver.com