 |
|
 |
| Околоноля - Okolonolya Close to Zero gangsta fiction. Bertelsmann (Sondernummer Journal Russky Pionier). Moscow 2009, 112 pages Close to Zero is the tale of a Russian publisher operating in a murky political system featuring paid-off media, corrupt officials, dubious politicians and law enforcement agencies on the take. The main character Yegor Samokhodov orders a poet to write verse in the name of the regional governor to make the official look clever and win an award. Samokhodov, a publisher who does a sideline in political public relations, then tries to bribe a female journalist at an opposition newspaper to "correct" stories about damage to children's health from a toxic chemical factory owned by the governor's relative. Fact or fiction? The events portrayed are everyday fare in Russia, where local media sometimes take money in return for favourable coverage and those in power believe they can bribe or bully their way to victory in almost any situation. (see also THE INDEPENDENT) |
|
|
|
|
|