Syndicate: Transitions September Reprint Syndicate

[syndicate@ijt.cz (Syndicate)]

Welcome to TRANSITIONS' Article Reprint Syndicate. By
offering articles from our magazine--free of charge--to
local media in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central
Asia, we hope to create a forum where ideas and criticism on
political, economic, and cultural issues can be regularly
exchanged. The Article Reprint Syndicate provides local
newspapers, academic journals, and broadcasters with
viewpoints, analyses, and news from areas where they may not
have foreign correspondents or colleagues. Please tell your
colleagues in the media about this opportunity. For back issues of the
syndicate, as well as other valuable information on the region, go to our
website at: http://www.ijt.cz/transitions/

There is absolutely no fee for the reprint service, which now
reaches approximately 500 media organizations in more than
20 countries.

All publications are strongly encouraged to send us articles to
be distributed to other participants in the syndicate.

"TRANSITIONS: Changes in Post-Communist Societies" is a
monthly English-language magazine covering the ongoing
changes in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia.
With coverage extending to all 27 countries in the region,
TRANSITIONS has quickly become one of the most influential
and esteemed international publications, in both the East and
West. Based in Prague, Czech Republic, it is distributed in more
than 70 countries around the world. For subscriptions to the print
version of TRANSITIONS-including a special $29 yearly rate for students
and reduced rates for readers in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet
Union-write: transitions@ijt.cz

Below is a list and then summaries of the articles available for
reprint. All articles may be shortened to fit the needs of your
publication. If you are interested in reprinting any of the
articles, free of charge, please send an e-mail to:
syndicate@ijt.cz

The September issue of Transitions focuses on the lingering aftereffects
of Cold War espionage and the collaboration of huge numbers of people
in East  European security services. Among others, Adam Michnik, a
Polish journalist and one of the founders of the Solidarity movement,
looks at how the past continues to provoke fresh divisions and conflicts.

TRANSITIONS' Article Reprint Syndicate is proud to present-for the first
time this month-articles from "SREDA," an exciting, new monthly media
magazine, based in Moscow.

Articles:

SPECIAL REPORT-Cold War espionage

1. Romania: "The Shadow of Securitate"
2. Czech Republic: "A Life in Controversy"
3. Poland: "Hero or Traitor?"

RUSSIA

4. "The Canned USSR"
5. "Power Plays in the Provinces"
6. "Russians and the Crisis"*

TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA

7. General: "The Feeble Breath of Democracy"
8. Georgia: "Governmental Hara-Kiri"*
9. Armenia: "The Dictatorship In Democracy"*

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

10. General: "Vestiges of Visegrad"
11. Poland: "Look East, Face West"
12. Poland: "Redividing Poland"
13. Belarus: "Stabilization of Crime Announced"*
14. Slovakia: "Prime Crime Privatization"*

SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

15. Croatia: "Stolen Cars in High Places"
16. Moldova: "Moldova Marks Rising Illiteracy"
17. FRY/Kosovo: "Learning to Live With Milosevic"
18. FRY/Kosovo: "Round Two: Serbian Security Forces"
19. FRY/Kosovo: "UCK's Fight to the End"*
20. Bosnia and Herzegovina: "A Chance for Change"*
21. Bulgaria: "Tourism Hampered by State Regulation"*

MEDIA

22. General: "Access Denied"
23. Moldova: "Cultural Awareness"
24. Poland: "Premature News?"
25. Poland: "President of the Republic vs. Journalists"*
26  Poland: "Capital, Monopolization, and Independent Local Press"*
27  Bosnia and Herzegovina: "Croatian Television Under Fire"*
28  Romania: "Journalists Sentenced to Prison Terms"*
29  Russia: "On the Virtues of the Krasnoyarsk Press" +
30. Russia: "Holland Is Tougher than Russia" +
31. Russia "The Price of TV Ratings"+
32. Russia: "How Many More Newspapers and Periodicals Can Moscow
Sustain?"+
33. Russia: "The State of the Media in the Chuvash Republic"+
34. Russia: "The Yellow Press Is Coming"+
35. Russia: "What's Good For GAZPROM is Good for Russia"+
36. Russia: "The New Religious Wars"+

BOOKS

37. "The Torments of Edvard Benes"

GENERAL

38. "Chemical Weapons Threaten Baltic Sea"
39. "Empire of Words"

* Articles from The Network of Independent Journalists of
Central and Eastern Europe (NIJ), run by the Croatian-based
STINA press agency. STINA also runs a weekly service,
allowing you to gain timely news of events in the region. To
subscribe to STINA's NIJ weekly service, send an e-mail to
Transitions or to stina@st.tel.hr

+ Articles from "SREDA." "SREDA" covers all dimensions of the mass
media in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States:
television, radio, print media, publishing, new communications media,
advertising, media studies, professional, political, legal, and economic
aspects, and consolidation of ownership. PLEASE NOTE: ALL ARTICLES
ARE IN RUSSIAN. For more information or to subscribe, write:
sreda.mag@g23.relcom.ru

Summaries:

1. "The Shadow of Securitate" by Bianca Guruita (3046 words)

Romania's Securitate, the notorious secret police of Communist dictator
Nicolae Ceausescu, continues to cause personal pain and political turmoil
nine years after its abolition. The piece is accompanied by a short
interview with the prize-winning novelist Herta Mueller, who has
written about life under Ceausescu.

2. "A Life in Controversy" by Lawrence Weschler (1442 words)

New Foreign Minister Jan Kavan is a controversial figure who
continues to cause unease in the Czech Republic because of lingering
questions about his possible ties to the Communist secret police.

3. "Hero or Traitor?" by Adam Michnik (3244 words)

Ryszard Kuklinski, a top Polish military official who provided
confidential documents to the CIA during the Cold War, finally returned
home last spring. His homecoming provoked the question: can a spy be a
patriot?

4. "The Canned USSR" by Marina Sergeeva (2660 words)

The veil of secrecy was lifted from Russia's nuclear cities five years ago.
But a reporter's visit to one of these formerly closed cities shows that
people continue to search for a future without the Bomb and remain
reluctant to let go of their fences.

5. "Power Plays in the Provinces" by Brian Whitmore (3038 words)

Russia's democracy creates local tsars, but St. Petersburg is trying to
make a clean break with the national trend. The author takes a close
look at Russia's regional fiefdoms.

6. "Russians And the Crisis" by Marija Bogatiryeva (827 words)

The economic crisis in Russia and devaluation of the ruble has sent
shock waves across the worlds' financial markets. But how is it affecting
Russian citizens, and how are they surviving the current upheavals?

7. "The Feeble Breath of Democracy" by Anthony Hyman (1732 words)

In Central Asia, the almost total isolation of the Soviet era has been
broken down, and the post-Soviet years have brought valuable exposure
to ideas from the outside world. But it would be unrealistic to expect any
rapid or straightforward transition to a democratic civil society.

8. "Governmental Hara-Kiri" by Ivlian Haindrava (1354 words)

Disaster struck in May, when with the connivance of the Russian peace-
keeping force, 30 000 Georgians were evicted from Abkhazia. The
Georgian government, losing the battle against corruption and the
country's increasing economic stagnation, now faces anti-reformist
forces that have gained new life from the crisis.

9. "The Dictatorship in Democracy" by Mikael Danielyan (1752 words)

What is happening in Armenia after the change of government? The
author looks at the murder of the attorney general and, more broadly, at
the virtual dictatorship masquerading as democracy.

10. "Vestiges of Visegrad" by Jeremy Druker (3293 words)

After five years of stagnation, politicians across Central Europe are
talking once again of a rebirth of regional cooperation. But what exists
behind all the grand pronouncements? The article is accompanied by a
1200-word sidebar by Luke Allnutt on the successes and failures of
various post-1989 organizations designed to promote regional
cooperation.

11. "Look East, Face West" by Tim Snyder (1673 words)

Poland's foreign policy is torn between its loyalties to its eastern
neighbors and its desire to join the European Union and the West.

12. "Redividing Poland" by Jan Maksymiuk (702 words)

Poland's controversial administrative reform finally passed through
parliament--due to rare cooperation between two of the country's
largest political forces.

13. "Stabilization of Crime Announced" by Paulyuk Bykowski (837
words)

Crime is reportedly declining in Belarus. However, the number of
criminal activities reported is still so high that it is premature to speak
of a victory over lawbreaking.

14. "Prime Crime Privatization" by Zoltan Mikes (556 words)

The privatization process in Slovakia is often used by corrupt
authorities for their own political ends and intentions. The author
suggests similarities between the privatization policies of Meciar's
government and the Communist nationalization in 1948.

15. "Stolen Cars in High Places" by Drago Hedl (609 words)

A trail of black-market cars bought by the Herceg-Bosna Defense
Ministry may lead all the way to the office of Croatian President Franjo
Tudjman.

16. "Moldova Marks Rising Illiteracy" by Boris Vieru (812 words)

Dire economic conditions in Moldova-which has prided itself on its high
literacy-are prompting more and more parents to keep their children
out of school.

17. "Learning to Live with Milosevic" by Jonathan Steele (1591 words)

Western leaders, when talking about Kosovo, are keen to say "no more
Bosnias." But what do they really mean, and what is the reality behind
the soundbite? The author looks at the role of the international
community in the crisis in Kosovo.

18. "Round Two: Serbian Security Forces" by Zoran Kusovac (1369 words)

After an initial show of strength, the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) has
lost much ground to the battle-hardened and better-equipped Serbian
security forces. But the UCK is not finished. It still has an ace up its
sleeve: classic, indiscriminate terrorism against civilian targets.

19. "UCK's Fight to the End" by Branka Vujnovic (1182 words)

An interview with Adem Demaqi, who was recently appointed the
political representative of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK). Demaqi
analyzes the situation in Kosovo and speaks of the new strategy and role
of the UCK.

20."A Chance for Change" by Radenko Udovicic (2154 words)

For the third time in just two years, voters will go to the polls in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. The significance of these elections, however, is
perhaps greater than before; under the conditions of what is now a
stable peace, those elected may have real possibilities to bring positive
change to the country.

21. "Tourism Hampered by State Regulation" by Kliment Trenkov (849
words)

Bulgaria has shown that it has the potential to attract visitors and earn
significant revenue from its tourist industry. However, the process of
privatization in the industry is moving slowly and with great
difficulties; this may threaten its future success.

22. "Access Denied" by Jeremy Druker (2004 words)

In June, the Czech Senate rejected a revolutionary bill on freedom of
information that would have brought about greater governmental
transparency. At present, Hungary is the only country in the former
Soviet bloc where legislation has been enacted, although the efforts of
freedom-of-information advocates across the region are gaining
momentum. The piece is accompanied by two sidebars (740 words each)
by Luke Allnutt on freedom-of-information laws in the United States
and the European Union.

23. "Cultural Awareness" by Iulian Robu (955 words)

The decision by two Moldovan radio stations to devote much of their air
time to rebroadcasting programming from Russia has prompted
accusations that the stations have sold out Moldovan national interests
in favor of quick cash. But the issue points to a growing trend: to be
successful in Moldova, many stations feel they can't afford to ignore the
country's minorities.

24. "Premature News?" by Jeremy Druker (1166 words)

This summer, news spread quickly of the approaching launch of 'Radio
Free Belarus'-a Polish-based, Western-funded station aimed at
promoting democracy. But the story might have been premature, and
now some worry that projects with similar goals may have been harmed
before they have even begun.

25. "President of the Republic vs. Journalists" by Jacek Leski Jr. (1946
words)

Polish journalist Jacek Leski Jr. describes his current trial, where he
and several colleagues at the newspaper "Zycie" face libel charges filed
by  Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. "Zycie"  had suggested
that Kwasniewski was recently in contact with a Russian spy.

26. "Capital, Monopolization, and the Independent Local Press" by Anna
Hejman (3009 words)

What is the role of the independent press in Poland? The article looks at
the effect that increased foreign investment has had on the
independent media, and how some media have dealt with the stronger
emphasis on profits.

27. "Croatian Television Under Fire" by Radenko Udovicic (1557 words)

In the run-up to the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the
international community has reprimanded Croatian state television for
interfering in the political campaign.

28. "Journalists Sentenced to Prison Terms" by Mona Dirtu (1508 words)

After being found guilty of libel, two Romanian journalists were
sentenced by a city court in Iasi to one year in prison and ordered to pay
a total of 1.5 billion lei (over $170,000) in damages. The trial raises
important issues--not just about the silencing of a free press, but also
about the deficiencies of the Romanian justice system.

29. "On the Virtues of the Krasnoyarsk Press" by Yuri Chigishev (1,851
words)

A Krasnoyarsk journalist argues that in the recent gubernatorial
elections, Valerii Zubov, the incumbent, lost not so much to General
Alexander Lebed but because of his own servile press, which
squandered all credibility with the people.

30. "Holland Is Tougher than Russia" (877 words)

In an interview, Dutchman Derk Sauer, the CEO of Independent Media,
one of the strongest and most successful publishing groups operating in
Russia, claims that compared to his own country, Russia is a "golden
field" for commercial publishers.

31. "The Price of TV Ratings" (3,044 words)

In an interview, Elena Koneva, director general of COMCON-2, one of
Russia's leading media research and marketing firms, explains why the
current monopoly on ratings is dangerous for both the television and
advertising industries.

32. "How Many More Newspapers and Periodicals Can Moscow Sustain?"
by Andrei Fedotov (2,792 words)

Analysis of Moscow's overcrowded press market from the point of view
of its commercial viability. The article is supplemented by tables
containing data on the circulation and advertising revenues of Moscow-
based publications.

33. "The State of the Media in the Chuvash Republic" by Vladimir
Kissilev (3,121 words)

A look at the mass media landscape in a small autonomous republic in
the Volga region.

34. "The Yellow Press Is Coming" by Alexander Kupriyanov (2,257 words)

The editor of "Express Gazeta,"  one of Russia's most successful tabloids,
claims that the mainstream press is increasingly adopting the style of
yellow journalism.

35. "What's Good For GAZPROM Is Good for Russia" by Ivan Volodin (1,836
words)

The gas giant seen through the prism of the Moscow press. GAZPROM is
portrayed as a pillar of Russian statehood, actively operating in the
external and internal policy-making of the state.

36. "The New Religious Wars" by Vladimir Sysoev (1,665 words)

In Russia, the media are used as a polemic weapon in the fight between
Orthodox traditionalists and modernists. The article is supplemented by
the Index of Clerical Censorship: a day-to-day monitor of attempts by
religious groups to infringe on freedom of the media.

37. "The Torments of Edvard Benes" by Elena Chinyaeva (2773 words)

A review of "The Life of Edvard Benes," a recent biography by Zbynek
Zeman and Antonin Klimek. Relying heavily on new archival sources,
the authors give the first comprehensive account of Benes's life against
a background of Czechoslovak international and domestic politics.

38. "Chemical Weapons Threaten Baltic Sea" by John Varoli (713 words)

World War II chemical weapons that were buried aboard ships now
rusting at the bottom of the Baltic Sea may be an ecological disaster
waiting to happen.

39. "Empire of Words" by Oleksandr Pavliuk (2495 words)

The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) is a political success, but
practical results are almost nonexistent. Now, after six years of talks led
to the recent signing of the BSEC charter, the real work can finally
begin.


Jeremy Druker
Staff Writer/Syndicate Coordinator
Transitions magazine
Seifertova 47, 130 00 Praha 3
Czech Republic
420 2 627-9445, 627-9472, 627-9473
420 2 627-9444 (fax)
http://www.ijt.cz/transitions/