During their stay on the Seacoast, the Russians visited journalism programs at the University of New Hampshire and Emerson College, news Channels 9 and 11, the Portsmouth Community Radio headquarters and the press department at the N.H. State House. They also sat in on an editorial meeting at Foster’s Daily Democrat, met with the editor of The New Hampshire Gazette and stopped by The Wire office in Portsmouth.

Speaking through translator Yekaterina Karaseva, the three journalists asked a spree of questions about The Wire. Especially vocal was newspaper reporter Artem Popov, who was curious about The Wire’s coverage, community involvement, staff and financing. (A fourth visiting journalist, Grigoriy Dityatev, was busy getting interviewed by Burt Cohen at WSCA, 106.1, FM.)
A member of the union of Russian journalists, Popov made us a gift of an October issue of the newspaper for which he writes, the Northern Worker, where he is head of the information department. This particular issue, dated Oct. 17, featured a front-page photo depicting five scantily clad women posing in various postures on a stage with dancing poles. The article, Popov explained through the translator, informed readers about the first ever professional stripper in Severodvinsk, who has now been strip dancing for 10 years. The story drew criticism from many readers—particularly senior citizens—who felt it was inappropriate for the front page of a newspaper. In anticipation of this response, Popov had used a pseudonym for the article’s byline, he explained with a chuckle. 

For the most part, the Northern Worker covers local politics, regional news and social problems around Severodvinsk. Unlike many publications local to the Seacoast, the 70-year-old paper does not typically cover national news events, Popov said. Much like in the United States, however, there are a wide variety of media outlets covering various facets of news in Russia. Also like in the United States, daily publications in Russia like the Northern Worker are experiencing a sharp decline in readership due to competition with the Internet and other factors. (You can visit the Northern Worker’s Web site at www.nworker.ru.)

Natalya Shustrova and Irina Shorishieva are both anchors for the Russian television news station CJSC. Both said they generally have freedom to cover whatever news topics they choose, although they are limited to the information provided by their sometimes tight-lipped sources. They also occasionally face threats and warnings not to run certain stories. The two anchors reported that their station sometimes receives letters warning reporters not to air negative stories about certain businessmen or prominent public figures.

In a more extreme example, Popov said the editor of the Northern Worker was once severely beaten after publishing an article about corruption within the police force and other city departments. The attackers stamped on the editor’s writing hand and broke several of his fingers. Two years later, Popov said, the investigation has made no progress, and the editor is still handicapped.

The Russians came to Portsmouth through the Open World Program, which was established by the U.S. Congress in 1999 and has since brought more than 11,500 young professionals from various fields to the United States from Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Managed by the Open World Leadership Center in Washington, D.C., the program’s goal is to expose Eurasian decision makers to American democracy, enabling them to experience U.S. politics and civic life.

With a population of approximately 200,000 people, Severodvinsk is almost 10 times the size of Portsmouth. Located at the mouth of the Northern Dvina River in western Russia, the city is home to the world’s largest nuclear submarine naval base. The city emerged in the Soviet era and long suffered under Joseph Stalin’s oppressive regime.

The three journalists who visited The Wire last week smiled and laughed when we showed them an article about Portsmouth’s six sister cities, which ran in The Wire in early October. The article featured a photograph of a beach in Severodvinsk, where numerous swimmers dappled the water, dwarfed by an enormous submarine that motored past in the distance. They confirmed that such unnerving occurrences are not uncommon at city beaches.

Before departing, Popov said he found The Wire interesting and promised to consider implementing some of its ideas into his own publication. We will attempt to do the same—we’re already seeking out Portsmouth’s first ever professional stripper for a feature story.