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17 Apr, 2015 13:41

​ Journalists’ killings: Western media blind spot on what’s happening in Kiev

​ Journalists’ killings: Western media blind spot on what’s happening in Kiev

The recent killings in Ukraine are reported in Western media in a completely distorted way says investigative journalist Tony Gosling. It’s a dangerous situation that may provoke further killings and less reporting of certain points of view, he told RT.

Opposition journalist Oles Buzina was killed near his home in Kiev on Thursday. Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has ordered a full investigation into the murder of the journalist, known for criticizing the government. It's the latest in a string of deaths of people who have been speaking out against the government.

RT:What can you say about the murder of Oles Buzina in Kiev?

Tony Gosling: This recent murder of Oles Buzina is really the latest in a whole series. I’ve been looking into this. We’ve had something like more than 10 people who are supporters of the old regime in Kiev being killed, looks like through contract killings, including just the other day Oleg Kalashnikov who was an MP in Kiev. And yet this doesn’t seem to get the reporting with journalists being killed as well... This is really a blind spot going on the Western media towards what is happening in Kiev. Let’s think - we are 70 years since the end of the WWII, about to have a big parade in Moscow and in other places to commemorate the end of the WWII and yet some commentators here in the West are even saying that people should boycott going to Moscow and taking part in that. Let’s not forget the Russians did most of the work in WWII in defeating the Nazi regime. And we’ve got now fascists reappearing in Ukraine. I think that’s why the Western media doesn’t want to know, it doesn’t want to analyze the fact that there is a resurgence of fascism. In fact, in Ukraine we’ve actually got people who are openly supporting the Nazis, and contract killing is extremely dangerous, death squads effectively.

READ MORE: 2 Ukraine journalists killed in Kiev, Poroshenko suspects ‘provocation’

Now isn’t it interesting to see also the way that the EU is dealing with two countries: one is Ukraine and the other is Greece. With Greece there are all sorts of doubts about whether they are actually going to get any loans from the EU extremely tough hard negotiating. And yet earlier this month we saw €1.8 billion loan given to Ukraine. So this is not even handedness going on in the way these loans are being dished down and certainly no way near enough seriousness over the resurgence of fascism in Kiev. I think it’s really important that the present government in Kiev deals harshly with this, because I noticed two of the people who’ve died over the last few days were both witnesses in important political trials. Now if you are going to have people being killed in these important political trials just before the trial starts, effectively death squads, contract killings going on in important political trials - then this is no kind of country that should be embraced by the EU, supported by the EU at all.

RT:What can you say about the way it’s covered in the Western media?

TG: The most important take-home from this is the completely distorted way in which the Western media is reporting these various horrific killings. When it happens in Ukraine and it’s a pro-Russian murder, we’ve got ten of these plus a few more so far. It’s almost not reported at all. If it’s somebody who is against Putin - it is reported. I think we’ve got a real distortion in the way that these events are being reflected here in the West which is dangerous, isn’t it? Because effectively it means that one person’s life -a politician, a journalist - is worth less or more than another one. And the other important effect of this is that it has a real chilling effect. Killing MPs, killing journalists, it has a chilling effect on politics and on journalism and it means that we get less and less reporting of certain points of view, as it’s effectively in Ukraine – the pro-Russian point of view. If Ukraine is going to be successful in the future, if the country is going to thrive, we need to have better reporting in the West and in Ukraine and there needs to be an end right now to any of these contract killings. One would imply that possibly the police in Kiev are not dealing even handedly with these various killings, they‘ve got to put an end to them right now or the country may slide back into contract killings and fascism. What’s even more worrying is that it’s being supported financially now by the EU. I think that the EU, Angela Merkel and other people need to take a very close look at who they are supporting.

READ MORE: Series of ‘bizarre suicides’ & murders: Former Ukrainian MP shot dead in Kiev

RT:What do people think about these distortions you mentioned? Are they aimed at worsening relations with Russia? Is it really what people in Europe want?

TG: We are seeing more and more distortion in the way that these killings in Ukraine are being reported if they are being reported at all, often ignored which is extremely dangerous. So when you see that kind or reporting not being made properly, not being made honestly by the press over here in the West, you start to wonder, don’t you, like I do: is the media being used here as a kind of weapon of war actually effectively psychological warfare where certain types of political killings are not reported? What that does if it’s not reported of is people aren’t acknowledging things are taking place. Actually it actively encourages these death squads and these contract killings. That’s the last thing we want to see on the borders of Russia in a potentially very tense area. But I’m afraid across the Atlantic in the US there are people who want to inflame tensions between Europe and Russia. Nobody really in Europe wants this I think apart from a few people in Kiev possibly. But it’s not good for Europe because Europe is in a terrible situation financially and we need closer relations with Russia and trade with Russia. That’s what the people want. Let’s hope that the journalists particularly here in the West can reflect that view properly. Otherwise we start again the ‘divide and rule’ type of situation where Russia is painted as the enemy. And that’s no good at all because we need to be friendly with Russia and trade with Russia.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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