Pavel Gusev, head of the Moscow Journalists’ Union, Editor-in-Chief of Moskovsky Komsomolets; Margarita Lyange, President of the Guild of Interethnic Journalism, advisor to Radio Rossii's director; Radik Amirov, Editor-in-Chief of Rossiya Dlya Vsekh; Oleg Kupchinsky, Editorial Director of Vecherny Barnaul and Angelina Ardeyeva, Editor-in-Chief of Vynge Vada, have discussed the interethnic clash in Moscow’s Biryulyovo district.
Gusev noted that journalist stories and discussions of the problem on the internet should be distinguished into separate groups. Journalists cannot humiliate people for their origin, according to the law. He urged the authorities to abstain from passing harsher laws for mass media, because the most provocative messages were seen on social networks.Kupchinsky said that the events in Biryulyovo were not the only case when journalists should consider their mistakes on national topics. He believes that young journalists should be taught to write articles on inter-ethnic issues.Lyange noted that articles mentioning the nationality of victims and criminals were only used by nationalistic media sources. She accused journalists of illiteracy. The expert proposed composition of an ethical code for journalists which would include norms for related problems.
