Says Alexander Narodetsky, director of Radio Liberty’ s Kyiv Bureau
Alexander Narodetsky has been a US citizen for a number of years, but his knowledge of Ukraine does not come from textbooks and newspaper stories. He was born in Uzbekistan but spent his childhood in Ukraine. He is a graduate of the Theater and Cinema Institute in what was then Leningrad. He worked as a stage director for drama companies in Petrozavodsk, Pskov, and Leningrad, and emigrated 25 years ago, having thus undergone a serious professional school. He has been to many countries, so he can now make comparisons and arrive at motivated conclusions. He does so easily, without any grandiloquence, in a purely American way.
NOBODY LIKES LEADERS
The Day: Much is believed to have changed in America after September 11 and that America will never be the same. Is this really so?
A. N.: Of course, lots of things have changed. Thousands of people were killed. The Americans used to be generous and trustful; they’d board a flight the way we do a bus here. They thought that terrorism was somewhere far from where they lived. Now you can’t board a flight just like that; first, they go through your luggage with a fine-toothed comb, looking inside your spare pairs of shoes and slippers. Meaning that the Americans can be naive but only for just so long as they are not made painfully aware of danger for so many fellow Americans.
The Day: But going through your luggage is just part of travel. What about the American mentality? How do they feel in the world context? Are they aware that being the world leader can cost too much?
A. N.: There must be such a leader anyway, especially when such leadership is within easy reach. Now and then it’s easily available in various parts of the globe, like the Balkans. People shot and killed each other, and no one wanted to be responsible. Or take the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Day: Is there a third party or force that could step in and assume responsibility for settling this conflict?
A. N.: Not that I know of. But things like that tend to happen suddenly. And here, again, we have leadership within easy reach. Also, no one likes leaders anywhere. Remember the Cold War. There were two leaders, the United States and the Soviets, and neither was popular.
The Day: During the election campaign in Ukraine one could often hear complaints about foreign observers acting beyond their mandate; at times their close attention could be regarded as interference in Ukrainian internal affairs. Such complaints were heard at the highest official level.
A. N.: I won’t comment on complaints made at the highest level. I’ll tell you this: it all depends on what those observers actually did. If they really acted out of line, such complaints are justified. If they did what they thought was necessary in keeping with their status, then why complain? Why invite them in the first place?
The Day: Where would you draw the line?
A. N.: Once again, it all depends on professionalism. Here at Radio Liberty we have our own code of journalistic ethics that we must not violate under any circumstances. First, a journalist must be impersonal. I’ve always driven it into my journalists’ heads that they should watch themselves, that they are not lawyers or prosecutors. In a word, they should always know just how far they can go. It’s not their business to come out with accusations or other stupid ideas. In this sense we’re all amateurs. A journalist organizes someone else’s content in space.
A JOURNALIST CAN CIRCULATE LOVE OR HATRED ONLY IN HIS KITCHEN
The Day: You lived in the Soviet Union and you know that “moral-ethical standards” were the cornerstone of Soviet journalism, something they capitalized upon in every conceivable way.
A. N.: That’s not journalism but publicistics, and it has nothing to do with the profession. Of course, it’s difficult for a journalist to distance himself from daily realities and remain absolutely impersonal. But then, if you criticize President Kuchma and do not quote his comments on your critique, you are acting contrary to the Radio Liberty code of ethics.
The Day: Granted, but getting information sometimes implies breaching certain formal norms. Remember Andrei Babitsky, RL Moscow Bureau reporter with his fake ID papers, crossing the border, and so on. He had to come to terms with both sides – well, I can understand why he acted that way.
A. N.: That was his weak point under the circumstances. We say that our staff must always act in accordance with the law. The law says that the foreign media cannot do any canvassing, so I warned my staff people – they certainly have personal preferences – that they must keep them to themselves, that our profession has its taboos, that such is the journalist code. And you know what? I think it’s great. I mean watching all this and keeping yourself in check. Sure, personally I like and hate something, but you can circulate such love and hatred only in your own kitchen.
The Day: Are there any specifics about the performance of a radio company in a foreign country? Any additional responsibilities?
A. N.: Absolutely. We are just guests here, and this applies even to staff members with Ukrainian passports, because they work for an American company and are thus guests in the country where they operate. This means that we have to be twice as careful. However, there is one undeniable advantage; we are not dependent on government and other structures. We take orders from no one here.
The Day: Have there been any attempts by the powers that be, financial and political circles, to pressure you?
A. N.: Not that I know of. There have been signs of displeasure, but even if we criticize somebody or something we try to justify it and let all the parties concerned have their say.
The Day: And if either of the parties declines comment?
A. N.: First, we let our listeners know. Second, we try to quote that party and somehow make its stand clear.
“I KNOW THOSE CROCODILES CALLED AMERICANS”
The Day: Apart from people with US, Canadian, and French passports, you have Ukrainian nationals on staff. How are the Ukrainian journalists different from the others professionally?
A. N.: They’re different, of course. Staying impersonal is easier for people living and working abroad for a long time.
The Day: What are your employment criteria? Is a journalist’s service record with its career implications important?
A. N.: Honestly, not much. Every journalist has a record, for everyone has worked for somebody somewhere. The main thing for a journalist is to get his joy from his occupation and evolve in the right direction. Too bad journalists here work for the editors. Well, if you work for The New York Times, you assume full responsibility for yourself. If they find out that you’ve sold out to someone and are pursuing some other objective, they won’t like it. Their journalists understand that their reputation comes first. Another important aspect is being energetic and mobile. Without this it just won’t work.
The Day: How valid is the alleged Russian-US confrontation over influence in Ukraine?
A. N.: None whatsoever. Another thing is that Russia and America wouldn’t want to see Ukraine collapse. Destabilization is a nasty thing.
The Day: Apart from destabilization, there are also economic interests. Ukraine is a good hunting ground in this sense.
A. N.: Of course. Russia has its economic interests to uphold. It’s important to have reliable neighbors, especially a neighbor like Ukraine. Just as Mexico and Canada have always been important for the United States. Yet I don’t see any special competition between Russia and America over Ukraine as yet. Believe me, I know those crocodiles called Americans. If they really wanted to they’d win this competition in a jiffy.
The Day: Could a Radio Liberty manager voice any different opinion?
A. N.: He certainly could. Radio Liberty, of course, calls for a degree of loyalty toward America, but not to the extent of bowing and scraping and thinking sterile thoughts. In fact, my boss told me, “I won’t like it if you become a yes-man.” There is always a reasonable balance to keep.
The Day: You came to Kyiv from Prague. Is it interesting to work in a country known as independent Ukraine these days?
A. N.: I stayed away from Ukraine for ten years. Everything has changed. And I like it. Moreover, I think that for a journalist Ukraine is even more interesting than Russia; here we have an intensive power play and lots of events. And it’s good to have no Chechnya on your hands.
