Shoigu: Information becomes another armed forces component
MOSCOW. March 28 (Interfax) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has described the media as a type of weapon, which cannot be used "in a negative way."
"The day has come when we all have to admit that a word, a camera, a photo, the Internet, and information in general have become yet another type of weapons, yet another component of the armed forces. This weapon can be used in a good and in a bad way. This is a weapon that was involved in various events in our country in different years, both in our defeats and in our victories," Shoigu said at an award ceremony of the MEDIA-ACE journalistic contest instituted by the Defense Ministry.
Over the past year, the Defense Ministry has tried to work in such a way that there should be a reason to report a lot of interesting things about the armed forces and has done a lot to improve the image of military service, Shoigu said.
"I would like to remind you that it is time now when the media incorporate a lot. And, on the one hand, this is truly a weapon. On the other hand, this is something that can cause serious injuries. Nowadays, this is something that can act simultaneously as an investigator, a prosecutor, a judge, and an executor in bad hands. I wouldn't like to see ourselves gradually turning into those who use this weapon in the most negative way," Shoigu concluded.
The all-Russian press festival MEDIA-ACE-2015 is the Russian Defense Ministry's new project arranged to encourage media outlets, journalists, military experts, other members of the press, online journalists and bloggers who have made a significant contribution to strengthening the Russian armed forces' positive image.
The contest included 14 categories, in which authors and teams who published their reports from January 1 to December 31, 2014 compete. The festival passed at two stages, the district and the final one.