Russia: Muscovite sues television broadcaster for 'dumbing-down'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 18 November 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia: Muscovite sues television broadcaster for 'dumbing-down', 18 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a25b27.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 18, 2016
A Russian woman plays with her baby while watching President Vladimir Putin annual televised call-in earlier this year.
A Moscow resident has filed a lawsuit against the Ostankino television broadcasting complex for allegedly "dumbing-down the population."
The suit, filed on November 17, is seeking nearly 1 million rubles in compensation for harm.
In the complaint, Moscow resident Roman Maslennikov says that he watched television for extended periods and over the last few years he "began to feel dependent on daily viewing of television broadcasts."
"If I did not watch at least 30 minutes of television, my mood got worse, I lost my appetite, and my overall metabolism worsened," the complaint reads.
He charges that television caused his overall intelligence level to decline and his memory to become weaker.
The complaint asks the court to oblige Ostankino, the broadcast center from which Russian state and state-controlled television is broadcast, to pay 987,600 rubles in compensation and to inform all viewers about the health risks of watching television.
Based on reporting by RIA-Novosti and RBK
Link to original story on RFE/RL website