Russian minister: South Ossetia reporting biased in Western media

August 10, 2008 Deputy  accused Western countries and media of anti-Russian bias and that the pro-Georgian position in the South Ossetia-Georgian conflict might restrain future relations.

Mr Karasin says "Western media is a well-organized machine, which is showing only those pictures which fit in well with their thoughts. We find it very difficult to squeeze our opinion in the pages of their newspapers," and "Just as it was 20-30 years ago, it remains the same today ... objectivity is not a typical trait of some Western journalists and television channels,"

The accuracy of Western media is also questioned by South Ossetia's press service who claims Western media outlets can't be trusted. Suslan Bekoev, South Ossetian committee for information and press, says "Only the Russian media and one Ukrainian channel have been filming in the breakaway republic. No western camera crews have been working in the conflict zone."

Despite the Bekoev's statement, photos from Western news agencies such as Agence France-Presse have been used in news stories about the conflict.