<sup>Photo: RIA Novosti</sup>
The career trajectory of Pavel Astakhov — example to a loyalist, trying to break through to the pinnacle of power through professional contacts, not through partisan millstone or family ties. As head of the law office named after himself, he in the beginning catered to top Moscow clients, among whom was the then mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov. Apparently, some of these customers noticed the harizmatika and sent him to create his own TV show “the Hour of judgment”, and from there, gaining high brand awareness, the future children’s Ombudsman was recruited to the post of head of the movement “For Putin before the state Duma elections 2007. As a reward for successful execution of the task he was given meaningless in the Russian context, but the public post of chief defender of children.”
But Astakhov gave rise to the phenomenon of television now and makes a fool of him. Blow Astakhov was caused by those from whom such an attack, until recently, do not have to wait — brand loyalist and do not even imitate the serious media REN-TV. There is a special story dedicated to the dialogue Astakhov with the survivors of the tragedy in the Karelian camp students. Ren-TV is aggressively touting the phrase of the Ombudsman “How was your swim?”. It is difficult to assume that the decision to attack the man, whose name was so long was near the first person of the state was taken without consultation with the leadership of the channel. And equally difficult to assume that the user managed to get this quick advice from the Kremlin. Probably just took advantage of the changed rules of the game.
Ren-TV to his media attack against Astakhov was supported by colleagues — few media privlastnye. Journalist Layfnyuz not even trying to hide the joy of the first reporting on the resignation Astakhov in his Facebook. The Kaliningrad deputies have decided not to give Astakhov medal “For merits”, and Dmitry Peskov protects the Ombudsman as something unwillingly. Intractable mind the cynicism of the children’s Ombudsman, of course, quite disgusting, but any “disgusting” officials first became the subject of Pro-Kremlin media.
But in terms of outright hunger for information TV propagandists, not fueled combat reports about the overthrow of another Ukrainian, Syrian, Turkish enemies, which the population used as a drug for the last 1.5-2 years, — many information taboo will be lifted. This is compounded by unstable and unclear signals coming from the Kremlin. The political agenda is changing so fast, that the advocates gets harder to read these signals and get in time to “discourse”. USA — officially the only superpower? Erdogan is already possible to call a partner? White is already corrupt or the Governor?
From stability have not disappeared — and the fastest way did that affect the work of media. Informed management of all strictly hierarchic system kept clear, understandable rules of the game and distribute the rent. Renta ended together with a growing crisis, and the clarity of the regulation — with the need to maneuver in order to this crisis emerge. Natural substitute and child instability is fear. After removing the White, who became the third Governor accused of corruption over the past year, the elites and bureaucrats are scared because they do not know who might be following, and who have real immunity.
Fear of security forces has long accustomed to bureaucrats. However, after the attacks on Astakhov became clear that the same weapon fear is propaganda, child the Crimean euphoria. Propagandists on the possibilities of its influence on the masses transformed into a new, independent force. And to defend against them, now also need a “roof”, a clear signal from the Kremlin.
In other words, a source of threat to elite become not only the security forces with masks, guns and a fluorescent dye, but also “journalists” with camera, microphone and ability to mount a story in a favorable light. The phrase “after you left” — now not just about a black Volga, but the vans carrying the equipment for shooting.
Paradoxically, the “clamps of fear” will be able to constrain, to retain the loyalty of the elites as successfully as oil rent. It is not clear which is worse: losing their homes, being accused of corruption, or disgraced their stupidity to the whole of Russia.
