CNN and European politics - How NOT to cover the situation in Ukraine

Lately I have been following closely the situation in Ukraine in the media. It has as much been a lesson in Eastern-European/European politics as it has been a lesson in media criticism. I am a news junkie and typically when I read news I read newspapers and websites in both English and in my native language. I also read from various web resources as I find it important to get the news from several perspectives. I mostly read BBC, CNN and NBC and Al-Jazeera in English. However, lately I have found that CNN's coverage of the situation is Ukraine has been incredibly bad. It has been vastly historically inaccurate, overly simplified, ignorant of historical and cultural factors at play and very diminishing towards Ukraine. It has been woefully unprofessional and badly done.

There are several things which I would like to make clear about how wrong they are, especially in regards to a certain article - this opinion on CNN - which is absolutely terrible. So settle in because I am about to go politically European on y'all.

1)First of all, Europe is not an unknowable mass or the same country - it is an entire continent with many complicated factors involved. 

Europe is not a single mass of countries, it is an entire and vibrant continent of around 50 countries - each of them different from each other and each with their own culture, history, language, geography and feelings towards Europe/EU. There are a lot of cultural and historical factors at play in Europe and European culture. There is an uneasy balance as some countries share more common history and heritage than others, some countries are more at odds with each other and the relationships between countries are different. Each country has a different perception of Europe and what it means to be a European. It is not a simple black/white picture but instead a very complicated one. It is not the benevolent West versus the Evil East. There is no evil Russian/old Soviet Union versus the good EU/EFTA/Any country west of Poland. It is so much more complicated than that. Believe me, I am a staunch European that has lived here my whole life and there are still so many things I am learning.

2)The situation in Ukraine does not in any way threaten the independence of other European countries and certainly not the independence of the USA.

Anyone who gets this idea knows nothing about European politics. To begin with, European countries are masters at being empires and colonizing others - Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Portugal and Britain being the biggest culprits. All of these countries have throughout history been independent. In fact, they have all at one point or the other dominated European culture and still do. These are European powers that have never been threatened by Russia (instead they threaten others... ) And, none of them were a part of the Soviet Union. So their independence is not in any way threatened by the situation right now. The same goes for the Nordic countries. Aside from Finland. Some were independent from the beginning and others were under the rule of other Nordic countries but have been independent since the early 20th century. None of the Nordic countries has ever been threatened by the Soviet Union/Russia and it continues to this day. To suggest otherwise is mad.

Russia does not rule the roost in Europe - if anything the European Union does and trust me, they are strong and will not go down. Many countries in Europe have never been under the threat from Russia and that isn't going to change. There are so many factors at play and considering the control and power the EU has, no one dares go against it. So no, in no way is the independence of my own Nordic country threatened by this. Neither is the independence of Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands et cetera.

And let's not even begin with the US. Who in the world gets the idea that USA's independence is being threatened? I mean, USA is the most domineering and leading country of power in the world today. There is no possible way that Russia will go against it like the article assumes. Not when USA is the world's leading military power as well.

3)It's about Ukraine and the people's rights for a better future, not about the USA.

I am going to be honest - I am so bugged and annoyed that the author of the article turned it into a simpering article about the USA, how everything is at stake for the USA in this. Therefore, they should care about it, not because Ukrainians are fellow human beings but NO - because it potentially (in some arbitrary and strange sense) harm USA. I mean seriously! 

USA has done a lot for Europe - no argument there. As a country is has done a lot for European countries and sacrificed a lot and believe me, we are thankful for it. I mean, really thankful. But the fight in Ukraine right now is not about the USA, it is not about the independence of other European countries - it is about the fight of a nation that has been to hell and back and suffered a lot. It is about people claiming their rights to live in more safety, better economic prosperity and the right to belong to Europe in more ways than geographically. It is about Ukraine, through and through. And let's keep the focus on that.

Having said all this I urge whoever comes across this blog to ignore CNN and their coverage on the topic and instead read BBC. I find it provides by far the best coverage. Read about Ukraine, read about the subject and keep yourself educated. But most importantly, ignore CNN!

Appreciating the NCIS franchise: Ellie Bishop continues to be awesome and a new record for NCIS:LA

Can we take a moment to appreciate how wonderfully entertaining and lovely Ellie Bishop is! Today was her second episode with NCIS and I absolutely loved her character. She is very refreshing and unusual and so different from the other characters. I was grinning from ear to ear at so many of her scenes. It is hard to find a favorite, whether it was her 'getting acquainted' with the dead bodies and saying hello to them, learning whether to warn Tony and McGee or not and learning the ropes. I was delighted to see how well she has been established and how well she fits in with the team. I also enjoy how they have incorporated her working style into the show, taking a moment to focus and talking it out loud to herself. Ellie as a character feels realistic and fun and I can't wait to see more of her. The actress that plays her does a fabulous job it bringing the character to life and giving her nuances and her own strong personality. As an NCIS fan I am more than thrilled with everything concerning the character, absolutely thrilled, and I am looking forward to seeing more of her.

I am also going to say how much I loved last episode. Everything was fabulous regarding the humor. I was enjoying myself so much while watching it and it got me laughing more than once.

NCIS has been on a roll lately and it's been a pure pleasure to watch. Absolute pleasure. I am reminded once and again of how much I love watching the show and what it is I love about it: the combination of incredible characters, humour and interesting storylines. So consider me one very happy NCIS fan!

I was also watching the American edition of the show 'The Bridge' and it is sooo good. I am so thrilled with it. But I realized quickly after watching it that Sonya Cross reminded me quite a lot of Ellie Bishop and the character in the danish/swedish version, Saga Norén, did as well. Both Sonya and Saga are exceptionally well created characters and Ellie as a character is in a similar vein. 

I am also going to take a moment to appreciate the fact that NCIS:LA has now made it 3 episodes without mention Russia. That must surely be a record for them!They did mention Communism but only for historical background.  In fact, NCIS:LA has also been on a roll this season. Á la NCIS:LA, there have been some major mishaps this season but it's largely been highly enjoyable. I have been loving how they've been crafting the characters and transforming them. Nell is going through some great developments as a character and I love watching how they continue to mold her and how she changes. I really appreciate how well they do it. I have also been enjoying Sam Hanna a lot this season, he has been on a roll as well and I've been surprised with how much I have enjoyed him. 

And let's not even begin with Densi. They are truly making fans squirm but it's a good squirm. They are developing the characters and their relationship with care and it feels both realistic and well crafted. It's pure pleasure to watch, it's so good it's even á la Caskett. I am also getting completely caught up in the latest story line. What on earth is Kensi doing in Afghanistan with Granger and how will this develop? Who is she meant to kill? One of the things I enjoy about this story line is that it is placing Kensi in different circumstances where she is not in control and where she is more vulnerable and insecure than usually. It's a shift for the character and it'll be interesting to see how they play around with it. It also adds strength to the characterization to have her in such different circumstances which reveal another side of her. I am looking forward to seeing how it'll develop.

And before I go. I am looking forward to seeing agent Sabatino again. I really like his character. I also discovered recently that the actor that portrays him was also a part of ER. I was a devoted ER fan in my younger years and still am at heart, purely for the nostalgia. For years, I nursed a secret crush on Dr. Green and my sister on Dr. Kovac and we both loved the character Abby. So, I am reminded of me ER fan years :) Just like I was swept back to my 'Without a trace' fan years when I watched NCIS season 9 and Ray Cruz was dating Ziva. I loved that show so much and it's such fun to be reminded of my infatuation with it. So TV can bring back nostalgia. 

The Soviet union, Ukraine and NCIS:LA

This post will be political. I have been following closely the political situation in the beautiful country of Ukraine over the past few days and I've discusses both with friends and family. It has given me much to think about, especially in terms of European politics and what the political situation in Ukraine means for Europe in general. And as I've thought this through, my mind inevitably passed to NCIS:LA and their treatment of the USSR.

I'll attempt to provide some background for those that read this blog but have not followed the political situation in the news. Ukraine is a European country situated in Eastern-Europe. Geographically it belongs to Europe but culturally and politically the situation is more complicated. Ukraine has been through a lot as a country over the centuries but the 20th century was exceptionally bad.  It was a part of the USSR during the 20th century and was during that time like other Eastern-European countries in terrible circumstances. The USSR did not treat anyone kindly.It has only been truly independent since 1991, ever since the USSR dissolved. Due to the close proximity to Russia and having been a part of it for a long time, Ukraine shares a lot of political, historical and cultural ties with it and more so than with Western-Europe. As a country, Russia has always been in many ways the antithesis to Western-Europe, both in terms of culture, politics and history, and it continuous to be so to an extent today. And it seems it that even if the USSR has dissolved, Russia still tries to exert control over it's former countries. And that is what has happened in Ukraine.

In Ukraine, many people are now looking towards Western-Europe and in particular the European Union for collaboration. The Soviet Union exists no longer and they want to move from it and establish a different Ukraine. And a part of that is moving away from Russia and its influences. One German official said that (paraphrased): 'The hearts of the demonstrators beat with a European beat' - what he is referencing is that many Ukrainians now want to move away from the Russian influence and belong to Europe not only geographically but also gain more proximity culturally and economically. That does not mean cutting all ties with Russia but it means a change and the right for Ukraine to carve out its own niche in Europe as a country. Ukraine was going to sign a collaboration agreement with the EU that would benefit them economically. However, the president backed out at the last moment, many believe due to influence from the Russian government. Russia was not keen on Ukraine signing the agreement and was encouraging them to sign an agreement with Russia and Kazakhstan instead. 

This rightfully angered many people and they have been protesting ever since. They protest that Ukraine is no longer a part of the USSR and they should not be coerced by Russia and kept away from making their own decisions on what would best benefit their country. They want to become a part Europe. I want to make it clear that Ukraine has always been a part of Europe geographically but the cultural and historical factors at play have in many ways isolated it from Western-Europe and the European Union. There are plenty of countries in Western and Northern Europe that do not belong to the EU but they still enjoy the benefits of the collaborations it offers and take advantage of it. Belonging to the EU is not a prerequisite of belonging to Europe in more ways than geographically in Western-Europe. But it seems to be in Eastern-Europe. I know people want this to change. I as well as everyone I know want this to change for Ukraine and we support them in their protests. We want them to have the chance to decide what is best for themselves on their own and we want them to be able to participate in the many things Europe and the EU offers. As I follow the protests, I truly hope they can get what they want and rightfully deserve.

And how does this tie all in wit NCIS:LA?

I have covered here so many times how strangely NCIS:LA deals with the USSR and Russia and how the wrong the image they present is. One would think from their coverage that the only thing the USSR ever did was to produce nuclear weapons and threaten America. But what history shows and the political events that are taking place right now is that the reality is so much more complicated than that. The USSR first and foremost affected and hurt countries within Europe. What happened after it dissolved and how the situation has played out has happened strictly within Eastern-Europe. It are Eastern-European countries that suffered the most and have had the most to deal with and work out. I encourage all readers to look into the fight for independence in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and read about how the USSR changed their countries and how they shape their identity and culture now. It is fascinating and sobering to learn about.

My point is this: I am well aware of that TV is not meant to be a political commentary and that the way in which it presents reality is skewed. NCIS:LA is a prime example of a show that changes and plays around with reality. I am well aware of the fact that what NCIS:LA presents is not meant to be an accurate view of reality and that they expect their viewers and allude to them the sense of knowing so. But that does not change the fact that history, reality, culture, politics are always so much more complicated than TV makes them out to be and it is important that people know that. I encourage all that read this blog to look beyond the simple, superficial way in which things are presented  on TV and instead look into reality. Granted, it is challenging and it may change the way you think but I find it to be more than worth the while. It makes you view media in a different way and value things differently.

(And never to trust NCIS:LA's opinion of Russia/Eastern-Europe)