FREEDOM OF PRINTING UNDER THE SOVIET REGIME

I remember the time 1950-80.

I regularly read the Soviet newspaper.

At that time I saw two examples of the freedom of press in the Soviet Union.

The first case was in the General Assembly of the United Nations. There was a discussion between Gromyko, the Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the American Secretary of State. They argued with one another. After much fighting, the Secretary of State said, "We published your speech, but you did not publish my speech completely in the Soviet Union." Gromiko said, "We will publish your entire speech." After several days the speech of the American Secretary was published completely in the newspaper Pravda (translated as 'TRUTH') with a circulation of more than 10 million copies.

The second case was the time of Khruschev, when the relationship between the USSR and China deteriorated. Before that time all people in the Soviet Union sang a song where there were the words, "Russians with Shins, brothers evermore." The Soviet Government explained to the Soviet people the reason why the relationship was broken. After several days the newspaper "Pravda' published the Chinese answer to the Soviet Government (one page) about the real situation.

I think that the Chinese Government made a protest to the Soviet Government and as a result the Soviets printed the Chinese answer. (Those were both communist countries)

I remember those cases, because they demonstrated to me the background of the Soviet grey propaganda.

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