Tatyana Mitkova | |
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![]() Tatyana Mitkova in 2012 | |
Born | Tatyana Rostislavovna Mitkova 13 September 1955 |
Nationality | Russian |
Occupation | Television journalist |
Organization | NTV |
Known for | 1991 refusal to read official Soviet news, NTV anchorship |
Tatyana Rostislavovna Mitkova (Russian: Татья́на Ростисла́вовна Митко́ва; born 13 September 1955)[1] is a Russian television journalist for NTV. She became famous in 1991 for refusing to read the official Soviet Union version of the military response to the uprising in Lithuania.[2] In 2001, BBC News described her as one of Russia's "best-known news presenters".[3]
In 1991, she received one of the first International Press Freedom Awards from the Committee to Protect Journalists.[4]
In January 2001, she was summoned by prosecutors to discuss an alleged $70,000 loan from NTV. The summons came in the midst of an attempted takeover of the station by Gazprom,[5] and Mitkova described it as "psychological pressure and a direct threat to journalists".[6] At the end of the month, a Moscow court gave Gazprom control of NTV's owner Media-Most, which was by then described by BusinessWeek as "Russia's sole independent national television station"[7] and by The New York Times as "the last nationwide voice critical of President Vladimir V. Putin".[8] Despite a lockout of some journalists who refused to "pledge loyalty" to the new management, Mitkova was persuaded to stay with the station by new owner Boris Jordan.[7]