In Russia, there is nothing that bloggers can't spin

So if anyone still doubts the utility of blogging and new media to authoritarian regimes, here comes another potent reminder...

Russians are still debating the causes of the recent accident at the Sayano–Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station, which killed at least 72 people. The flooding continues to attract wide media attention, both from foreign and local journalists. Despite widespread intimidation, many of them are still eager to do their job, questioning the station's authorities about its dire condition and what had been done after the flooding.

One such journalist - working for the state-owned Interfax agency - must have been getting really close to the truth, for he was ejected from the station and his press accreditation was revoked. His employers claim that it was done to prevent the distribution of any objective and unfiltered information about the accident in the media.

According to the partly state-owned RusHydro, the company that operates the station, the journalist sinned by "moving around independently and bothering workers with questions". I guess that in RusHydro's view investigative journalism consists of spotting spelling mistakes in their ress-releases and asking pre-approved tough questions.

But the most interesting part of the story is that in order to avoid a publicity fallout that was bound to ensue, RusHydro invited drugoi - one of the most popular bloggers in the country - to come and take photos of the station and post them on his blog (photo-blogging is drugoi's specialty).

His very first post from the station generated over a thousand comments and his trip to the station is far greater news for the Russian internet than the ejection of a journalist, who would probably dig up some unpleasant truths about what happened...So here we go: the masses got some fascinating pictures to look at, they feel represented, and, well, who really cares about the truth?

...And did I mention that drugoi also holds a senior position with SUP, a new media company with very tight connections to Kremlin-friendly Russian oligarchs? Anyone who still thinks that the ownership of the Internet in Russia is different from that of the mainstream media, should look at this visualization of RuNet...