The source, Politkovskaya refers to is a well-wisher who came to the edition to confess. The observer of “Novaya gazeta” does not give his name, yet she gives numerous details on him: “self confident man with a military bearing”, “his documents – a passport, diploma on completing a military college and a letter on release from prison were shown to us”. The informer insisted on being a group of six people who planned to release the convicted entrepreneur.
A suggestion to take part in the operation was made to Politkovskaya’s interlocutor as if yet on February 10. First the former militant agreed but later, nevertheless, he rejected the suggestion.
On the surface everything looks decently: the edition checked up the information and published it as they considered the former trustworthy. Politkovskaya may be reproached only for inaccuracy in writing. The journalist writes so chaotically that we unwillingly remember the chief Poprischin’s words: “Why do you, my brother, always have such a mess in your head?…You may so upset a case even a Satan himself won’t be able to make it out”.
Many Russian mass media quoted Politkovskaya’a article of Monday, April 3: “Echo of Moscow”, “Kommersant”, “Newsru.Com”, “Polit.Ru”. “Lenta.Ru” Internet edition did not write about Khodorkovsky’s escape on principle. The matter is that on April 1, a similar material appeared in “Zhizn” (Life) newspaper. The edition asserted that employees of the colony of a general regime in Krasnokamensk prevented a mass escape of prisoners among whom Mikhail Khodorkovsky who served his sentence was also detained. As “Zhizn” wrote, the prisoners drugged a tunnel underground from barracks to the industrial zone, however, when they tried to use it were stopped by a capture group.
They needed sound grounds for serious writing about Khodorkovsky’s escape after such a joke. But there is none in Politkovskaya’s article. Moreover, the journalist herself admits that confession of “Novaya gazeta” interlocutor is “complete nonsense”, “madness of one citizen personally taken”.
We should notice for justice that not only Politkovskaya refers to unverified sources. An interview of a doubtful content is not a rare case for “yellow press”, as “MK” and “Komsomolskaya pravda”. With the former editor-in-chief of KP Vladimir Mamontov’s coming such a practice was introduced also in “Izvestiya” (News) – on March 3 the newspaper wrote that they had got a letter on details of the NTV correspondent Ilya Zimin’s death which was as if seriously reacted to in the prosecutor’s office. Later “Gazeta.Ru” sources in law enforcement bodies “a little” corrected the journalists of once main edition of the country: “This letter is just nonsense. We have nothing to discuss on the matter yet”.
The TVs controlled by the government do not shrink from doubtful interlocutors either. In mid March on “Special correspondent” program, the TV “Russia” aired cadres on the CIA secret prisons in the territory of Ukraine. The journalist Arkadi Mamontov made a conclusion on their existence, as grounded on an anonymous letter and confusing allegations of non represented militants.
Mass media usually explain appearance of doubtful articles with public importance of these materials. The very Politkovskaya writes that she also seriously doubts the information on Khodorkovsky’s escape but nevertheless, she published the latter. As the journalist explains, to clear up her consciousness – in case, a force action is however under preparation. “Must a newspaper inform on possibility of a death calamity for anyone? – Politkovskaya asks a question and she replies at once. – Certainly, it must”.
And, indeed, upon which right serious mass media is carefully standing apart from a city mad people, particularly from those who make apocalypses allegations? Even in suggestions on soon world end is a little possibility. Perhaps, “Lenta.Ru” did not publish the latter received still in 2002 from a reader in vain. It, in particular, said that in Afghanistan the President Putin together with Gen. Gromov and Mayor Ruchina ate babies, and also asserted than in Melitopol our President ate boiled meat of human beings together with Kuchma. By the way, these are serious accusations.

Andrey Lomkin