The American TV channel Fox News, known for its support of the Republican Party, got into a scandal because of the broadcast of Easter services. The TV channel broadcast live a solemn Orthodox service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, in which Vladimir Putin took part. However, the biggest indignation of the viewers was caused by the caption to the broadcast — the editors Fox News marked the capital of Ukraine as “Kyiv, Russia”.
The broadcast from Moscow lasted several hours. In addition to Putin, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin was also present in the frame. The TV channel focused attention on the speech of Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who took the opportunity to deliver an ideological speech. In it, Kirill spoke of a “common historical Russia”, called for a “just and durable peace” and asserted that “no forces are capable of destroying the spiritual unity of the people who received grace in the Kyiv baptismal font.” Such statements were an obvious repetition of Kremlin narratives about the common identity of Ukrainians and Russians.
At the same time, Fox News broadcast the divine service from the St. Michael’s Cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. At first, the credits on the screen correctly reported: “Easter service: Kyiv, Ukraine.” However, after the commercial break, viewers saw another caption: “Kyiv, Russia.”
So far, the TV channel has not provided an official explanation, whether it is an editorial error or the result of external influence or political negligence. The incident caused a wave of criticism in social networks, in particular among Ukrainians and Western journalists, who called such a change of signature “informational sabotage” and “unacceptable disregard for sovereignty.”
So far, no public apology or statement has come from Fox News. The Ukrainian side has not yet made public an official reaction, although the incident is already being actively discussed in the media community and diplomatic circles.
