2005: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Press Council rules on correct terminology

In a story published on May 10, The Globe and Mail wrote that "27 or 28 million Russians died during the second world war." Myroslaw Prytulak of Windsor, Ontario, disagreed. He maintained that, in fact, the figure included millions of non-Russian citizens of the Soviet Union and that Russia's losses were 5.8 million, including 1.8 million military and 4 million civilians, while Ukraine's losses were 8 million, including 2.5 million military and 5.5 million civilians.

He took his complaint about the inaccurate information to the Ontario Press Council. The Council upheld Mr. Prytulak's complaint with the following adjudication, issued on November 3:

"Myroslaw Prytulak of Windsor complained that a Globe and Mail article from Moscow published May 10 erred in stating that 27 or 28 million Russians died during the second world war when, in fact, the figure included millions of non-Russian citizens of the Soviet Union.

"The newspaper said that before the war the terms 'Soviet citizens' and 'Russians' were considered synonymous in everyday usage and that the reporter saw the terms as interchangeable. But it ultimately conceded that the reference was inaccurate and, after expressing regret that it wasn't corrected at the time, offered to print a correction now.

"The Ontario Press Council commends the newspaper for its offer but, in upholding the complaint, expresses its regret that the inaccuracy was not corrected when first brought to its attention.

"At the same time, it rejects the charge that the newspaper attempted to 'airbrush' the enormous losses suffered by other Eastern European countries and sought to 'discredit and intimidate' the complainant."

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 15, 2006, No. 3, Vol. LXXIV

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