A Russian Media Mystery

Argumenty i Fakty: An independent weekly tabloid owned mostly by its staff. It is Russia's most widely circulated national paper (about 3 million copies). Moscow's elites shun it, but ordinary readers love its mix of news, sex and gossip.

NTV: The first TV network not owned by the Russian government. It belongs to MOST Media, the empire of communications oligarch Vladimir Gusinsky (MOST publishes the magazine Itogi in cooperation with NEWSWEEK.). It is widely regarded as the country's most professional network. Mikhail Osokin and Tatyana Mitkova, the news anchors at 7 p.m., are national celebrities; their photos grace the NTV Web site.

Ekho Moskvy: A popular national radio station owned by MOST. It emphasizes news, political commentary and a bit of music.

Izvestia: Formerly the government's daily paper. Now owned by a failed bank, its influence is declining.