Putin Holds Record Setting Televised Q&A
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a live broadcast nationwide phone-in in Moscow April 25, 2013. Putin played down differences with his government over economic policy on Thursday and signalled he was not about to respond to calls to dismiss his prime minister. REUTERS/Mikhail Klimentyev/RIA Novosti/Pool (RUSSIA – Tags: POLITICS) ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS – RTXYZHU
Russian President Vladimir Putin set a record on Thursday.
He was on live national television – answering the public’s questions – for 4 hours and 47 minutes.
That was longer than any of Putin’s 10 previous live TV call-in shows.
And the Russian public apparently loved it.
According to the moderator, more than 2.5 million questions came in for the president – by phone, text or email.
Miriam Elder, The Guardian’s Moscow correspondent, was monitoring the Q&A.
She was also live tweeting during the event, for what she called “sanity maintenance.”
Elder speaks with Marco Werman about covering the live Q&A from the Press Center which was a cafe near the Kremlin, called George Best.