MOSCOW, November 28. /TASS/. The Western mass media has been deliberately portraying a distorted image of Russia, creating a picture that has nothing to do with the reality, said Eddie Gonzales, a retired US law enforcement officer and a co-host of the Russia Up Close talk show.
"We are two Americans who live in Russia. We see Russia every day, and then we go online, and we see how Russia is being represented or shown in the West. And it's a complete opposite of what we experience here," the blogger said.
In his words, the goal of Russia Up Close is to "show the Russia that we have come to know, to show the Russia that has welcomed two American foreigners into their country and given us opportunity to speak freely."
"Many people in the West say, well, Russia doesn't have freedom of speech. Really? Have you heard of Russia Up Close? We tell you the truth from the perspective of two Americans living in Russia. Is that not freedom of speech?" Gonzales continued.
"The idea is to show the Russia that we've come to know, the Russia that has welcomed us, to show Russians the way that we see them. They are extremely kind, gentle, and welcoming, and hospitable. Some of the kindest people you will ever meet," he said.
"We want to introduce them to a Western audience so that the Western audience can see Russia the way we see it, through our eyes, not to change people's minds," the blogger added.