RIGA, Latvia – While Russian state-sponsored media is not always renowned for its factual accuracy, using a picture of the wrong country on the front of an official advertising supplement in one of the world’s biggest newspapers is still impressive.
The gaffe was spotted Wednesday by Latvian MEP Inese Vaidere – currently barred from entering Russia – who posted the front page of the June 24 New York Times’ paid-for “Russia Beyond The Headlines” supplement on her facebook account with the comment:
“Surely Russia has a ‘tourism image problem’ if must use a photo of Rundฤle Palace in Latvia for its paid advertisment in the New York Times.”
Russia Beyond The Headlines supplements appear in several major world newspapers and are financed by the Russian government.