Question
Moscow’s Homeless Suffering in the Cold Transcript
Russia celebrated the traditional end of winter two weeks ago, but the weather hasn't taken the hit. The Moscow river is still mostly frozen. The streets still packed with ice and snow. This is the coldest March here in more than half a century. And that's having serious consequences for the country's homeless.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
They gather here near the railway station at 5 PM. As the Moscow rush hour hurry's home on the pavement beyond, those with nowhere to go stand and wait. This is what they're waiting for, a mobile field kitchen run by a charity.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
From the back of the van, they hand out pasta, a couple of slices of bread, and a hot drink.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
It's not much, but for many, it's the only hot food they will eat all day.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
Your whole body's cold all the time. You feel like you're freezing. Cold weather makes it much worse. You're losing your health. That's why I'm trying to eat something hot once a day, trying to take care of myself.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
I have a bladder infection and frostbitten feet. I even got into hospital because of it. My legs were really badly damaged, but the doctor managed to save them. This doctor is the best. This is the queue for medical treatment here. The most common injuries they're dealing with at the moment are to do with the cold, specifically frostbite. Between this ambulance and the soup kitchen, I think they're dealing with between 170 and 200 people every single day. And they say that number is growing all the time.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
Around 30 homeless people freeze every month. Those are official statistics. When it gets warmer and the snow piles melt, there will be many bodies found.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
Sasha says he's been on the streets since he was 8 years old. He takes us with his friend to show us how they're surviving the cold. Sometimes they sleep in doorways, he says, often they just come here and ride around on the metro.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
It's very cold in winter. I often get ill. It's much harder to find food. I have to sleep in railway stations on the metro, of course, the metro is closed at night. Winter is a very hard season. He shows us where they warm themselves by the vents until the police move them on. And then it's back off down to the underground to take the trains in circles until the stations close. Caity Stallard, Sky News, Moscow.
In 3–5 sentences, examine one element included in the video that represents the media’s viewpoint and values. Identify one element that is excluded from the video. How does the included and excluded content impact the media’s message and influence?
Russia celebrated the traditional end of winter two weeks ago, but the weather hasn't taken the hit. The Moscow river is still mostly frozen. The streets still packed with ice and snow. This is the coldest March here in more than half a century. And that's having serious consequences for the country's homeless.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
They gather here near the railway station at 5 PM. As the Moscow rush hour hurry's home on the pavement beyond, those with nowhere to go stand and wait. This is what they're waiting for, a mobile field kitchen run by a charity.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
From the back of the van, they hand out pasta, a couple of slices of bread, and a hot drink.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
It's not much, but for many, it's the only hot food they will eat all day.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
Your whole body's cold all the time. You feel like you're freezing. Cold weather makes it much worse. You're losing your health. That's why I'm trying to eat something hot once a day, trying to take care of myself.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
I have a bladder infection and frostbitten feet. I even got into hospital because of it. My legs were really badly damaged, but the doctor managed to save them. This doctor is the best. This is the queue for medical treatment here. The most common injuries they're dealing with at the moment are to do with the cold, specifically frostbite. Between this ambulance and the soup kitchen, I think they're dealing with between 170 and 200 people every single day. And they say that number is growing all the time.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
Around 30 homeless people freeze every month. Those are official statistics. When it gets warmer and the snow piles melt, there will be many bodies found.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
Sasha says he's been on the streets since he was 8 years old. He takes us with his friend to show us how they're surviving the cold. Sometimes they sleep in doorways, he says, often they just come here and ride around on the metro.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
It's very cold in winter. I often get ill. It's much harder to find food. I have to sleep in railway stations on the metro, of course, the metro is closed at night. Winter is a very hard season. He shows us where they warm themselves by the vents until the police move them on. And then it's back off down to the underground to take the trains in circles until the stations close. Caity Stallard, Sky News, Moscow.
In 3–5 sentences, examine one element included in the video that represents the media’s viewpoint and values. Identify one element that is excluded from the video. How does the included and excluded content impact the media’s message and influence?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
One element that represents the media’s viewpoint and values in the video is the emphasis on the suffering of the homeless during the extreme cold, highlighting their struggles for survival and access to basic necessities, such as food and medical care. This portrayal elicits empathy from viewers and underscores societal neglect, aligning with humanitarian values. Conversely, an element that is excluded from the video is the potential for systemic solutions or government responses to address homelessness and the challenges posed by harsh weather conditions. The omission of such information can lead to a more emotionally charged narrative focused solely on individual suffering, potentially influencing public perception to view homelessness purely as a personal failure rather than a societal issue that requires comprehensive solutions and interventions. This framing may limit the audience's understanding of the complexities surrounding homelessness and the need for systemic change.