Prime Minister Vladimir Putin`s phone-in with the nation may have soothed some crisis-shocked Russians but failed to impress the media, which pointed out that the new premier still looked too much like a president, AFP reported.
"In talking to the people, the premier tried not to look like a president," the Kommersant daily headlined.
"The phone-in went on for three hours, which would have been a record anyway, since no Russian head of government had ever practiced such a thing. It was practiced by a president, whose name was also Vladimir Putin," the daily quipped.
"The show`s organisers demonstrated that Putin is a political co-ruler," analyst Alexei Makarkin said as quoted by the Vedomosti daily in a story headlined "In his former role".
Putin`s answers also failed to convince, newspapers charged.
"Many of the prime minister`s answers could hardly make his audience happy. In some he obviously placed the interests of monopolies above people`s requests, others surprised by the unusual numbers he quoted, which are not realistic," the Nezavisimaya daily said.
"Yesterday`s broadcast had the full range of questions, from ruble devaluation which is promised not to happen, the loss of jobs which will happen, America, Georgia and Ukraine, army reform, Christmas tree and even a pretty dress," the Vremya Novostei daily wrote.
"But there was not a single critical question on either the government`s actions or those of the ruling United Russia party. Kind of strange -- to have three hours on-air and not a single criticism, yet there it was," the daily wondered.
Some questions Putin chose to answer were downright ridiculous, dailies said.
"He even answered the question of when it would snow. `When it pleases God,` he said. This way we learned that not everything lies in the power of our president, premier and United Russia," the Vremya Novostei acidly quipped.
