Putin Shuts Down Russia’s Free Press for Reporting Accurately on Ukraine | Nieman Reports - Elizaveta Kuzetsova:
March 9, 2022 - "On the morning of March 4, the last remaining independent news outlet in Russia – the award-winning Novaya Gazeta – announced the end of its reporting on the war in Ukraine in response to Russian government demands. A new law that bans the 'dissemination of knowingly false information' about the Russian armed forces – and carries up to a 15-year penalty – was the final blow.... This came a day after the independent TV channel Dozhd announced a temporary suspension of its operation in its broadcast on March 3.... Over the course of just one week, the independent media landscape in Russia has been shuttered, returning the country to the pre-Perestroyka state without any semblance of a free press. Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked access to several independent media outlets, including MediaZona, Meduza, Nastoyashee Vremya, The New Times, Doxa, The Village, and Tayga.Info.... Many international media corporations, including CNN, BBC, Bloomberg News, ABC, CBS News, and Radio Liberty, have been forced to suspend operations in Russia.
"The new law curbing what journalists can say about the military is essentially censorship of what journalists can say about the invasion of Ukraine. Any data on casualties or information on the resistance the Ukrainians are mounting could be considered 'fake information.' Under the legislation, truthful reporting of the conflict is nearly impossible. 'It has been decided to eradicate journalism entirely and to put all disagreeable behind bars,” said Sergey Smirnov, the editor-in-chief of MediaZona, an independent investigative outlet.... Controlling the narrative is particularly important for the Russian government amid the lack of support for the war and the growing dissent in the country....
"For years, independent media in Russia have reported on corruption, protests, and politics, reaching their audiences online often through social media. The daily number of subscribers of news channels on Telegram, a cloud-based messaging app, has grown by an estimated 3.5 to 5 million per day since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, according to TGStat.ru, a non-profit project that tracks the platform. But social media is not immune to state control and state propaganda, and the online news environment is often used to amplify confusion and misinformation.
"Tech companies are under pressure from both sides of the conflict, which can result in questionable decisions that further aggravate the situation for independent outlets. Echo Moskvy, an independent radio station controlled by Russian state-owned company Gazprom-Media, reported being suspended by YouTube and Twitter even though the outlet maintained editorial independence and provided truthful reporting. Coincidentally, on March 3, the board of directors of Echo Moskvy decided to liquidate the outlet and, according to its editor-in-chief Aleksey Venediktov, after Russian officials blocked its website over its reporting on Ukraine. Its dissolution is symbolic as the Russian government’s decision to spare the outlet from repression until now helped maintain at least a façade of freedom of press in the country.
"Without independent media, the Russian public will become hostage to the state narrative about 'the special operation' aimed at “de-nazification” of Ukraine, as Moscow describes its war against the country. In fact, the use of the word 'war' to refer to the conflict in Ukraine is prohibited in Russia.... Blocked independent outlets will continue to fight for their right to report through the courts. However, the situation will only intensify as the war in Ukraine goes on. With many journalists fleeing Russia, independent reporting is still possible from abroad. And local audiences can use VPN connections to access blocked sites and social media. But without international support free press in Russia will not survive, and the isolation of the Russian audience will continue. 'Right now, independent journalism can survive only outside of Russia,' said Smirnov."
Read more: https://niemanreports.org/articles/putin-ukraine-russia-media/
March 11, 2022 - "Russia is opening a criminal case against Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, and moved to label it an 'extremist organization' over reported changes in its rules that allow some users to call for violence against Russia's army and its leadership in the context of the war in Ukraine. The Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said on March 11 that it was launching an investigation 'due to illegal calls for the murder of Russian nationals by employees of the American company Meta'.... The moves were sparked by a March 10 report by Reuters that internal e-mails show Meta Platforms will permit Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers after Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24....
"Separately on March 11, Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, said it will restrict access to Instagram across the country at the request of the Prosecutor-General's Office. 'The Instagram social network distributes information and materials that contain calls for implementing violent actions against citizens of the Russian Federation, including military personnel,' Roskomnadzor said in a statement.... Earlier on March 11, the Russian Embassy to the United States demanded that Washington ... 'stop the extremist activities of Meta and take measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.'"
Read more: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-meta-charges-hate-speech/31748326.html
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