Freedom of Press in Russia
I just want to start out by saying, this is unrelated to the Russia-Georgia conflict but some events may interwine.
As many have regarded the Russia media as false and corrupt, I thought I would study the subject and report my findings. It may be a big read, but it is worth the read
I will start by stating the "Reporters without Borders", a company that ranks countries by the freedom of press, has ranked Russia 144th place out of 169 countries studied.
Situation as a Journalist in Russia
During the first and second Chechen Wars, many people converted to freelance journalists, often video-taping many fighting scenes and writing about their time in the combat zone. I must say that of the journalists, 15 were mysteriously killed after the war, these journalists were ones that often released questionable info on the war, tales of genocide etc.
In fact, since 1992, 43 journalists have been killed, including 59 assaults and 12 attacks on journalist's offices.
Situation of Television in Russia
The Commitee to Protect Journalists has reported that the 3 main Russian TV stations are under complete control by the Kremlin.
Many Russians and critics complain people and companies speaking out against a Russian leader or Russian law or often blacklisted or 'disappear', but the second case is more rare.
Opposition in Russia
The "Reporters without Borders" group claims
"We are outraged to see that even important international meetings do not prevent the political authorities from harassing leaders of the Other Russia coalition who are organising a protest march (although it has been authorised) and the journalists who have interviewed them,” the press freedom organisation said. “This is a flagrant violation of human rights and civil liberties, and we urge all human rights activists to be especially vigilant in the comingmonths, which will be decisive for Russia’s future."
Freedom House Report
"Media freedom was further curtailed in 2006 as President Vladimir Putin’s government passed legislation restricting news reporting and journalists were subjected to physical violence and intimidation ... Despite public objections, Russia’s parliament also passed amendments to the Law on Fighting Extremist Activity, which Putin then signed in July. The measure expanded the definition of extremism to include media criticism of public officials, and authorized up to three years’ imprisonment for journalists as well as the suspension or closure of their publications if they were convicted ... Authorities continued to exert influence on media outlets and determine news content in 2006. The state owns or controls significant stakes in the country’s three main national television networks: Channel One, Rossiya, and NTV ... During 2006, journalists continued to face criminal libel charges for printing and broadcasting statements that were unfavorable to public officials. Criminal courts also sentenced several journalists on charges of “inciting racial hatred” for publicizing controversial events in Chechnya. Stanislav Dmitriyevsky, head of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, was convicted of the offense in February after publishing statements by leading Chechen separatists like the late Aslan Maskhadov. He received a suspended prison sentence and probation, but his conviction allowed the government to shutter his organization in October under a provision of the new NGO law. It remained open, with appeals pending, at year’s end. Boris Stomakhin of the monthly Radikalnaya Politika, who has written various critical articles on Russia’s actions in Chechnya, was sentenced in November to five years in prison .... The international media community expressed its shock at the October murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was renowned for her independent reporting about abuses committed in the war in Chechnya. Other journalists who were killed in 2006—likely for reasons tied to their work, according to media watchdogs—included Ilya Zimin, a correspondent for the national television station NTV; Vagif Kochetkov, a correspondent for the Moscow daily Trud and columnist for the Tula paper Tulskii Molodoi Kommunar; Yevgeny Gerasimenko, a correspondent for the Saratov independent weekly Saratovksy Rasklad; and Anatoly Voronin, deputy director of the Russian news agency Itar-Tass .... With online media developing and 16 percent of the population now online, the government also harassed some of Russia’s leading news websites. For example, officials accused Pravda.ru, Bankfax.ru, and Gazeta.ru of spreading extremist ideas, and fined the editor of the internet publication Kursiv for publishing an “offensive” article about Putin."
Please don't label this as anti-Russian, these are official sources.
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Originally Posted by .Czar
), Pravda, Russia today and so on.
