While the EU suspends the broadcast of RT and Sputnik, in Moscow websites, televisions and the historic Radio Eco are forced to close
Information has always been another weapon in wars. Whether converted into propaganda or trampled by censorship, it is a tool that the different sides use to make their story triumph. In the Russian-Ukrainian contest it is not being different. The former try to silence the critical media within their borders and the latter play masterfully in the field of messages that are difficult to contrast on social networks. The European Union has also entered the game by suspending the broadcasting of Sputnik and Russia Today (RT), both of which are in tune with Putin’s policies, “until the aggression against Ukraine and Russia ends and their media stop misinform”.
THE KEYS:
-
foreign agents.
They are accused of spreading falsehoods such as that Russian forces fire on cities -
Censorship.
In the last few hours, six portals have been blocked, including a news agency
Control is tight in the Russian case. So much so that several media outlets have been forced to withdraw news and others to close down directly. The Kremlin, which for a year has tightened control over the independent press and the opposition, has a Russian Federal Media Monitoring Service, the Roskomnadzor. Last Saturday, this body ordered the press to suppress references to civilians killed in the invasion of Ukraine from its content. An ‘episode’ that should not be referred to with terms such as ‘invasion’, ‘offensive’ or ‘declaration of war’, which should be replaced by ‘special operation’ aimed at ‘keeping the peace’. In addition, “only official Russian sources that have current and reliable information” may be used.
“foreign agents”
In the sights of the Executive headed by Vladimir Putin, a series of media such as the newspaper ‘Novaya Gazeta’ -directed by the Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov-, the online chain ‘Dojd’ or the website ‘Mediazona’. They are accused of being “foreign agents” spreading falsehoods such as “Russian armed forces are shooting at Ukrainian cities.” If they did not remove these contents, they were threatened with “restricting access to these media” and fines of up to five million rubles (about 44,000 euros). Also on the list were ‘Rain TV’ and ‘Ekho Moskv’ (Echo of Moscow), one of the country’s most prestigious broadcasters. It was founded in August 1990 in the midst of ‘perestroika’ as an alternative to the Soviet monopoly of Gostelerradio.
Neither the radio, nor the online chain, nor television obeyed, so they were blocked and this past Thursday they were forced to suspend their tasks. In fact, the chief editor of the ‘Dojd’ channel, Tikhon Dzyadko, and part of his editorial team have had to flee Russia “for security reasons”. In the last few hours, access to six other media outlets has also been blocked, including a student newspaper and a news agency.
#Russia #blocks #access #media #critical #invasion