‘We are the antidote against tyranny’: Russian crackdown shows critical importance of a free and diverse media

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/03/2022 (1022 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The war in Ukraine fills our information ecosystem.

Images and stories of civilians who have been killed and of Ukrainian cities shattered by Russian attacks fill the front pages of newspapers, websites and social media feeds.

Television coverage brings heartbreaking accounts of civilians fleeing their homes for the safety of neighbouring countries and beyond — and of the near universal condemnation of the invasion and escalating economic sanctions.

Now imagine having that stream of information stifled, even blocked.

In Russia, no imagination is needed. It’s a reality for Russian citizens, as the government there tries to suppress harsh truths about the war.

Russia’s state media regulator blocked access to foreign news websites. For example, Estonia’s public broadcaster had its Russian language website barred because of its reporting on the invasion, which Moscow said contained “false messages.”

Journalists in Russia have to toe the Kremlin’s line in their reporting or face punitive legal sanctions. The Russian legislature adopted new laws to criminalize news reports, threatening jail terms of up to 15 years for publishing what it deems “false information.”

The crackdown has rolled back welcome progress by independent media in the decades since the glasnost policy opened up Soviet society. Now, facing harsh reprisals, Russian media organizations are choosing to curb operations or shut down entirely, rather than put their journalists at risk or submit to spouting government propaganda.

Just last year, Dmitry Muratov, editor of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, shared the Nobel Peace Prize with journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

Now in war, freedom of expression is threatened. The newspaper has curtailed coverage of Russia’s military offensive, citing legal consequences for printing anything “that is different from the press releases of the Ministry of Defense,” the paper said in a message to readers, according to a Reuters article.

Independent outlets Ekho Moskvy and TV Rain have closed operations.

That chill has extended to foreign journalists within Russia. CBC/Radio-Canada, joined outlets such as CNN and New York Times, in temporarily suspending reporting from Russia, citing the legislation “which appears to criminalize independent reporting on the current situation in Ukraine and Russia.”

The country is not cut off completely. Information is still available but is harder to access, making it difficult for Russians to know what to believe, one Western correspondent told me.

Outside Russia, RT, the television network backed by the Russian government, is off the air in some countries — including Canada, where major cable providers have pulled it from their lineup. Critics say RT serves up pro-Putin spin, while backers say it provides “alternative views.”

On the information front, this war has seen all the challenges that accompany conflicts. There’s the bravery of journalists on the front line, bringing first-hand accounts of the devastation and toll.

There’s the fog of war that produces confusion. Remember the Ukrainian troops on Snake Island who were supposedly killed after reportedly telling the crew of a Russian warship to “go f— yourself”? It seems they are alive, held captive by the Russians.

There’s deliberate deception at play, with people recycling images and videos from past conflicts and presenting them as new. News organizations are taking care to verify such information before publication.

Events in Russia have underscored the essential nature of a vibrant, diverse media to inform citizens, and provide the information that underpins public debates about the actions of their government, at home and abroad.

They also highlight the imperative to protect the ability of journalists to do their jobs, free of the threats of government edicts to shut them down or criminal penalties from political leaders seeking to suppress honest coverage.

In accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, last year Muratov gave a speech that seems prescient in retrospect. He noted that, “In my country … it is common to think that politicians who avoid bloodshed are weak.

“Governments and their propaganda supporters are fully responsible for the militaristic rhetoric on state-owned television channels,” he said.

Countering such narratives, Muratov said, is the essential and sometimes dangerous work of journalists. (Six journalists from his newspaper have been murdered since 2000.)

“Yes, we growl and bite. Yes, we have sharp teeth and strong grip. But we are the prerequisite for progress. We are the antidote against tyranny.”

Bruce Campion-Smith is the Star’s public editor and based in Toronto. Reach him by email at publiced@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @yowflier