Media freedom in Russia

2024 World Press Freedom Index[1]
  Good: 85–100 points
  Satisfactory: 70–85 points
  Problematic: 55–70 points
  Difficult: 40–55 points
  Very serious <40 points
  Not classified
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The current government of Russia maintains laws and practices that make it difficult for directors of mass-media outlets to carry out independent policies. These laws and practices also hinder the ability of journalists to access sources of information and to work without outside pressure. Media inside Russia includes television and radio channels, periodicals, and Internet media, which according to the laws of the Russian Federation may be either state or private property.

As of 2023, Russia ranked 164 out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.[2] Despite the constitution's provision of freedom of speech, the authorities possess significant discretion to suppress any speech, organization, or activity lacking official support due to ambiguous extremism laws. The government dominates the media landscape by controlling the majority of the national television networks, radio and print outlets, and media advertising market, either directly or through state-owned enterprises and friendly business magnates.[3]

Multiple international organizations have criticized and continue to criticize various aspects of the contemporary press-freedom situation in Russia.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] The Russian government engages in internet censorship.[12]

  1. ^ "2024 World Press Freedom Index". Reporters Without Borders. 2024.
  2. ^ "Index | RSF". rsf.org. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Russia: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  4. ^ "International Press Institute: Russia". Retrieved 24 October 2009.[dead link]
  5. ^ Human Rights Reports: Russia Archived 31 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine; US BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR; 2013
  6. ^ "Europe no longer so exemplary, Russian tragedy deepens - Reporters Without Borders". Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  7. ^ Reporters Without Borders: Indeks svabody pressy 2009 god Archived 4 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine, (in Russian).
  8. ^ "Human Rights Watch: World Report, Russia p. 393" (PDF). HRW.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  9. ^ Amnesty International: Amnesty International Report 2009 - Russia Archived 5 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Freedom curtailed in the Russian Federation - Amnesty International". 26 February 2008. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  11. ^ "The October 2009 Concluding Observations of the United Nations Human Rights Committee". OHCHR.org. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  12. ^ Satariano, Adam; Mozur, Paul (22 October 2021). "Russia Is Censoring the Internet, With Coercion and Black Boxes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.