Where Independent Media Falls, It Is Not The Market

Michael Hedges May 17, 2016 Follow on Twitter

Total media control is the dream of "illiberal" autocrats. Provoked by critics, irked by nosey reporters they prefer soft news sprinkled with a good dose of conspiracy theory. Secrets must always be kept, never spoken or written. Their prism is, however, so last century. Distortions inevitably find light.

Three executive editors at Russian business news publisher RBC cleared out their desks last week. Out the door are chief editor of the RBC newspaper Maxim Solyus, Roman Badanin, chief editor of the RBC online portal and editor-in-chief Elizaveta Osetinskaya, already heading to Stanford University in California for a sabbatical year, “by mutual agreement,” reported Reuters (May 13). RBC was the rare Russian news outlet reporting details trickling up the Russian hierarchy from the massive Panama Papers data dump. Russian Federation presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov referred to disclosures in the Panama Papers reporting as “a CIA plot.”

“We had been talking about how to further develop RBC,” said CEO Nikolay Molibog in a Statement (May 13). “In these conversations we were unable to come to a consensus on important issues so they decided to leave. I want to thank Elizaveta, Roman and Maxim for their work and contribution to the development of the company.”

Reuters reported (May 13) “the Kremlin's ire” had been provoked. In late April agents of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) paid an unscheduled visit to the RBC offices, several company executive being investigated for one reason or another. RBC principal owner Mikhail Prokhorov, credited for encouraging aggressive reporting, is reportedly looking for a buyer. (See more about media in Russia here)

“The departure of the RBC editors is a serious blow for independent journalism,” said Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) Eastern Europe/Central Asia director Johann Bihr in a statement (May 15). “It is obvious that investigative and in-depth journalism, the foundations of a quality press, is no longer tolerated in Russia. Large-scale corruption and illegal activity by the government are now clearly the best-kept state secrets.”

Executive editor changes at RBC mirror the departure two years ago of Lenta.ru chief editor Galina Timchenko after less than flattering reporting of the war against Ukraine. Lenta.ru is now reliably pro-government. Ms Timchenko established Russian-language news portal Meduza in Latvia with several former Lenta.ru reporters.

While deferential reporting is by far the norm in Russia and propaganda outlets regularly spew state-sponsored conspiracy theories authorities seem to recognize a need to keep the lid from flying away. In early March State-controlled television channel NTV broadcast “Debtors of the State Department,” another of its regular conspiracy theory missives about Western, largely American attempts to destabilize Mother Russia through “independent” media. New York-based Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), a small investor in Russian independent media, was mentioned quite negatively in the broadcast.

Russia’s chief propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov appears weekly on State TV Channel One to call out spies conspiring against Russia and other conspiracy theories. Mr.Kiselyov’s day job is running the Rossiya Segodnya agency that operates the Sputnik (formerly Voice of Russia) radio network and news agency RAI Novosti. (See editors note below) Russian TV channels working in harmony, he had promoted the NTV program on his own show.

MDIF clients asked the Public Commission for Media Complaints/Press Council of Russia to review the NTV program with support from several Russian press freedom organizations. (See MDIF statement here) The Council found the NTV program “unsubstantiated and false” causing reputational damage not only to specific media companies, but also to the Russian media community as a whole, presenting reputable regional media companies, which have operated in the market for many years, as a tool of manipulation from abroad. This program is detrimental to Russian society and the state, and worsens the already heated atmosphere in society, pushing its television audience to look for mythical internal enemies.”

Ed.Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Russian international TV news channel RT (formerly Russia Today) is part of the Rossiya Segodnya news organization and that Dmitry Kiselyov is associated with RT. The article has been corrected.

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