Russias Putin signs law extending

Kremlins grip over media

Ve
domosti, Russias most prominent independent daily newspaper, sits for sale at a street
vendor's stall in Moscow. Te pu!lication aspires to "estern standards of #ournalism.
$%ndrey Ruda&ov'(loom!erg )ews*
(y Micael (irn!aum +cto!er ,- at ./01 PM
MOSCOW In a move that will significantly constrict Russias fast-shrinking space
for inepenent reporting! Russian "resient #laimir "utin on Wenesay signe
into law a measure that will curtail foreign ownership of meia outlets in his
country$
%he ecision e&tens the 'remlins control over some of Russias most prominent
inepenent pu(lications! a few of which have (roken news critical of "utin an his
allies at a time when tensions (etween Russia an the West are at their highest level
since the Col War$
%he move comes as Russias powerful state-run meia has la(ore roun-the-clock
to glorify "utin an enigrate groups perceive to (e the nations enemies$ )eaers
of those outlets the sources of news for the vast ma*ority of Russians are
unapologetic an open a(out their efforts as propaganists! a term they use to
escri(e themselves$
+ven though "utin long ago consoliate his control over television an many print
news outlets! there ha (een inepenent options for the smaller set of Russians
who sought alternative voices for news! an the Internet was a particularly
unregulate space$ ,ut over the past year! one news source after another has (een
(locke! close or eitorially reirecte$
%he (ill -uietly signe into law on Wenesay will limit foreign ownership of meia
assets to ./ percent (y the (eginning of ./01$

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends te forum of te Russian pro2government
movement 3Popular 4ront3 in Pen5a on "ednesday. $%le&sey 6ru5ynin'%4P'7etty
8mages*
We unerstan very well that those who own information own the worl!2
lawmaker #aim 3engin! the author of the (ill! sai uring a parliamentary e(ate
(efore the law was approve$ 4When foreigners come here to make money an then
actively influence the meia market an use it for their own (enefit! at this
moment! I want to say that I am reay to close own Russia an ensure its
security$2
3engin! a mem(er of the nationalist )3"R party! sai a 4col information war2 was
(eing wage against Russia$
%he law eals the sharpest (low to Russias most prominent inepenent aily
newspaper! #eomosti! which aspires to Western stanars of *ournalism$
#eomosti is co-owne (y a tri-national consortium 3ow 5ones! the 6inancial %imes
7roup an Sanoma! a 6innish meia company an focuses on (usiness reporting! a
sensitive topic given Russias tanking economy an im prospects for the future$ %he
newspaper has chronicle the trou(les of Russias most powerful companies as the
economy has slowe an Western sanctions have taken hol$
Our politicians have evelope a mania of control!2 sai %atiana )ysova! #eomostis
eitor in chief$ 4We o not report to the Russian authorities! so that is why we are a
potential anger in their min! a potential enemy$2
If #eomosti gets a Russian owner! there will efinitely (e pressure on him!2 )ysova
sai$
International ownership ha guarantee #eomostis o(*ectivity! e&perts say! an
helpe the paper withstan 'remlin pressure$
I cannot imagine how a Russian owner woul say! 8We have to speak the whole truth
an nothing (ut the truth! espite the political risk! 2 sai 6yoor 'ravchenko! a
managing partner at the Moscow-(ase Meia )awyers Collegium$ 4We are much
more reay to fin compromises in this sphere than international investors$2
Representatives of all three of #eomostis owners ecline to comment$
6or(es Russia! a maga9ine that is owne (y 7ermanys :&el Springer pu(lishing
house! also reports on politically sensitive topics an is consiere one of the main
targets of the new restrictions$
6or the 'remlin! 4in general its easier to have controlle meia than non-controlle
meia!2 sai +li9aveta Osetinskaya! a former eitor of 6or(es Russia who is now the
eitor in chief at the R,C 7roup! a (usiness-focuse meia consortium owne (y
Russian tycoon Mikhail "rokhorov$ It also seeks to report inepenent news an was
the first national news outlet to report in :ugust a(out the funerals of Russian soliers
who ie fighting in eastern ;kraine$
Right now society oesnt think it nees free meia!2 Osetinskaya sai$
Representatives from :&el Springer i not respon to a re-uest for comment$
%he latest crackown on the meia starte in 3ecem(er! when the eitorially
inepenent (ut state-run news agency RI: <ovosti was li-uiate an replace (y a
new agency calle Rossiya Segonya! or Russia %oay! run (y 3mitry 'iselyov ! an
arent 'remlin supporter$ In 5anuary! Russias only inepenent television channel!
3o9h! was cut from the airwaves= now! it is confine to the Internet$ In March!
Internet regulators charge several opposition news We( sites with e&tremism an
(locke them within Russia$
:lso in March! the har-hitting eitor of )enta$ru! another prominent inepenent
news We( site! was replace$ Most of the staff resigne! an the sites inepenence
has -uickly eroe$ %he eitor! 7alina %imchenko! move to )atvia! saying she wante
to (e free of the 'remlins control$ %his month! she launche a new site! Meu9a$io$
+ven many glossy meia outlets in Russia are owne either (y foreigners or (y
Russians through foreign holing companies$ %he new regulations will affect a slew of
these outlets! from the 3isney Channel to Russias version of Cosmopolitan$
%he law prompte some (itter humor$ Russian Ma&im poste a mock-up of a ./01
issue of 4Comsomolitan!2 a play on the name of the Soviet youth organi9ation$
In it! the healines tweake the state-(acke social conservatism currently popular
here$ 4'isses (efore marriage> +&periments for risk-takers!2 one rea$
State television the well-fune an primary news source for most Russians
(roacasts slickly prouce programs that focus on news that is either at sharp
variance with that availa(le in the West or is cherry-picke to (olster the 'remlins
image$
:t a time when the government is cutting social spening an free9ing state pensions!
funing for state meia is going up$ %he international arm of Russias state-run news
network! R%! once known as Russia %oay! is getting a ?/ percent funing (ump in the
propose ./0@ (uget! an other state news outlets also are receiving in*ections of
cash$
One news show over the weeken on Russias flagship 6irst Channel set a(out proving
the ;krainian governments guilt in the shooting own of Malaysia :irlines 6light 01
over re(el-hel territory in eastern ;kraine in 5uly$ It also sai that Russias ,ank
Rossiya! a target of Western sanctions! has not (een affecte (y the measures= that
Italian farmers are facing pro(lems from Russian (ans on +uropean foo imports= an
that +(ola may (e the result of 4(iological weapons$2
Micael (irn!aum is Te Posts Moscow !ureau cief. 9e
previously served as te (erlin correspondent and an education
reporter.
"oste (y %havam