Moscow’s Echo radio even announced its dissolution. With Dojd, they were one of the few media outlets to cover the war without broadcasting propaganda.
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Posted on 03/03/2022 17:55 Updated on 03/03/2022 18:02
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Two rare independent voices in the Russian media landscape fell silent. Dojd TV announced it was shutting down, and Moscow’s Echo radio station disbanded on Thursday (March 3rd). Two publications covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine without broadcasting were blocked in Russia on Tuesday.
“We need strength, to breathe a little and to figure out how to keep working,” channel director Natalia Sindeyeva was quoted as saying by Dojd’s Telegram profile. “We have never known such a difficult decision,” she added, insisting it was “temporary”. The independent Russian radio Echo of Moscow (Echo of Moscow, in French), a historical media outlet launched in 1990 and owned by Gazprom, announced its self-dissolution, as did its website.
Authorities blocked access to Dojd and Ekho Moskvy on Tuesday, accusing them of passing “calls for extremist and violent action” and publishing “knowingly misinformation about the activities of the Russian military.”
Rain and Echo of Moscow used the term “war” to refer to the situation in Ukraine, similar to the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, while Russian authorities spoke only of a “special operation.” On Thursday, another independent publication, The Village, announced (in Russian) to its readers that it was rewriting all its war-related articles to better respect Kremlin terminology and avoid sanctions. They can be hardened: a bill that provides for up to 15 years in prison for any publication of “fake news” about the Russian military will be considered in the Duma on Friday.
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