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Kremlin Blocks YouTube, Russian Users Find Workarounds

  • The New York Times
  • Paul Sonne

Paul Sonne (NYT) reports on the Kremlin’s efforts to cripple YouTube in Russia, pushing users toward state-controlled platforms. While many Russians are finding ways around the restrictions through VPNs, journalist Ilya Shepelin, now in exile, warns that only politically active users will remain on YouTube.

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Exiled Belarusians Reflect on Their Lost Revolution

  • The Kyiv Independent
  • Kate Tsurkan

Belarusian dictator Lukashenko declared himself the victor in the country’s latest so-called presidential elections on Jan. 26, in which no political opposition was allowed to take part. Exiled journalists, including Hanna Komar, Kseniya Halubovich, and Alina Rudina, shared their insights with the Kyiv Independent on the state of press freedom in Belarus following the election.

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Russian Media in Exile Finds Purpose and Global Relevance

  • Kennan Institute
  • Izabella Tabarovsky

In this article, Izabella Tabarovsky explores how Putin’s war in Ukraine depends on silencing independent media. She examines the struggles of Russian journalists in exile, who, despite immense challenges, are now producing groundbreaking reports and creatively circumventing censorship.

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Russia Labels Komi Daily a “Terrorist Organization”

  • The Kyiv Independent
  • Tim Zadorozzhnny

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has designated the independent media outlet Komi Daily as a “terrorist organization”. This marks the first time the FSB has applied such a label to a media outlet. The Supreme Court finalized the designation in late December, intensifying Russia’s suppression of dissenting voices, particularly the independent media critical of the Kremlin.

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Why Do Belarusian Journalists Risk Their Lives For The Truth?

  • The Journal
  • Sasha Romanova

41 Belarusian journalists remain behind bars since 2020, punished for covering protests against presidential election fraud that gave Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in power. Their prison sentences range from 3 to 15 years, simply for doing their jobs — reporting the news. Hundreds more have fled the country. Yet they continue their work. Why?

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People in Russia “Need the Truth”

  • Voice of America
  • Liam Scott

Exiled Russian journalist Alesya Marokhovskaya works as an editor for IStories. Despite legal threats and surveillance, her investigative outlet strives to connect with Russians seeking truth amid a landscape dominated by misinformation.

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How Sanctions Against Russia Impact Journalism

  • Columbia Journalism Review
  • Lauren Watson

Sanctions targeting Russian propaganda have inadvertently crippled independent journalism. Exiled reporters, battling Kremlin censorship, face funding blockades from Western tech and financial giants, threatening their vital work of delivering uncensored news to Russians.

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Russia: Exiled Journalist Founds Media Startup

  • Voice of America
  • Liam Scott

Running a news outlet in exile presents unique challenges. For Lola Tagaeva, founder of Verstka, this means reporting under difficult conditions, maintaining journalistic standards, and reaching millions of readers while navigating the complexities of independent journalism abroad.

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Truth in Exile: Nasha Niva Defies Physical, Digital Borders

  • Freedom House
  • Matt Hooper

After stealing Belarus’s 2020 presidential election, Lukashenko forced many independent media organizations into exile. Among them was Nasha Niva, Belarus’s oldest newspaper and a protector of the country’s unique language and culture. Matt Hooper tells the story of Nasha Niva’s struggle to maintain Belarusian identity and journalistic integrity amid Lukashenka’s crackdown.

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“Soviet-Minded Men Rule Everything in Russia”

  • The Moscow Times

In November The Moscow Times hosted “Women Against the Kremlin”, spotlighting women’s resistance to war and repression. Journalist Ekaterina Kotrikadze, a pioneer of Russia’s #MeToo movement and advocate for gender equality, reflects on women’s rights, propaganda, and journalism in exile.

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“We’re on the Verge of Setting Trends.”

  • Belarusian Association of Journalists
  • Ales Minov

The sports outlet «Tribuna» is actively expanding its network of apps and services – cutting-edge not just for Belarus, but for the entire region. Belarusian Association of Journalists spoke with Tribuna’s director, Maksim Berazinski, about how modern technologies are being integrated into their journalistic and editorial work.

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Holding Putin to Account from Exile

  • Global Investigative Journalism Network
  • Olivier Holmey

In this interview, investigative journalist Roman Anin, founder of IStories, discusses his work in exile, the risks faced by his team, and the challenges of reporting on corruption and the war in Ukraine. Despite threats, he remains committed to documenting crimes and holding powerful figures accountable.

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The Russian Independent Media Archive

  • Nieman Reports
  • Ann Cooper

As Vladimir Putin’s regime tightens its grip on free speech, the Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA) is stepping up to preserve endangered journalism. With backing from PEN America and Bard College, RIMA safeguards independent media, ensuring critical journalism outlasts authoritarian attempts to erase it.

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Russia: What It Takes To Tell The Truth

  • BIMEX

In March 2022, the State Duma introduced new laws penalizing the “discrediting” of the Russian Armed Forces, leading to hefty fines or imprisonment for violations. This crackdown has made independent journalism increasingly perilous in Russia, spurring a mass exodus of independent media professionals. This publication aims to illuminate the realities faced by Russian independent media workers in exile.

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Resisting Repression: Kirill Martynov on the Role of Exiled Journalism

  • The Barents Observer
  • Георгий Чентемиров

In this video-interview, Kirill Martynov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, discusses the harsh realities exiled Russian media outlets are facing amid escalating repression and censorship. He emphasizes the need for independent journalism and education as tools for resistance against authoritarianism.

WATCH [RU]

Russia: Apple Quietly Deletes Nearly a Hundred VPNs

  • El País
  • Javier G. Cuesta

Apple has removed dozens of apps, even though the Kremlin’s censorship body did not order the move. These services, half-permitted by the government, enable people in Russia to access social networks and independent media.

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Study: A New Phase in the Fight for Press Freedom in Russia

  • JX Fund

Over the past year, Russia has done more than simply refine its already deeply repressive system – it is currently in the middle of building a new model of digital censorship, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on top of its already bloated propaganda budgets to ensure its people are fully isolated from independent and objective voices. One of the Kremlin’s most important targets: Russian independent media in exile.

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