“Censorship is illegal in Russia. But it’s everywhere”

Freedom of expression and a free press are guaranteed under the Russian constitution. At least on paper. But corrupt courts, lack of political will and an inactive civil society help perpetuate a repressive media environment across the country.

Russia is known to be one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a reporter. Today, more than 300 names feature on the Russian Union of Journalists’ database of deceased journalists in Russia – a database that started in 1993.

Despite official democracy and free media, the country is ranked number 152 out of 179 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index. The 2015 Freedom House report labeled Russia as “Not Free,” giving it a press freedom score of 83, with 100 being the worst.

Sanne Wass spoke to Nadezda Azhgikhina, a journalist, writer and secretary of the Russian Union of Journalists, about the state of press freedom in Russia – and why the country, despite its many laws to protect journalists and promote free journalism, is still one of the most censored in the world.

How does censorship work in Russia?

Censorship has been forbidden under Russian media law since 1990. So officially we don’t have censorship; it’s against the law. But censorship is everywhere. Self-censorship is one of the very serious problems in Russian journalism. Many journalists censor themselves, because they don’t want to create problems for themselves.

Another kind of censorship is censorship by media owners. Many media are associated with oil companies or other big businesses. As a journalist you would never criticize the partners of your chief. If you do, you could lose your job.

There is also censorship of chief editors, who like to make a profit or get different kinds of privileges, such as subsidies from the state. This [sort of] person would never publish anything that would potentially go against a possible profit.


What kind of problems could a journalist face in Russia if he or she reports critically on an issue?

Many journalists have faced direct violence, intimidation and attacks, and some have been killed. Not all of those cases have been investigated properly, and some wait for investigation for years. State officials have been suspected for violent acts against journalists, but it hasn’t been proved. Fortunately a couple of well-known, symbolic cases attracted strong attention from international organizations, and these cases began to be investigated. Some cases end with partial justice, but real responsibility is not always found. Anna Politkovskaya’s case is one of them.

Journalists also face court cases for violating legal norms. But the problem is that some norms are very vaguely defined. For example, there is a law against extremism, but there is no proper definition of the term. So some journalists are taken to court and sentenced to pay a fine for criticizing regional authorities or police – because it could be defined as extremist attempts to develop hate or intolerance in society.


What role do the authorities play when it comes to media censorship?

Authorities officially announce [that Russia has] freedom of expression, and we have legislation protecting journalists. A new revised law demands six years in jail for those who violate journalists’ rights. But this law has not been enforced properly, and is very rarely used. So we have legislation that is not that bad, but the implementation is problematic; it’s a partial, selective implementation. This creates a so-called culture of impunity, which is very harmful and dangerous, because if offenders are not punished, then they will be happy to attack journalists again. Consequently, journalists don’t feel protected enough.

 
Do media receive instructions on what they are allowed to report?

I don’t know any examples of editors who have received direct calls or letters from authorities with instructions on what to do or not do. That happened in the Soviet time [before 1991]. But today, people in power in the big media companies guess what the decision makers would like them to say or report on.

 
What privileges can media get by reporting the “right” things?

Privileges could be subsidies from private businesses or advertisement. Very critical publications and independent media can hardly find enough advertisement, because advertisers do not like to deal with those who aren’t welcomed by authorities. The industry is very corrupt. There is no transparency in advertisement, as well as in the media industry as a whole. It’s a well-known fact that money is divided into the private pockets of managers.

There are also governmental subsidies, and likewise you have a better chance of receiving money if you report “properly” and support mainstream political or ideological ideas. Of course there are journalists and editors who do not want to follow those rules; who won’t like to bless the government. They face problems – financial problems, first of all.

 
Could a journalist potentially report critically and freely without consequences?

I know many people who criticize our parliament, government, president, ministers and so on. Those people usually work for smaller media. They have lower salaries, they are not invited to primetime talk shows, and some of them face threats. But many of them do it for many years. It is a question of personal choice.

What are the main challenges to creating a free media environment in Russia?

On one hand there is the lack of political will to protect journalists and make sure that the cases are investigated properly. On the other hand there is a lack of solidarity and strategic work inside communities themselves. Civil society is not supportive enough of independent journalism.

In many countries, people in power wouldn’t like to be criticized. But in most other places, civil societies are active and proactive. This is not the case in Russia. Most of the general public is passive, and journalist communities are not active at all.

The main problem is cultural and psychological. We do not have a long experience of democracy. Our democratic institutions haven’t been developed. Many people are very lazy and used to living in a society controlled from above. They are not happy to be responsible for their own activities, and for their own freedom. This passive approach creates a basis for censorship, impunity and pressure on journalists.

How does the Russian Union of Journalists work to promote free journalism?

Our main mission is to protect journalists’ rights and support free media. We do our best to provide legal support, to campaign for journalists in trouble, participate in public debates, and lobby for better legislation and legal regulations. We also educate journalists and raise awareness about the necessity of protecting our own rights. Many young media professionals don’t know enough about their rights, and our mission is to help them, and to change the mentality. Civil society must boost authorities to respect the constitution, human rights and independent media, and not be silent when media and journalists are attacked or in trouble.

For further information, visit Journalism is Not a Crime, a comprehensive database of jailed journalists in Iran.

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