Fostering the domestic media sector as a result of the information war against Russia

The West has unleashed a large-scale information war against Russia which disregards laws and centuries-old postulates pertaining to the media community. Despite this, Russia remains committed to the rule of law, and is using the situation to explore new media markets in Africa and Asia, and to push forward with import substitution in the media industry. This was the conclusion reached by members of the Russian media and relevant legal specialists at the 11th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum. The representatives were speaking at a session entitled “A Request for Freedom of Speech. The Legal Nihilism of Western Countries Towards the Russian Media”.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

The information war against Russia sets a global precedent

“A brutal information war has been unleashed against us. <...> I’ve never seen a precedent for an information war of this scale, and above all, with the EU, US, and other figures in the process violating so many of their own laws,” Irada Zeinalova, Journalist; Author, Host of “Weekly Review”, NTV.

“After 30 years of being part of our company, Moldova unexpectedly this year <...> decided it would withdraw from all agreements relating to the CIS. This includes an agreement concerning the Mir TV and Radio Company,” Ekaterina Abramova, Deputy Chairman, Mir TV and Radio Company.

The West has been edging closer to an information war for many years

“It is not a surprise. This has been a long time in the making, but the special military operation served as a trigger for them. What struck me, however, was the way in which everyone rushed to attack us. That’s not something that can come out of the blue – it was many years in the making. It’s just that it was done in secret. In fact, in the West people often hide their emotions. They may smile at you, while thinking about something else,” Maria Shmigelskaya, Director of the Legal Directorate, Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency.

“Our company was one of the first to be subjected to pressure and sanctions. <...> It started in 2014 when, following the coup in Kiev, Russian journalists began to be persecuted. We bore the brunt of it – Kirill Vyshinsky was arrested in Kiev and kept in prison for a whole year without being accused of anything,” Sergey Kochetkov, First Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency.

Unlike Western nations, Russia remains a law-governed state

“Looking at the current situation, one can say that Russia is the state which is law-governed. In our country, laws are not applied retroactively, as we are seeing happen in Europe and the US. <...> First they do something, and then they write a law for it. The law does not work retroactively. You cannot first do something, and then write a law for it. But this practice is now flourishing everywhere,” Elizaveta Khudyakova, Media Lawyer.

PROBLEMS

Fundamental concepts of law and legal principles are being rejected in the fight against Russian media

“The biggest eye-opener for me is the fact that in this fight, we are not only seeing [the community’s – ed.] rules being cast aside, but even some fundamental concepts of law too,” Alexey Nikolov, General Director, TV-News Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization.

“Media regulation is freedom of speech, and is something which was put in place hundreds of years ago. Now we can see that this freedom exists, but not for everyone. This selectivity undermines the fundamental legal principle of equality. When freedom of speech is not applied to everyone, it becomes the complete opposite,” Gennady Uvarkin, General Director, Omega Legal Bureau.

“Last year, we were banned from broadcasting in the European Union. <...> How can the EU rescind a licence when it has no legal right to issue one? EU member states have not handed over licencing powers to the EU. That means the EU cannot either issue a licence, or take it away,” Alexey Nikolov, General Director, TV-News Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization.

“We are seeing fundamental shifts take place in how justice is perceived. Written laws do not change so fast – they simply cannot keep up with the unfolding situation. In the first instance, what’s changing is the approach shown by various countries’ governments,” Gennady Uvarkin, General Director, Omega Legal Bureau.

Russian media outlets have been denied the opportunity to defend themselves

“We have faced situations in which Western lawyers need to obtain a licence in order to defend our interests. And even if they get one, and are able to address our questions and tasks, and work with journalists who need to be defended, <...> they then call us and refuse to do so. That’s because they are ostracized – their society no longer wants to work with these lawyers,” Maria Shmigelskaya, Director of the Legal Directorate, Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency.

“Over there [in the US – ed.], <...> if an organization can be traced in any way to Russia, it is considered toxic, and it can find itself unable to work with others, without any justification given,” Elizaveta Khudyakova, Media Lawyer.

SOLUTIONS

Shifting the focus of Russian media to other countries

“We are forced to live and work under blanket sanctions imposed against our companies, but we are managing. First of all, import substitution is under way, and we have begun to produce more of our own [media – ed.] content. Secondly, we are working hard to replace old markets with new ones. We are moving away from the traditional European market <...> and refocusing our efforts on the African continent. We have French, English, and local‑language versions of Sputnik. We are also looking to work and grow in Asia, where we are not facing opposition,” Sergey Kochetkov, First Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency.

“In the main, refusals to provide legal services come from large corporations. That’s because they have offices in different countries, and their risks are bigger. <...> However, there are private lawyers who support us. Even if they won’t work with us directly, they advise us,” Elizaveta Khudyakova, Media Lawyer.

For more information, visit the Roscongress Foundation’s Information and Analytical System at roscongress.org/en.

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