Freedom of Russian media threatened – NGO

The Russian media faces more limits now than at any time since the collapse of the USSR, according to international NGO, Reporters Without Borders (RWB), which an drew attention to growing restrictions on the Russian press.

“Russian TV channels are controlled by pro-Kremlin leadership,” Ulrike Gruska, an RWB representative, commented. That is why the Russian media ignores such issues as corruption and inflated costs for the construction of sport facilities for the Sochi 2014 Olympics.”

The Russian media is failing to spotlight issues surrounding the Sochi games such as corruption, pollution, the forced resettlement of locals and exploitation of migrant workers, according to Gruska.

These concerns were revealed in “Putin’s Games,” a documentary by Simone Baumann. The film was shown at the International Documentary Film Festival in November, held in Amsterdam. It features Sochi locals describing damage to the environment and highlights the wrongdoings of construction work.

The Kremlin reportedly hoped to prevent the film from being seen by offering to pay Bauman GBP 660,000 for the rights. She refused, however, and went ahead with the planned screening at the festival.

Russia was placed at number 148 out of 179 countries rated on their media freedom by RWB.