In the evening of March 1, «the Dozhd» TV channel and the Echo of Moscow radio station disappeared from the air in Russia, and their websites were blocked.
It is reported that this was done at the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office – the department said that the editorial offices were spreading false information about the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine.
It is reported that «Echo of Moscow» continues to inform on the Internet, in particular on Youtube.
The agency called the materials of the banned mass media «extremist». It is also alleged that «knowingly false information about the actions of Russian servicemen» and calls for «mass violations of public order and public safety» were spread.
The official Russian media do not call the current war in Ukraine a war. Authorities call the events in the neighboring country a «special operation in Ukraine», and TASS uses the term «military operation in Ukraine».
Journalists are also required to report on the armed conflict only information disseminated by official Russian sources.
Unlike the «Echo of Moscow» radio station and the «Dozhd» TV channel, which allowed themselves to use terminology not allowed by the authorities, «Novaya Gazeta», headed by new Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, decided to obey government orders and continue working under «military censorship». This was announced on March 1st in the newspaper.
It will be recalled that earlier, due to the refusal to delete information about the hostilities, the websites of two projects of the Radio «Vilna Europa» / Radio «Svoboda» media corporation – «Nastoyaschee Vremya» and «Krym.Realii» – were blocked.
Source: Radio Svoboda
Link: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-rosija-kinec-svobody-slova/31731050.html