BBC, CNN and other broadcasters announce suspension of operations in Russia

Emissoras alegam que nova lei de fake news na Rússia tem o objetivo de criminalizar o jornalismo independente

Broadcasters claim that Russia’s new fake news law aims to criminalize independent journalism| Photo: Wikimedia Commons
04201059 04201059 The British public broadcaster BBC, the Americans CNN and Bloomberg News and the CBC, Canadian public broadcaster, announced this Friday (4) the suspension temporary work of its journalists in Russia, in response to a law that, in its opinion, would criminalize independent journalism.

The approval of a rule that provides for prison sentences of up to 15 years of spreading fake news led the BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, to paralyze the work of his employees in Russia until he analyzed in depth “all the implications” of this legislation.

“The safety of our workers is paramount and we are not prepared to expose them to the risk of criminal prosecution simply for doing their job”, said Davie, in a statement released by the company.

04201059 The public broadcaster emphasizes that it will continue to offer its international information service al in Russian thanks to the work of employees located in other countries.

“ We remain committed to producing accurate and independent information for audiences around the world, including the millions of Russians who use our news services,” he said. The BBC also maintains journalists in Ukraine to report on the Kremlin-ordered invasion.

04201059 )CNN said it will suspend broadcasts in Russia. A spokesperson said the measure would be taken “as we continue to assess the situation and our next steps,” Reuters reported.

Bloomberg News reported that it would temporarily suspend the work of its journalists within Russia also in response to the new law. “With great regret, we have decided to temporarily suspend our newsgathering in Russia,” said John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief of Bloomberg. “The change in the penal code, which seems designed to turn any independent reporter into a criminal by association, makes it impossible to continue any semblance of normal journalism within the country.”

04201059 The CBC also announced that it would temporarily discontinue its news operation in Russia.

04201059At the request of the Russian Attorney General’s Office, two news sites – Meduza and Radio Svoboda – were blocked this Friday for being considered “foreign agents”. ”, in an offensive against the media critical of the government.

In the Kingdom United Kingdom, this week the Russian channel RT disappeared from television screens. Although London has not applied direct sanctions against the broadcaster, the measures adopted by the European Union (EU) against its satellite broadcasts also affected the British territory.