How Putin Turned a Western Boycott Into a Bonanza
New York TimesDec 29, 2023
Russia Outlaws The Moscow Times
Above: Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin during the SCO Summit on July 4, 2024, in Astana, Kazakhstan. Image copyright: Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The Russian prosecutor general's office has declared The Moscow Times "undesirable," effectively outlawing its operations in the country.
The designation criminalizes engagement with the outlet and puts Russians working with or having links to the organization at risk of receiving sentences of up to five years in prison.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
There's a reason why Russia ranks 162 out of 180 on the 2024 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. The labeling of The Moscow Times as "undesirable" is part of an effort to methodically target and silence news sites critical of the Kremlin and suppress journalists and organizations reporting on the truth in Russia and its war in Ukraine. Moscow can escalate its campaign against independent media, and such labels may make the journalists' job challenging, but the champions of democracy will continue to turn silence into speech.
Pro-Russia narrative
The Moscow Times served as a training ground for several journalists involved in anti-Kremlin propaganda. It systematically published articles that included false information of public interest, such as Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. As part of an ecosystem of foreign-funded and foreign-based organizations hostile to Moscow, the Moscow Times received funding from the Dutch and US governments. The Kremlin can accept an alternative point of view but can't accept disinformation aimed at discrediting Russian government policies.