(FeaturedNews.com) – To control the narrative of the conflict with Ukraine, Russia is attempting to manage the news coming out of the country. A new law imposed stiff penalties curbing free speech and the sharing of information. The threats have driven off most outlets, but they aren’t enough to scare away one broadcaster.
Russian President Vladimir Putin put a law into place in the country that makes the reporting of “fake news” punishable by 15 years in jail. The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) stopped reporting from Russia due to the law on March 4 but resumed transmissions on March 8.
BBC Resumes Reporting From Russia Despite Putin's Crackdown and 'Fake News' Law https://t.co/vseHqxuu6b
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 8, 2022
The Russian law makes it illegal to spread information about the military that isn’t true. It comes after officials say the United States and Europe have been reporting false information to the Russian people to create hostility toward the government.
At the time of the suspension, BBC Director General Tim Davie said the company needed to assess the situation and consider the well-being of staff in Russia. When announcing the decision to resume operations, Davie said the need for news out of Russia outweighed the risks under the new law.
Due to the law, other media outlets have pulled their coverage from inside the country. The New York Times, CNN, Bloomberg News, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and various other companies worldwide have removed staff from the country out of fear they could face arrest for doing their jobs.
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