The Kremlin’s “foreign agent” law restricts media freedom and recently imposed invasive labeling requirements on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America.
Russia law requires that RFE/RL and VOA prominently label all content, including social media, as produced by “foreign agents.” USAGM networks refuse to label our content in such a wholly inaccurate manner.
RFE/RL faces hundreds of charges and more than $2 million in fines. Individual RFE/RL correspondents face jail time.
Media environment
In recent years, Russia has taken information warfare to a new level. Its weaponized propaganda is working to fan anti-US and anti-Western sentiment within Russia and globally. Russian state-controlled media, particularly television channels as the dominant source of news, publish false and misleading information in an effort to discredit the U.S. and West, undercut consensus on Russia, and build sympathy for Russian positions. Putin’s regime also continues to actively undermine universal values of democratic societies, such as freedoms of media, association, and belief.
Supporting voices
