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Putin’s
critics say that the attempts to impose tighter control of the media
by the state bode poorly for freedom of speech and the future of the
free press in Russia. Some believe that Putin’s ultimate goal is not
only to harass and intimidate, but also to stop criticism, control
competition, and neutralize opposition. As a result of the campaign
of taming the oligarchs, the state or its corporate allies now
largely control more influential media. |
Russian
journalists accept that self-censorship is one likely defense
strategy to state pressure. They point out that one problem in an
underdeveloped civil society is there is no support from society for
media freedom. However, most media practitioners think it is
unlikely that the genie of media freedom can be put back in the
bottle.
Russia’s major
cities have now scores of independent TV stations, which include
cable and satellite, providing alternatives or counterweights to the
government-controlled TV channels. The news agencies and
international broadcasters with their transmissions receivable in
Russia also play a role in combating pressures on the media, while
international media interests such as the Reuters news agency are
now part of the substructure of Russian media and financial sectors.
New
technologies such as the Internet provide additional sources of
information and publication. President Putin himself uses the
Internet to publish his articles and speeches and has even announced
a nationwide competition for the best design of the presidential Web
site after his official site was criticized by one of the
participants in Putin’s on-line press conference of March 2001 for
its boring look.
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