Kremlin Squeezes Freedom of Speech

(Moscow) Senior staff at Russia's last big independent broadcast television network, REN-TV, has departed due to "censorship and sweeping control" exerted by the Kremlin. Last month, popular news anchor Olga Romanova (right) was blocked from entering the station by security guards.

From RFERL.org:

Romanova said the station's general director told her she could no longer host the program because her ratings had dropped and that hosting the show five times a week was bad for her health.

Igor Yakovenko of the Russian Union of Journalists said the decision to take Romanova off the air was censorship.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev described the incident as "a clarion call that tells us that we have lost the last station that kept even a little independence and objectivity."

Whoa! Even Gorbachev can see that the Kremlin's boot is suppressing free speech. This is oddly inconsistent since ex-commie Gorbachev would logically be expected not to be an advocate for freedom on the airways.

Earlier today, Yelena Fyodorova (right), the head of REN-TV's news division, submitted her resignation. Fyodorova believes it's no longer possible to work at REN-TV since recent developments have closely linked it to the Kremlin. Even so, she doesn't blame the Kremlin as much as management "stupidity."

From MOSNEWS.com:

Fyodorova said the actions of the new owners and people placed in charge of editorial policies could lead to the demise of the channel where she had worked for eight years. She and her colleagues have been denied the right to take part in decision making, she said. "I do not want to answer for such a product where reports disappear and the emphasis is changed," she said. For example, on Sunday a report on the presidential election in Kazakhstan was taken off air, she said.

The station's management denies any political motives are behind the editorial changes. However, critics of the Kremlin believe free speech is being assaulted by the government to make coverage more compliant in the build-up to the presidential election in 2008. In accordance with existing law, President Putin is supposed to step down after two terms.

I believe that the most salient aspect of the resignations at REN-TV is that they have reportedly occurred at the lone remaining Russian television media outlet broadcasting objective and uncensored news. All other free and open news sources were snuffed previously. As such, the entire legacy of free speech in Russia encompasses a mere fifteen years.