Voices of Russia’s independent journalism: Meduza, interview with Zelensky

I would like to write a series of stories about Russia’s independent journalism and blogging.

Well, nothing’s left of it — whatever few publications remained got shut down in recent weeks.

But “shut down” means that they cannot be accessed in Russia by traditional means. These publications are still doing their best to survive in some form, their journalists are still doing their work, hard, brave, and often deadly.

One of the Russian bloggers I follow recently pointed to this very trivial but valid observation. When trying to talk to those in doubt, combating lies (Russian propaganda) can be direct, supported by reasoning and arguments, and it can also point to something that even the most fanatical watchers of Russian state TV would not be able to deny: not only can you not accuse Putin of wrongdoing, but you cannot raise a simple sign “No to War” without risking being arrested. This is simply not the case in the “West”. Yes, Western media is full of biases, and its own propaganda you will. But no one’s closing any media outlets, no one is forbidding to criticize those in power, and no one is being detained for holding a sign. So why is the Russian government so afraid not only of being criticized but of simple signs with slogans of a humanitarian nature? Maybe because it understands that its bloody intentions will only be shared by extremely brainwashed people and if you allow these people to see alternative views, they will change…