SEVERAL Russian media outlets published an open letter to President Vladimir Putin and other top officials today, demanding an end to the “state campaign” against independent journalism.

The outcry comes after Russia slapped several media outlets and individual journalists with the “foreign agent” label that requires them to carry out tedious administrative procedures and clearly indicate their status on everything they publish.

Independent journalism in Russia is facing mounting pressure, especially in the run-up to September parliamentary polls.

The letter was signed by the Meduza news website, Dozhd TV channel – both of which have been declared foreign agents this year – Forbes Russia and around half a dozen local media outlets.

“We, journalists and editors of Russian and Russian-language media, demand an immediate end to the state campaign against the independent press,” the open letter said.

It added that these labels “directly violate” the constitution, media laws and freedom of speech.

The status either leads to the media’s closure or creates “discriminatory conditions” that restrict the work of journalists, the letter said.

Organisations or individuals declared “foreign agents” must disclose sources of funding and label all their publications, including social media posts, with the tag or face fines.

The status is a deterrent for advertisers, a key source of revenue for many independent media.

In July, the investigative outlet Proekt, which reported on the wealth of Russia’s elites, was declared an “undesirable organisation”, in effect banning its work in the country under the threat of fines or jail time.

Russia has also blocked the websites of two media outlets and one human rights group linked to self-exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Legislation behind the term “foreign agent”, which has Soviet-era undertones, was originally passed in 2012 to cover non-profit groups.

It was expanded to include media organisations in 2017 after Kremlin-funded RT (formerly Russia Today) was declared a “foreign agent” in the United States. – AFP, August 27, 2021.