What people can do to promote freedom of expression in Russia?

What people can do to promote freedom of expression in Russia?

join organizations NGOs that support global freedom of the press AI, HRW,

support efforts in Russia to create legislation that opens up the media

support lawyers and media defense councils in Russia who are

defending freedom of speech

Support independent radio stations that can send signals into Russia as well as Internet and social media

http://www.khodorkovsky.com/programmes/open-russia/

Open Russia in its current form aims to connect and unite Russian citizens who seek a state governed by the rule of law, with a strong civil society, regular free and fair elections, and the promotion of European democratic values.

Khodorkovsky has described Open Russia as a “horizontal alliance,” explaining: “What is needed now for effective resistance is not a party with yet another ‘vertical’ structure, eager to fight for power, but a ‘horizontal’ alliance of the vast number of ‘small civic groups’ that form the underlying fabric of civil society and that solve their own concrete problems locally.”

A Russian-language online media project OpenRussia.org , which publishes daily, and promotes the values and aims of Khodorkovsky and the Open Russia movement.

The recently announced Open Media project, aimed at supporting start-ups in the field of investigative journalism. Journalists and activists wishing to set up their own media project will be able to apply for financial support.

https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/mapping-digital-media-russia

Mapping Digital Media: Russia

September 2011   Alexei Pankin with Andrei Fedotov, Andrei Richter, Anastasia Alekseeva & Daria Osipova   Independent Journalism

Two significant discussions need to be initiated in the near future to help to prevent further deterioration of news quality and to ensure that the public interest is served. Firstly, debate among media professionals on ethical norms in journalism in general and in new media in particular, which would ideally result in developing a set of standards recognized by a sizable proportion of Russia's journalistic community. The second is a public debate on public service broadcasting, which should lead to the drafting of a roadmap of transition from state-controlled outlets and eventually to drafting legislation spelling out the role and remit of public broadcasters.

Learn More:

Investor and philanthropist George Soros established the Open Society Foundations to help countries make the transition from communism.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/galina-arapova/media-freedom-in-russian-regions-you-must-be-joking…

Open Democracy

Being able to consult a media lawyer strengthens journalists’ position immensely – both at the stage of writing and as they are being taken to court. Lawyers at our Mass Media Defence Centre handle up to 100 cases a year, defending journalists and editorial staff. Each time we take on a case, we are aware that we are not defending an individual journalist, but taking a stand for the cause of professional freedom and freedom of speech in general. Both journalists and judges are beginning to see the work of the press in a different light, belatedly realising to what extent core standards relating to freedom of speech have been laid down by the European Court of Human Rights and learning to apply them. Every case of this kind changes both everyone involved in it and Russian reality itself.  

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2016/russia

freedom house

Only a small and shrinking number of radio stations and print outlets with limited reach offer a diverse range of viewpoints. A 2014 law will force foreign owners of Russian media outlets to sell all shares above a 20 percent stake by early 2017. Aleksandr Fedotov, owner of Artcom Media, bought the Russian edition of Forbes from Germany’s Axel Springer group in September 2015 and announced that the magazine would reduce its political content and focus more on “economics and business.” Another Russian businessman and media executive, Demyan Kudryavtsev, bought the stake in the newspapers Vedomosti and the Moscow Times owned by Finland’s Sanoma in April. The chief editor of the Moscow Times resigned in October, citing conflicts with the new owner.

People can help Russia promote freedom of expression by: pressuring Russia to change its constitution; asking other countries to condemn Russia’s censorship and media control; demonstrating against media control; supporting lawyers in Russia who are working to support freedom of expression; help radio and Internet services that provide information to the Russian people, and join NGOs that promote freedom of the press and speech in Russia and around the world.

pressuring Russia to change its constitution

ask other countries to condemn Russia’s censorship and media control;

European Parliament urges action against Russian ′hostile ...

www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-urges-action-against-russian.../a-36498112

1 Cached

5 days ago - The European Parliament has urged the EU to respond to Russian ... think tanks, news outlets like Russia Today and Sputnik, social media and …http://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-urges-action-against-russian-hostile-propaganda/a-36498112

demonstrating against media control;

supporting lawyers who are working to support freedom of expression

open society foundation

help radio and Internet that provide information to the Russian people

freedom house

join NGOs that promote freedom of the press and speech

PEN Amnesty International HRW, The committee to Protect Journalists