Kremlin’s media control tightens in Ukrainian conflict coverage

Belsat TV reports that when publishing materials about the war in Ukraine, the editors-in-chief of pro-Kremlin media in Russia follow guidelines received from the authorities, and employees practice self-censorship. The Russian-language portal Vot Tak, which spoke with former journalists about how their work has changed since the war's outbreak, also reported this.

Following the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the rules in the Russian media changed: the term "special military operation" became mandatory instead of "war", spreading alleged fake news about the army is punishable by imprisonment, and there is a total ban on using words such as "aggression" or "annexation" in relation to the Russian army.

As Belsat writes, many state and Kremlin-affiliated media operated under strict government control and were not considered free even before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite this, in peacetime, they sometimes allowed themselves to deviate from the course set by the Kremlin. This changed after February 2022.

In March 2022, the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, passed laws on discrediting the army and spreading false information about it. The media had to immediately adapt to the new rules, according to which only official information from the Russian Ministry of Defence could be published regarding the war. Later, the presidential administration began sending media "methodologies"—special instructions on how to report on this topic.

A former Russian daily "Izvestia" employee, familiar with the work of pro-Kremlin television channels, confirmed to Vot Tak the existence of special instructions. She recalls that there was complete chaos after the invasion, and instructions "from above" were sometimes delayed.

We received some information from above, but without specifics. It wasn't entirely clear what topics could be discussed, what and how to show. We tried to do everything as carefully as possible, avoiding anything sensational. There were many meetings where all these sensational topics were discussed, for example, the maternity hospital in Mariupol (bombed by Russian forces on 9 March 2022) - says the interlocutor to the portal.

As the journalist recalls, the message from the methodologies can be described as follows: "Praise ours, the chumps (a derogatory term for Ukrainians used by Russians—PAP) are idiots, and so on." Journalists were required to "emphasise as much as possible how stupid the Ukrainians are." Over time, these rules transformed into the mandatory glorification of "ours, the Russians, the Russian heroes."

The former employee of "Izvestia" says that since the invasion began, pro-Kremlin stations REN-TV and Piaty Kanal have covered significantly fewer social issues. Before February 2022, every edition included at least two pieces about "how bad life is in the Russian province, how something has flooded somewhere, how useless deputies are", but then everyone suddenly forgot about it. In her opinion, one could only talk about how local authorities are solving problems or about some scandals "which had already spread through the (messenger) Telegram channels."

The journalist recalls that it was necessary to avoid any negative opinions about Russia. It was also prohibited to describe the stories of families of fallen soldiers who could not receive benefits because it was essential to stick to the official rhetoric of 100% support for all those involved in the war.

The next stage for the Izvestia newsroom was the so-called war with fakes. At this time, journalists had to check all information from Ukrainian sources, and huge funds were allocated for these activities. Whenever something was not confirmed, it was necessary to emphasise that "it reached the public as a fake spread by Ukraine."

We had to show all the missteps of the Ukrainian authorities, strange statements by foreign politicians that could be twisted or interpreted ambiguously. Any problems with equipment supplies: that there might not be enough money, or someone might veto the delivery of this equipment, all this had to be reported, just like every quarrel in the Ukrainian government - says the journalist.

According to the Vot Tak source, after February 2022, the Kremlin's Channel One began to address new mandatory topics: besides the "special military operation," they included sanctions, import substitution, and cooperation with friendly countries. According to a former journalist of this TV station, news programs still "like to occasionally criticise émigré Russian media and push the narrative about the illegitimacy of Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency."

Belsat emphasises that the strictest rules apply to reporting on the war in Ukraine. Pro-Kremlin channels exclusively use data from the Russian Ministry of Defence. - As for work on the frontlines, everything is regulated by the defence department's press service. Filming is only allowed where permitted - says a former employee of Channel One.

- As soon as Western military equipment appeared in Ukraine, Russian media showed footage of the destruction of Leopards and Abrams (tanks - PAP). The topic of forced mobilisation in Ukraine is popular, and it emphasises the interlocutor of Vot Tak.

As a former employee of the RBK channel claims, since the beginning of the war, all materials have been edited according to the principle of "better to understate than to overstate." He resigned because "it was no longer possible to negotiate anything—they just crossed out half the text." At best, we are left with an incomprehensible gibberish of euphemisms; at worst, we are pretending not to see the elephant in the room, he concludes.

According to another Vot Tak source, the pro-Kremlin channel RTVI also operates on the principle of not calling the war a war and not providing information from Ukraine without the reaction of the Russian side.

The Vot Tak source at the "Kommersant" daily claims that its journalists can show the position of both sides, if possible: if the news concerns the exchange of prisoners or the return of the bodies of the deceased to their homeland, employees do not wait for the other side but indicate that "the Russian or Ukrainian side has not yet commented on the event."

Journalists from state media, with whom Vot Tak spoke, confirmed that the rule to avoid the word "war" still applies, though less strictly. - According to the recommendations of the (media regulator) Roskomnadzor, the word "war" cannot be used. Variants - such as "troop entrance" and "military activities" - are allowed. The expression "Russian-Ukrainian conflict" can also be used - explains a former employee of "Kommersant."