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Meduza’s statement regarding the revocation of TV Rain’s Latvian broadcasting license — Meduza [1]

[]

Date: 2022-12-06

Прочитайте это заявление по-русски. Lasiet šo iesniegumu latviski

The Latvian National Electronic Media Council has revoked TV Rain’s license. The agency has banned the network from broadcasting on cable and also plans to block access within the country to its YouTube stream. According to the council’s chairman, Ivars Āboliņš, the decision was made “in connection with the threat to national security and public order.”

We are watching these developments very carefully and with concern.

In the eight years that Meduza has already spent in Latvia, the local authorities have never once attempted to interfere in our editorial policies. We are grateful for this hospitality. We have had no reason to doubt that Latvia, which has become a second home for many here at Meduza, is aware of the vital role that the independent media plays in democratic societies.

After February 24, Latvia welcomed journalists from Russia who risked many years in prison for doing their jobs and resisting the war Russia unleashed on Ukraine. We greatly appreciated the Latvian authorities’ decision, understanding how difficult it was, given the enduring pain this country’s people still experience from Soviet occupation.

At the same time, we recognized that a mass influx of journalists from Russia in wartime conditions would likely lead to conflicts. After all, the news media created by Russians is almost always focused on Russian problems, viewing the surrounding world through this same lens. This often confuses and sometimes enrages foreign audiences, especially during a war for which Russia bears full responsibility.

Unfortunately, the situation has developed very poorly. We believe that the decision by Latvia’s National Electronic Media Council to revoke TV Rain’s license is unfair, wrong, and disproportionate to the official violations flagged by the agency.

Arguments that these violations pose a “national security threat” are unconvincing. The network’s antiwar position is obvious, as is its critical stance towards the Putin regime. TV Rain’s significance in countering Russian state propaganda is colossal. Roaring about “national security” conceals what is actually a heavy blow to free speech and ultimately to European security, as well. There can be no democracy without the independent media, above all, and an undemocratic Russia will remain a threat to its neighbors and the entire world.

Even if it was reached completely legally, the National Electronic Media Council’s decision is also an incredible gift to the Russian authorities. By banning TV Rain, Latvian officials are helping the Kremlin with something it started: the complete destruction of the Russian independent media’s infrastructure. We believe the political situation in Russia will not change if the country’s inhabitants are abandoned to propaganda. (There’s also the risk that this propaganda becomes the only information source for Russian-speaking EU citizens.)

And it’s important to remember that TV Rain is one of the few truly independent media outlets that retains a large audience inside Russia. Viewers need TV Rain. The anti-war movement needs TV Rain. Watch any of its newscasts, and you’ll see the network’s position on this repulsive war and how it views those who illegally usurped power in Russia.

Were TV Rain’s journalists wrong? Was their wording inaccurate? Yes. But all media outlets, including the highest quality publications, make mistakes, even at critical moments. In times of war, forced emigration, and polarized public opinion, the likelihood of mistakes sadly only grows. Readers and viewers, as well as fellow colleagues, evaluate our reporting, too, and these assessments can be brutal.

Journalism knows no boundaries. Free speech is a universal value, but it’s nothing if we don’t defend it and fight for it, every day, wherever we are.

We stand in solidarity with the team at TV Rain. Dear colleagues, we hope you’ll persevere, and we’ll do our best to help you through this crisis.

Meduza invites other journalists and media outlets to support this statement. If you’d like to do so, please contact us here: [email protected].

This statement has been signed by

the editors of Meduza

the editors of Novaya Gazeta Europe

Sabīne Sīle , editor-in-chief, Media Hub Riga

, editor-in-chief, Media Hub Riga the editors of Bumaga

the editors of Provereno

the editors of Novaya Vkladka

Irina Malkova and Pyotr Mironenko , The Bell

and , the editors of Kit

the editors of Signal

the editors of Samizdatonline.org

the editors of Pskovskaya Gubernia

the editors of Sirena

the editors of Proekt

the editors of Dovod

the editors of DOXA

the media project Stradayuschee Srednevekovye

the editors of Mediazona

the editors of iStories

the editors of OVD-Info

the editors of Avtozak Live

Konstantin Sonin , economist

, economist Nikolay Ovchinnikov , journalist; editor-in-chief, Volna | Latvia

, journalist; editor-in-chief, Volna | Latvia vandrouki.ru, a travel company

the editors of Svobodnye Media

the Telegram channel Russian Refugees in Germany

Victor Shenderovich , writer

, writer Stanislav Kucher , journalist

, journalist the editors of Rezonans , a Vladimir-based Internet publication

, a Vladimir-based Internet publication Valeriy Panyushkin , editor-in-chief, Spektr magazine

, editor-in-chief, Spektr magazine the Student Anti-War Movement project

project Konstantin Gorozhanko , editor, Grazhdane Gdovskogo Kraya

, editor, Grazhdane Gdovskogo Kraya the editors of Vot Tak

the editors of SOTA

Ilya Azar , journalist

, journalist the editors of Verstka

the editors of Republic

the podcast studio Libo/Libo

the editors of 7x7 — Horizontal Russia

the editors of Kholod

the editors of Astra

Ilya Krasilshchik , Alexander Polivanov , Igor Safonov , and other journalists at Sluzhba Podderzhki

, , , and other journalists at the editors of Spektr

Mikhail Zygar , writer and journalist

, writer and journalist Olga Churakova , journalist

, journalist Liza Surganova , journalist

, journalist Ilya Shepelin , journalist

, journalist the editors of Echo

the editors of RusNews

the editors of Pereulki Lissabona

the editors of Skat Media

Arkady Mayofis , founder of TV-2 (Israel)

, founder of TV-2 (Israel) Emil Khalikov , co-founder of Pogulyanka media (Lithuania)

, co-founder of Pogulyanka media (Lithuania) the editors of Cherty

the Opyt Svobody project

project Lev Ponomaryov , human rights advocate, and the Telegram channel World Progress and Human Rights

, human rights advocate, and the Telegram channel the editors of Perm 36.6

the editors of Perito

Mine gåter og spindelsinn , a Telegram channel

, a Telegram channel the editors of Khroniki.Media

the editors of Daptar

the editors of The Vyshka

the editors of Media Loft

the youth democratic movement Vesna

the editors of Groza

Mikhail Svetov and the editors of SVTV News

and the editors of the editors of Pezduza

Talking Heads YouTube channel (Latvia)

YouTube channel (Latvia) the editors of Advocacy Street

the editors of Lyudi Baykala

the editors of Otkrytyi Gorod (Latvia)

(Latvia) the editors of February 24 Eyewitnesses

the editors of Govorit ne Moskva

the editors of It’s My City

the editors of The Guide to the Free World

the editors of The Insider and Roman Dobrokhotov , journalist

and , journalist Yevgenia Albats , editor-in-chief, The New Times

, editor-in-chief, The New Times the editors of The Moscow Times

Kirill Rogov , political scientist

, political scientist Irina Shikhman and the YouTube channel A Pogovorit?

and the YouTube channel the editors of Re:Russia

Conflict Intelligence Team

the editors of Prodolzhenie Sleduet

the editors of Novaya Gazeta — Baltia

Ksenia Larina , journalist

, journalist the editors of The Village and Kirill Rukov , editor-in-chief

and , editor-in-chief the editors of Fergana.ru

Maxim Katz , blogger and politician

, blogger and politician the editors of Khronika Turkmenistana

Navalny LIVE YouTube channel

YouTube channel Jean-Michel Shcherbak , media activist

, media activist Ishchem Vykhod YouTube channel

YouTube channel Alexander Plyushchev , journalist

, journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer , journalist

, journalist Vitaly Mansky , film director

, film director Natalia Manskaya , film producer

, film producer the editors of Poligon.Media

Khodorkovsky LIVE YouTube channel

YouTube channel Ilya Rozhdestvensky , journalist

, journalist Ivan Pavlov , lawyer

, lawyer Ilya Zhegulev , journalist

, journalist the editors of Fourth Sector

Ilya Shumanov , director, Transparency International Russia

, director, Transparency International Russia Andrei Loshak , journalist

, journalist Nataliya Gevorkyan , journalist

, journalist the editors of ROMB

the editors of Taiga.info

the editors of Popular Politics

Roskomsvoboda , an advocacy organization

, an advocacy organization Chulpan Khamatova , actress

, actress Antero Mukka , editor-in-chief, and the editors of Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)

, editor-in-chief, and the editors of (Finland) the editors of Krautreporter (Germany)

(Germany) Pervyi Otdel , an association of attorneys and rights activists

, an association of attorneys and rights activists the editors of Agentura.ru

Masha Phillimore-Slonim , journalist

, journalist Kovcheg and Anastasia Burakova , founder

and , founder Andrey Pivovarov , political prisoner

, political prisoner the editors of NewArmenia.am and Garik Chilingarian , editor-in-chief

and , editor-in-chief The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)

MR7.ru (St. Petersburg) and Elena Mikhina , editor-in-chief

(St. Petersburg) and , editor-in-chief Polina Shilina , journalist, Delfi (Russian edition, Latvia)

, journalist, (Russian edition, Latvia) Clownstan Today

the editors of Discourse

the editors of Serditaya Chuvashiya

the editors of RSh and Maria Karlin , editor-in-chief (Switzerland)

and , editor-in-chief (Switzerland) the editors of Hromadska Pravda (Ukraine)

(Ukraine) Russian Libertarian Party

OBC Transeuropa (Italy)

(Italy) Kometa News (Moldova)

(Moldova) the editors of Telegi i Memasy Telegram channel

Telegram channel St. Petersburg Human Rights Center

the Moscow branch of Memorial , a center for human rights and historical education

, a center for human rights and historical education Sergey Lukashevsky , director, Sakharov Center

, director, Sakharov Center Svetlana Gannushkina and Grazhdanskoe Sodeystvie , a non-profit foundation

and , a non-profit foundation the editors of Russians Against the War Telegram channel (Poland)

Telegram channel (Poland) Russian Independent Media Archive

Russian Canadian Democratic Alliance (RCDA)

Irina Kizilova , journalist, co-organizer of Memorial Israel

, journalist, co-organizer of Memorial Israel Artem Liss , former editor, BBC World Service

, former editor, BBC World Service Dmitry Elagin , film critic, Snob

, film critic, Snob Kristina Lunina and Kak Poluchitsya media

and media Rimma Polyak , columnist, Republic

, columnist, Republic Alexey Durnovo , writer and journalist

, writer and journalist Andrey Novichkov , editor-in-chief, Fronde TV and Nastuplenie na Nasledie

, editor-in-chief, Fronde TV and Nastuplenie na Nasledie Efim Neizvestny , contributor, Panorama

, contributor, Panorama Lidia Ageeva , journalist

, journalist Natalia Galkina , journalist

, journalist Oleg Ivanov , photo-journalist

, photo-journalist Vadim Kondakov , journalist

, journalist Andrey Rebrov , journalist

, journalist Olga Leontyeva , journalist

, journalist the editors of Equality Telegram channel

Telegram channel Ivan Slobedenyuk , journalist, Belsat

, journalist, Belsat Anastasia Sechina and Chetvyortyi Sektor media

and media Maria Latsinskaya , journalist

, journalist Oleg Basalin , journalist

, journalist Nikolay Kandyshev , journalist

, journalist Victor Yukechev , journalist

, journalist Boris Tukh , journalist and film critic

, journalist and film critic the editors of TJ ne umer! satirical news

satirical news Artem Androsov , news host, RTN (New York)

, news host, RTN (New York) Afanasy Emelyanov , journalist

, journalist Alexander Gerasimov , journalist

, journalist Anton Chernin , journalist

, journalist Ivan Fedosov , blogger

, blogger Pyotr Kozlov , journalist

, journalist Vijai Maheshwari , journalist, Politico Europe

, journalist, Politico Europe Mark Novikov , journalist

, journalist Denis Cherdov , journalist

, journalist Vasily Zakharko , journalist

, journalist Sofia Epifanova , journalist

, journalist Kirill Alexeyev , author, Analiteg Telegram channel

, author, Analiteg Telegram channel Semyon Zelenovich , journalist

, journalist Angela Kalsynova, YouTube blogger

Ilya Kozin, journalist

ZIMA Magazine (London)

(London) the editors of Oni za Voynu

the editors of Pravda o Voyne

The Voice of Reason movement

movement Dmitry Tolstosheyev , journalist

, journalist Evgeny Galitsky , journalist

, journalist Nina Abrosimova , journalist

, journalist Elena Samoylova , journalist

, journalist Vera Vasilyeva , journalist

, journalist Ivan Makridin, journalist, podcaster

journalist, podcaster Lev Kadik , journalist

, journalist Ruslan Totrov , journalist

, journalist Apolitichnost Gubit , a social movement

, a social movement the editors of Russky Kovcheg Telegram channel

Telegram channel the Vornadzor anti-corruption movement

anti-corruption movement Dima Zitser , teacher

, teacher the editors of Echo of Petersburg (banned in Russia) and Ischem Vykhod , a YouTube channel

(banned in Russia) and , a YouTube channel Alex Dubas , journalist

, journalist Zygmunt Dzieciolowski , journalist (Poland)

, journalist (Poland) Obyektiv YouTube channel

YouTube channel Warsaw Local Anti-War Committee Telegram channel

Telegram channel Dozor v Volgograde project

project The Polycrates Foundation

Alexander Artemyev , human-rights advocate

, human-rights advocate Dmitry Bayandin , attorney

, attorney Arseny Lytar , member, Russian State Duma Committee on Science and Education

, member, Russian State Duma Committee on Science and Education Ilya Furman

Maria Klementyeva

Polina Shubentseva , activist and volunteer, Memorial

, activist and volunteer, Memorial Andrey Yakimovich

Dmitry Simanovsky

Linur Arslanov

Vadim Dmitriyev

Mikhail Biryukov , attorney

, attorney Dmitry Gerasimenko

Sergey Kovalchenko

Maria Kabysh , costume designer

, costume designer Timofey Andropov and the Ochnis movement

and the movement Lena Pylaeva and FreeRussiaNL

and Olga Chernykova , former faculty member, Moscow State University

, former faculty member, Moscow State University Alina Gnatyshina and Rossiya Buduschego (Switzerland)

and (Switzerland) Sergey Losev

Alexey Shmelev

Sergey Galin

Ekaterina Komissarova

Nikolay Matrosov

Ilya Bobrik

Alisher Artykov

Zhanna Shchukina

Igor Naginer

Alexey Volkov and the Canadian Russian Association Telegram channel

and the Telegram channel Olya Kazimirchuk

Sonya Blade

Joseph Malkin

Shimon Glazshteyn

Protokolnaya Redaktsiya project

project Ivan Romanov

Elena Kvasyuk

Georgy Sushilin

Olga Degtyareva

Paul Robertus

Elena Lukyanova , attorney

, attorney Timofey Ilyushin , human rights advocate

, human rights advocate Nikolay Golikov , artist

, artist Alexander Kabanov , professor, University of North Carolina

, professor, University of North Carolina Kirill Povarov

Irina Karpova

Irina Sokolovskaya

Mila Zemtsova

Andrey Kotov

Julia Ioffe , journalist (United States)

, journalist (United States) Lolita Roze (Latvia)

(Latvia) Mihail Gokhman (United States)

(United States) Greg Dolgopolov (Latvia)

(Latvia) Juris Raudulis (Latvia)

(Latvia) Lev Mendelson (United States)

(United States) Michael Mamontov (United States)

(United States) Eleonora Scheerseu (Germany)

(Germany) Artur Heidt (Germany)

(Germany) Marks Lisnanskis (Latvia)

(Latvia) Dmitrijs Krupņikovs (Latvia)

(Latvia) Dmitri Gouzévitch , historian (France)

, historian (France) Herta Hansena

Konstantin Kabanov

Tatiana le Roy (Belgium)

(Belgium) Laure Thibonnier (France)

(France) Gennadi Kreps (Germany)

(Germany) Natalia Kuzmina (Germany)

(Germany) Association for Solidarity with Civil Society and the Development of Democracy in Russia, Russia of the Future (Spain)

(Spain) the editors of Lenizdat.ru

Penguin Travel YouTube channel

YouTube channel Aiza Dolmatova , rapper

, rapper Ruslan Sokolovsky , blogger

, blogger the Iskra media training team

media training team the KermlinRussia project team

project team the Smorodina: for Democracy in Russia association (Norway)

association (Norway) Oleksandr Tsyba

Andrey Lukashevich

Vadik Sirekanyan

Oleg Ponomarev

Sofia Gribkova

Alex Zatsman (United States)

(United States) Mykola Shpylchin

Marina Polishuk

Vladimir Yurovsky , conductor (Germany)

, conductor (Germany) Olga Deryabina

Dmitry Cherne

Natalia Telegina

Vitaly Bovar

Maria Gabisov

Sofia Pulver

Nikita Petrashen

Lyudmila Kasa (Latvia)

(Latvia) Vladimir Rayevsky , journalist and television host

, journalist and television host Fyodor Pavlov-Andreevich, artist and curator

and many other journalists and editors.

Meduza’s editorial board

[END]
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[1] Url: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2022/12/06/meduza-s-statement-regarding-the-revocation-of-tv-rain-s-latvian-broadcasting-license

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