RUSSIA: Over 80 European media outlets banned from broadcasting

RUSSIA: Over 80 European media outlets banned from broadcasting

In a retaliatory move against restrictions on its own media, Russia has banned the broadcasting of over 80 European media outlets within its territory.

EU TODAY (25.06.2024) – The decision, announced by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, comes in response to the European Council’s sanctions against three major Russian media organisations: RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

The European Council’s decision, made on 17 May, prohibited any broadcasting activities by these Russian media outlets across the European Union.

The sanctions, effective from 25 June, prompted Moscow to impose reciprocal restrictions.

“In response to the European Council’s decision on 17 May to ban any broadcasting activities by three Russian media outlets (RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta), which comes into effect on 25 June, countermeasures are being introduced to restrict access from the Russian Federation’s territory to the broadcasting resources of a number of media outlets from EU member states,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

The ban affects 81 media organisations from 25 European countries. Prominent among these are Germany’s Der Spiegel and Die Zeit, the pan-European Politico and euobserver, Poland’s Belsat, Lithuania’s LRT, and France’s Agence France-Presse (AFP).

This sweeping prohibition marks a significant escalation in the ongoing media war between Russia and the European Union, reflecting the deepening rift in relations. The European Council’s initial sanctions were part of broader measures aimed at countering Russian disinformation and propaganda efforts, particularly in the context of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.

The Russian government has justified its response as a necessary measure to protect its informational sovereignty and ensure a balanced media landscape within its borders.

The Kremlin has long accused Western media of bias and propagating anti-Russian sentiment, claims that have intensified in recent years.

The affected European media outlets have expressed concern over the ban, highlighting its impact on the free flow of information and the ability of Russian citizens to access diverse perspectives.

Many of these organisations play a crucial role in providing independent news coverage, and their exclusion is seen as a further narrowing of the already restricted Russian media environment.

Russian authorities have indicated that the ban may be reconsidered if the European Council lifts its restrictions on Russian media.

“Should the restrictions against Russian media be lifted, the Russian side will also review its decision regarding the mentioned media operators,” the Foreign Ministry added.

The European Union has yet to respond to Russia’s latest move, but it is likely to provoke further debate on the balance between national security and media freedom. The initial sanctions against RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta were part of a broader strategy to combat what the EU perceives as systematic disinformation campaigns originating from Russia, aimed at undermining European stability and democratic processes.

List of Banned Media Outlets

Austria

1. ORF (orf.at)
2. Osterreich (oe24.at)

Belgium

3. Le Vif (levif.be)
4. Knack (knack.be)

Bulgaria

5. Mediapool (Mediapool.bg)
6. 24 Chasa (24chasa.bg)

Hungary

7. 444.hu

Germany

8. Der Spiegel (spiegel.de)
9. Die Zeit (zeit.de)
10. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (faz.net)

Greece

11. ERT (ert.gr, ertnews.gr)
12. Skai (skai.gr)
13. Mega (Megatv.com)
14. Proto Thema (protothema.gr)

Denmark

15. Berlingske (berlingske.dk)
16. Information (information.dk)

Ireland

17. RTE (rte.ie)
18. The Irish Times (irishtimes.com)
19. The Irish Independent (independent.ie)

Spain

20. El Mundo (elmundo.es)
21. El Pais (elpais.com)
22. EFE (efe.com)
23. Televisión Española (rtve.es)

Italy

24. LA7 (la7.it)
25. La Stampa (lastampa.it)
26. La Repubblica (repubblica.it)
27. RAI (rai.it, rainews.it)

Cyprus

28. Politis (politis.com.cy)
29. Cyprus Times (cyprustimes.com)
30. Cyprus Mail (cyprus-mail.com)

Latvia

31. Latvian Television and Latvian Radio 4 (lsm.lv)
32. apollo.lv
33. tvnet.lv
34. Diena (diena.lv)

Lithuania

35. LRT (lrt.lt)
36. 15min.lt
37. Irytas.lt

Malta

38. TVM (tvmnews.mt)
39. Times of Malta (timesofmalta.com)
40. The Malta Independent (independent.com.mt)
41. Malta Today (maltatoday.com.mt)

Netherlands

42. Nos (nos.nl)
43. Nrc (nrc.nl)
44. Algemeen Dagblad (ad.nl)

Poland

45. Belsat (belsat.eu, belsat.pl)
46. Nowa Polska (novayapolsha.eu, novayapolsha.com, novayapolsha.pl)

Portugal

47. RTP Internacional (rtp.pt)
48. Publico (publico.pt)
49. Expresso (expresso.pt)
50. Observador (observador.pt)

Romania

51. Pro TV International (stirileprotv.ro, protv.ro)
52. Digi24 (digi24.ro)
53. B1TV (b1tv.ro)

Slovakia

54. SME (sme.sk)
55. Dennik N (dennikn.sk)

Slovenia

56. Nova24 (Nova24.si, Nova24tv.si)
57. Demokracija (Demokracija.si, Demokracija.eu)

Finland

58. Ilta-Sanomat (is.fi)
59. Iltalehti (iltalehti.fi)
60. Helsingin Sanomat (hs.fi)
61. Yleisradio (yle.fi)

France

62. LCI (tf1info.fr)
63. Le Monde (lemonde.fr)
64. La Croix (la-croix.com)
65. Liberation (liberation.fr)
66. Lexpress (lexpress.fr)
67. Radio France (radiofrance.fr)
68. Agence France-Presse (afp.com, afpforum.com)
69. CNews (cnews.fr)
70. Arte (arte.tv)

Czech Republic

71. Ceska Televize (ceskatelevize.cz)
72. Seznam Zpravy (seznamzpravy.cz)

Sweden

73. SVT (svt.se)
74. Sveriges Radio (sverigesradio.se)

Estonia

75. propastop.org
76. ERR (err.ee)
77. Delfi (delfi.ee)

Pan-European Media

78. Agence Europe (agenceurope.eu)
79. Politico (politico.eu, www.politico.com)
80. Svoboda Satellite Package (rsf.org)
81. Euobserver (Euobserver.com)