Russia's top independent newspaper closes after 30 years
The gist
Novaya Gazeta, Russia's oldest independent newspaper, closed its Moscow office on Nov. 9, blaming state pressure.
Its exit leaves Russia without a major independent outlet critical of the Kremlin.
How it unfolded
- 1993Novaya Gazeta launches with assistance from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who used part of his 1990 Nobel Peace Prize money to fund it.
- 2006Journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who reported on atrocities during the second Chechen War, is fatally shot in her apartment building.
- 2021Co-founder Dmitry Muratov is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for defending press freedom.
Key terms
- foreign agent
- A legal label in Russia for persons or organizations receiving foreign support or under foreign influence, requiring registration.
- Committee to Protect Journalists
- An independent American nonprofit based in New York that promotes press freedom and defends journalists' rights worldwide.
Source: Wikipedia