Russia Cracks Down on Journalists As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to dominate the news and Vladimir Putin’s deadly onslaught struggles to achieve its brutal goals, Russia’s last independent news outlets are being forced to shutter under pressure. On Tuesday, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office ordered both TV Rain, also known as Dozhd, and a radio station, Radio Echo, also known as Echo of Moscow, to have their access within the country restricted. As CNN’s Brian Stelter reported on Thursday morning, “TV Rain’s Editor-in-Chief Tikhon Dzyadko announced on Telegram that he and his family, along with the editorial staff, have left Russia.” “After the blocking of Dozhd’s website, Dozhd’s social media accounts, and the threat against some employees, it is obvious that the personal safety of some of us is at risk,” Dzyadko said Wednesday. Dzyadko is not the only Russian journalist fleeing the country fearing for his safety. As Reuters notes, “Russian journalists have faced an increasingly difficult environment in recent years, with many being designated by the authorities as ‘foreign agents,’ a status that snares them in official paperwork and exposes them to public contempt.” State Department spokesman Ned Price released a statement condemning Russia's crackdown on the free press and on social media outlets, calling it a "full assault" on the truth. The shutdowns are “a big blow to independent media in Russia after years of intensifying pressure," as Reuters put it. It's an assault not just on truth and a free press, but another weapon of oppression Putin is using against the Ukrainian people. This man, who spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper, sums it up rather nicely. GET ALL OUR UKRAINE COVERAGE HERE In Other News... Log Cabin Republicans President Defends ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill: Democrats Are Trying to ‘Stir Up a Culture War’ 'Rest in Peace, Dear Comrade': Investor HILARIOUSLY Toasts Death of Russia's Stock Market ‘Cut Them Some Slack’: Pat Sajak Defends Contestants From Mockery of ‘Feather in Your Map’ Puzzle CHRISTOPHER: ‘Stop Bullying Kids!’ High School Freshman Who Defied DeSantis and Kept Mask On Speaks Out — And So Does His Dad 6.5.0 |