Freedom House analyst discusses threats to journalism in Russia

Russia's independent journalists have faced increased government pressure ahead of the country's parliamentary election Sunday. In some cases, Russian police have raided their homes, seizing cellphones, laptops and tablets. This is widely seen as an attempt by President Vladimir Putin to cement his rule before the 2024 presidential election.

In this edition of Update-1, Broadcast/Podcast Committee member Irv Chapman talks with Michael Smeltzer, a Russia analyst at Freedom House, about the state of press freedom in Russia. They discuss how Putin gained control of the broadcast media within a few years of becoming president and the impact of the Russian government's designation of some news organizations and journalists as “foreign agents” leading up to this month's election.

Mike Hempen produces Update-1. Besides listening on the Club website, Update-1 can be found on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, TuneIn and Spotify by searching for “NPC Update-1.” Comments about any Update-1 podcast may be sent to [email protected].