Russia's Media System
How Russia's media evolved from post-Soviet openness to a state-dominated information environment, and how it projects influence globally.
From Openness to Control
Russia's media system underwent a dramatic trajectory. In the 1990s, following the Soviet collapse, Russia had a brief period of genuinely diverse media. Independent television channels, newspapers, and radio stations proliferated. However, many of these outlets were controlled by oligarchs who used them as political weapons.
Under Vladimir Putin, the state systematically recaptured control of television — the dominant news medium for most Russians. NTV, once Russia's most independent channel, was taken over by Gazprom (a state-controlled energy company) in 2001. By 2024, all major Russian television channels were controlled by the state or state-aligned businesses. Independent outlets like Novaya Gazeta, Echo of Moscow, and TV Rain were shut down, restricted, or forced into exile after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.