ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the breadth, depth, and mechanisms of media control in Putin's Russia are different from the ones used during the Soviet era. The majority of Russians did not appreciate that, and the attacks on the liberal media by the state as well as the dangers that journalists experienced had intensified. The chapter discusses the developments in Russian media and society that should indeed not be interpreted through Western lenses and with existing Western media theories and concepts. The coverage of the conflict in Ukraine was a priority topic for journalists from Novaya Gazeta, Ekho Moskvy and Radio Svoboda. Liberal journalists were under no illusions that their attempts at promoting democratic values and highlighting the wrongdoings of those in power would be well received and appreciated by the majority of Russians. The international community can do considerably more than it currently does to support liberal journalists in Russia.
