Media Regulation in Russia - A Landscape Analysis of Laws and Trends

September 13 2016

This new report is a study of laws regulating online and print media in Russia. The legal framework governing Russian media has undergone substantial development in recent years – developments which have a significant impact on the way that journalists and media players in Russia are able to operate.

This report was developed as a resource to support the Perspektivy programme (a collaboration between Thomson Reuters Foundation, Fritt Ord Foundation and Robert Bosch Stiftung) that aims to strengthen professional standards and ethics in journalism and to promote collaboration between journalists in Russia and Russian speaking countries. It is also available as a resource for all journalists to better understand the legal framework in which they operate.

The research was conducted and the report written by DLA Piper Rus Limited on pro bono basis and facilitated by TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global legal pro bono programme. The report is based on a review of the evolution media legislation in Russia over the past five years and includes an overview of key trends, recent legislative developments and their implications for journalists, bloggers and media players.

Download the report here:
Media Regulation in Russia – A Landscape Analysis of Laws and Trends (pdf)

News

Mykhailo Tkach, Andrei Aliaksandrau, Arevhat Sahakyan (Factor TV), Nino Bakradze (iFact), and Lola Tagaeva (Verstka).

Free Media Awards for 2026. Press freedom under pressure in wartime: – Silence does not protect democracy

September 29 2026

This year’s winners of the Free Media Awards from the Fritt Ord Foundation and Zeit Stiftung Bucerius received their awards in Toppsalen at the Munch Museum in Oslo on 29 September 2026.
The Belarusian journalist and media manager Andrei Aliaksandrau came straight to Oslo after spending over five years in prison for his work. Aliaksandrau dedicated the award to imprisoned journalists and editors in Belarus and quoted the Liverpool FC anthem: “You’ll never walk alone”.

Mykhailo Tkach heads investigations at Ukrainska Pravda, which uncovers corruption, even in a Ukraine fighting an existential war against Russia.
– I face charges in at least thirteen cases related to my work. I have been threatened. My team has been threatened. And what is our answer? To keep digging. Silence does not protect democracy. Journalism does.

Mykhailo Tkach

Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian, Russian and Belarusian journalists and media to receive five Free Media Awards for 2026

September 3 2026

This year’s prize laureates for the Free Media Awards from the Fritt Ord Foundation and Zeit Stiftung Bucerius are:
The investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach from Ukraine
The investigative media outlet iFact from Georgia
The online media Factor TV from Armenia
The online media Verstka from Russia (in exile)
The journalist and media director Andrei Aliaksandrau from Belarus (imprisoned)*

Fritt Ord's grants for master’s degrees

August 30 2026

Is your master’s project about freedom of expression, social debate or journalism? If so, you can apply for a student grant from the Fritt Ord Foundation.

The Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute 2026

August 18 2026

The rap duo Karpe has been awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute for giving voice to the experiences of many young people from minority backgrounds. Through the language of rap, they are expanding the space for the expression of identity and belonging.