NBC Ignores ‘Dangerous,’ ‘Scary’ Russian Law Criminalizing Accurate War Reporting

Early Friday, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s stooges in parliament (known as the Duma) passed a law criminalizing accurate reporting about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with a possible sentence of 15 years in jail. When it came to this actual genuine attack on free, independent journalism, NBC’s Today omitted it from their Friday morning show.

Whether they didn’t think they had time or skipped it because of their presence in Rissoa, it was ironic considering the liberal media-wide screeching about the press being under assault from Donald Trump (though no law was passed and no journalist was imprisoned).

 

 

In contrast, ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS MorningsThis story was taken seriously. ABC foreign correspondent James Longman spoke on Wednesday’s show ahead of its passage, revealing Russia’s spy agency the FSB has “come” by visit ABC’s team.

“[I]It’s very worrying. It’s more worrying, I have to say, for our Russian colleagues here for ABC who work here in Moscow. It is terrifying for them to see Russia change in this way,”He added.

Longman stated Friday that Longman was satisfied with the passage of it. “concern is just growing”With the law presented “a serious situation” For reporting simply, you could be sentenced to jail “news they don’t agree with.”

It is important to note that “[i]t is a major attack on free press,” Longman read from the law and said it “could go into effect as early as tomorrow morning” (click “expand”):

LONGMAN: According to the government, it’s been introduced to target those who “knowingly distort the purpose, role, and tasks of Russian armed forces during special military and other operations.” Now, they had banned the use of the words war and invasion. Journalists in the country now face the possibility of being subject to a more extensive law that could lead them to lengthy prison sentences. Since many years, freedom of expression has been in danger. However, we now see Russia begin to demolish all independent media. Moscow’s last independent TV station went off air this week in the face of such draconian measures. The state’s censorship office has now blocked the BBC Russian language service. This is an important source of news independent from the state. Facebook and other social media sites also look like they’re being purposefully slowed down or blocked. We don’t know what all this means for foreign media reporting. However, the laws that were passed today may be in effect tomorrow morning. Cecilia

CECILIA VEGA: A troubling development.

In the 7:30 a.m. Eastern half-hour, co-host George Stephanopoulos gave this a sentence in a bottom-of-the-hour news brief, saying it was “a new media crackdown on reporters.”

Over on CBS Morning, co-host Gayle King said “Russian lawmakers passed a law introducing jail terms for anyone who publishes so-called fake information about the country’s armed forces” with it coming as “most Russians are unaware of what is really happening.”

The King also added “[i]t’s really jaw-dropping to hear what the Russian people are being told about what is really happening,” Mary Ilyushina (Correspondent) said that she received the following information from Moscow “[t]he law is particularly scary” Given the sentence for providing factually correct information.

Ilyushina cited the shuttering of two of the few remaining independent Russian outlets (as Longman also did) and then pointed to the fact that the Kremlin doesn’t even “allow” the words “invasion or war” to be used to describe what’s being done to Ukraine.

Reiterating that the Kremlin line has been Russian forces are engaged in a special military “operation,” Ilyushina shared the stunning reality that, in Russia, “state-run media has also never acknowledged the bombardment of Kyiv, Kharkiv, or other cities outside the Donbass area.”

She said thousands of Russians have been arrested as part of mass protests, so it’s proof “many Russians…see through this message thanks to the use of a VPN, but others can’t.

Ilyushina ended her remarks by saying, “For them,” “they’re being left without a comprehensive picture of what is going on[.]”

While NBC decided to ignore this aspect, MSNBC briefly discussed it during its programming. Morning JoeThe second is a replay of the original taped performance.

To see the relevant transcripts from March 2 and 4, click “expand.”

ABC’s Good Morning America
February 2, 2022
Eastern at 7:35

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Happening Now; Tensions Rising Inside Russia; Kremlin Cracks Down on Media as Sanctions Target Oligarchs]

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS – And James, Putin has been cracking down hard on independent Russian television stations. Is there any pressure on you? 

JAMES LONGMAN – George, I must say that we were visited by the FSB, security forces, a couple of times. This is not something that happens to us often. This law that outlaws help for foreign groups, makes it treason essentially — it’s worrying for us. It’s more worrying, I have to say, for our Russian colleagues here for ABC who work here in Moscow. This is a frightening thought for their colleagues in Russia. George? 

STEPHANOPOULOS (Yes, indeed).

(….)

March 4, 2022
Eastern at 7:07

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New Developments; Kremlin’s New Media Crackdown; Russian Parliament Passes Law Over Coverage of Ukraine War]

T.J. HOLMES (English): Now we turn our attention to what is breaking overnight. Russia’s Parliament passed a new law that will bring a fresh media crackdown. James Longman, our foreign correspondent has more information from Moscow. James, you were speaking to us just this week. You expressed concern about our Russian colleagues. 

T.J. is growing increasingly concerned. It is becoming a very serious problem. Russia’s parliament has unanimously passed legislation that makes fake news a crime, punishable by up to 15 years in jail. This is news that they disagree with. It’s a serious attack on the free press. According to the government, it’s been introduced to target those who “knowingly distort the purpose, role, and tasks of Russian armed forces during special military and other operations.” Now, they had banned the use of the words war and invasion. Now, however, the law could be more severe and result in long jail sentences for journalists. Since many years, freedom of expression has been in danger. However, we now see Russia begin to demolish all independent media. Moscow’s last independent TV station went off air this week in the face of such draconian measures. The state’s censorship office has now blocked the BBC Russian language service. This is an important source of news independent from the state. Facebook and other social media sites also look like they’re being purposefully slowed down or blocked. We don’t know what all this means for foreign media reporting. However, the laws that were passed today may be in effect tomorrow morning. Cecilia

CECILIA VEGA: A troubling development. James, I’m sorry.

(….)

Eastern Time: 7:30 AM

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Right Now; War in Ukraine]

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS – Russia’s Parliament has passed a new law that will crack down on journalists.

————————–

CBS Mornings
March 4, 2022
Eastern, 7:09 AM

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Putin’s Media Crackdown; Russia Outlaws Spread of Military Information Not From Kremlin]

GAYLE KING: Most Russians don’t know what’s really going on as the conflict in Ukraine continues. Amid a new crackdown by President Putin on the few remaining independent media outlets, this morning, Russian lawmakers passed a law introducing jail terms for anyone who publishes so-called fake information about the country’s armed forces. Mary Ilyushina will be reporting on the story in Moscow. Mary, good morning. It is truly jaw-dropping what Russians are hearing about the real events. 

MARY ILYUSHINA, Good Morning. Yeah, absolutely. This law is particularly scary because it carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison for journalists or other people who are spreading information — military information that the Kremlin deems to be untrue. Officials have taken at least two independent news outlets off the air after they accused them reporting false information. That is basically any information that isn’t being published by Russian authorities. According to the Kremlin, it is not acceptable for fighting in Ukraine as an invasion of war or war. Russian media is tightly controlled by the Russian government and broadcasts to Russians to repeat Putin’s assertion that it is a defense operation against Ukrainian aggression. The state media also has not admitted to the bombing of Kyiv and Kharkiv as well as other Donbass areas. There are many Russians that see right through all of this and see the truth in the reporting. They’re marching on the streets. Russian rights groups claim that over 8,000 protestors were arrested in the country. However, Russians still have the option to access independent sources through VPNs or go online to try and find it. It’s what I do, as are many journalists. People who don’t have the skills or knowledge to make this happen are left with no comprehensive view of Ukraine.

TONY DOKOUPIL – Mary Ilyushina, for us in Moscow. Mary, I am so grateful.

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