Why is the authorities afraid of Mata?

The Office of Roskomnadzor (RKN) in the Siberian Federal District discovered an obscene abuse in the publication on the group beating of a college student published by the Taiga.info publication. The editors received the protocol of Roskomnadzor, from which it follows that RKN officials considered five stars, replacing a certain word in the text, as well as hyperlinks on YouTube video, where swear words are pronounced.

Evgeny Mezdarikov, editorial director of Taga.info, in an interview with the correspondent of the publication Siberia. Real, said that now it is almost impossible to fulfill Russian laws that limit freedom of speech and remain independent media.

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- "Taiga.info" is the first edition in Russia that are trying to punish for "stars"?

I would like to pay attention to the fact that Roskomnadzor is an overseeing department, but it actively uses punitive methods

- It seems to me that we already had examples when they appeared in claims to the stars. Unfortunately, while we have no definition of Roskomnadzor in our hands, we received only information that there are claims to these three texts that concern the scandal with the beating of a college student. When we get documents, we can say more. Now I see the first comments of Roskomnadzor, which is about the fact that in addition to these stars in the text there was a hyperlink on a video where obscene words are pronounced. But the links were immediately removed in the interests of this minor. A criminal case was opened there, and we considered it necessary to remove these hyperlinks on the same day, it was a long time. When exactly Roskomnadzor drew up the protocol, we do not know, but at the time of receipt of documents from Roskomnadzor, except for these stars, there are no more signs of obsceneity in publications. And, by the way, stars - do not necessarily mean mat. There could be anything, as my colleagues say.

-What do you think is someone's desire to curry up or such a policy regarding Taiga.info and just pressure on your media?

- I think this is a combination of both parts of your question. Apparently, the desire to get ticks in the reports, and punish the media for using the mat. I would like to pay attention to the fact that Roskomnadzor is an overseeing department, but it actively uses punitive methods. And most often, even those laws that are, let’s say, not particularly loyal and liberal to the media, it interprets mechanically, without going into details. And we see this not only in cases of obscenity, which with manic persistence is cleaned with the media, but also in the case of other topics. For example, suicides, which in the media are almost impossible to write about now. We cannot talk about the causes of suicide, about suicide. The story that the pensioner brought to extreme exhaustion hanged himself - this will cause a claim to Roskomnadzor and the removal of the material. It is impossible to give any details, even if they are in the messages of the Investigative Committee. This is paradoxical when one branch of power - the police or the Investigative Committee - has the right to reproduce the details of some crimes, and the media do not have the right to use the media outlets.

- The police are more free than the media.

We did not consider it necessary to merge in ecstasy with those who rejoiced at the conflict and the accession of Crimea

- Another topic is drugs. I am by no means for the sale and distribution of drugs, but when any mention of ways to combat drugs or there is some small picture where marijuana leaflet is depicted, it is perceived as propaganda of drugs, it seems to me that this is outraged. This is not a spirit, but the letter of the law, and the letter invented by Roskomnadzor. Returning to our case, I studied the case carefully, I saw the first comments of Roskomnadzor, tomorrow we will receive a definition, but if it comes not only about stars, but also about hyperlinks, the law says, I will quote: "We are talking about the manufacture and distribution of media products containing obscene fat." I am convinced that even the placed hyperlink on the UTUB cannot be considered information containing obscene abuse, because on our website it is not. And Roskomnadzor considers this distribution. Okay, let's sue, this is not in the law.

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- Do you feel the pressure on your media?

- Yes, of course. This is the second part of my answer, I just wanted to show the context in which all this happens. I’ll say carefully - we feel increased attention to ourselves, it is one hundred percent. Of course, we know that controlling structures, in particular, engaged in the fight against extremism, Roskomnadzor, various safety bodies - they all start the working day and end it with reading local media. We have been observing increased attention to the "taiga" in recent years, especially from 2014 according to understandable reasons. We did not consider it necessary to merge in ecstasy with those who rejoiced at the conflict and the accession of Crimea. And each peak point - the presidential election, some other elections - each time we feel that they look at us more closely. It is clear that any violation will be presented to us immediately.

-They “look at you”, but so far they don’t close, like, say, TV-2 in Tomsk .

Perhaps we are not closed, including because then they themselves will have no place to draw independent information

-Yes , not like TV-2 in Tomsk, not like NTS-4 in Novosibirsk, where I started my career. In Novosibirsk, Taiga and NGS ( Novosibirsk city site. - SR ) are now the last two, relatively speaking, large independent publications. I want to emphasize that we are not a mouthpiece of the opposition, as they often try to imagine us, we simply give the opportunity to express all points of view. But, apparently, this is already unacceptable. Therefore, it is not surprising that we are considered the main enemy. I hope that the Taigu will not close, because in any case we will work as media, no matter how our official status is indicated. I think it is not worth comparing us with TV-2, because this is, firstly, a TV that the authorities considers the most important media, and secondly, as I understand it, it was a personal resentment of the Tomsk governor Zhvachkin. Obviously, the influence of TV-2 on the public life of Tomsk cannot be overestimated, and this was the main thing.

-What confuses me in the situation with the Taiga, we are increasing attendance, we are a popular media, but still it cannot be said that we own the minds of all the inhabitants of Novosibirsk, we have some kind of electoral value. Well, they will close us, but what will change? Then people will begin to receive information from social networks. This is stupidity! And on the other hand, our value is that we nevertheless appeal to people who have some kind of social significance, make decisions. It is clear that we have always been a resource for caring people, civil activists, authorities, business and so on. Perhaps we are not closed, including because then they themselves will have no place to draw independent information.

- As an editor, it has become more difficult for you as an editor in connection with constant supervision and a huge amount of “impossible” that exist in laws that limit freedom of speech?

- The space of freedom around us is compressed. This is obvious. In April, Alexei Venediktov, the editor -in -chief of Echo of Moscow, came to Novosibirsk, and held a meeting with students, future journalists. They asked Venediktov almost one thing: where should we go to study now? That is, they do not see themselves in the profession of a journalist, because there are all these laws on Fake-Nuus, about insulting power and many others that were adopted before. And I must say that Alexei Alekseevich lit and said: “At Echo of Moscow, we also discussed all these laws and realized that we cannot follow them is impossible. Because you will never understand that they will consider fake news or insulting power. We have our own editorial policy, and we work within its framework.” I completely agree with him, if we try to follow all this nonsense, we will not be able to work, this is absolutely for sure, and the only opportunity is to continue to work as before, based on factskening and ethical standards that any journalist should have. In a situation where Roskomnadzor should not be spirit, but the letter of the law, we cannot protect ourselves from everything. Then we must close, or, like a "jellyfish", be under the jurisdiction of another state (which we cannot do), or work as we work. We try to work carefully, reflect different points of view. If United Russia wants to speak out, we will provide such an opportunity, the Communists want - please.

-And if you call any head of Roskomnadzor to him, ask to tell about their interpretation of these laws?

- We most likely will not understand them. Here is the “sign” in the spring he interviewed Senator Klishas, who introduced these new laws, and he spoke like that there ... In my opinion, such an interview does not make sense, because the law enforcement of laws contradicts what he said. And also about the story with the stars. After all, the director of this college played a role there, in which there was a massive beating of one of the students. The director is a member of the "All -Russian Popular Front", and he was on the ONF forum in Sochi and wrote on Facebook that he would talk with Zharov (head of Roskomnadzor) about the Novosibirsk case. We are not the only ones, by the way, who lit it.

- He called you "yellow".

- Yes. "Taigu", NGS, someone else. I think if he really reached Zharov, it played a role, and they raised our publications. Because, I repeat, the articles appeared not today, but more than a week ago.

- Why do you think, starting in 2012, the power in Russia has been so panicky afraid of obscene words? The law has been adopted, it acts, they are closely monitored, fined when they can. Although this is just a language in which everyone speaks, both bosses and subordinates.

In normal life, these officials often use obscene words. But on paper or on the screen they cannot stand them

- The taboo of the language, in which in everyday life those who adopt laws and controls their execution are talking in everyday life, is an amazing phenomenon. Perhaps this is due to the false understanding of the correctness of life, which is expressed in the propaganda of Orthodox, family values, HIV shouting, spiritual scrapers and everything else, on which, in their opinion, patriarchal Russia is held. I have been working in political journalism for 17 years, I communicated quite a lot with politicians, with lawmakers, security forces, and I can note that in normal life these officials often use obscene words. But on paper or on the screen, they cannot stand them for some reason, apparently due to a false understanding of patriarchal Rus'. It seems to them that in this salvation from our problems is the lack of competition in power, authoritarian regime, punitive laws, lack of elections. Apparently, this is the simplest that you can fight is a mat, homosexuality, HIV, ”said Evgeny Maddarikov .

On Wednesday afternoon, the editors of Taigi.info received a protocol on an administrative offense from the RKN. Evgeny Mezdarikov as an official is accused of "making media products containing obscene abuse." The compiler of the protocol also reports that this “violation” was revealed during the “unscheduled event”, which indirectly confirms the version of the editor -in -chief about the inclicable interest of employees of the Novosibirsk Roskomnadzor in this publication.