The Ministry of Digital Development proposed to exempt state media from reporting foreign income because they are not subject to “external influence”

The Ministry of Digital Development proposed to exempt state media from quarterly reports to Roskomnadzor on foreign funding. developed by the ministry . to the bill drew attention Interfax

Since 2016, Roskomnadzor has been publishing lists of media outlets reporting on foreign funding. The latest report for the 1st quarter of 2021 mentions TASS and Russia Today .

The Media Law does not include revenue from the sale of advertising or one’s own materials as such income, and also does not apply to representative offices of foreign publications. We are talking about grants from other states, foreign companies and citizens, international organizations and NPOs from the register of “foreign agents”.

According to the explanatory note, “attempts to influence the Russian information space from the outside with the aim of biased information and creating a distorted picture of political reality can only take place in relation to commercial media.”

In the case of state publications, without “international information exchange, cooperation with world, national and regional news agencies <...> it is impossible <...> comprehensive objective coverage of world events.”