Diversifying the Media Landscape: Case Study of Two Alternative Russian Media

Abstract

The Russian government tends to control most media outlets in the country either directly, through state-owned companies or through a so-called political elite. This, along with existence of various restrictive laws and their usage, forms a barrier to the flourishing of ethical, unbiased, and objective journalism. Nevertheless, a few independent media outlets still function in Russia. They adhere to certain self-protective strategies to be able to deliver an alternative agenda. This thesis focuses on two media outlets in particular — Meduza and Lentach. The study, based on multiple data sources, explores their work and ethics, codes of conduct, and media and journalistic content they produce.