Russia TV: Anti-Russia news blackout lambasted

The war for credible information and news on the Russian attack on Ukraine is being fought as vigorously as the war on the ground, and the casualties are mounting. The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa were concerned about the discontinuation of Russia TV by MultiChoice.

The ANC’s spokesperson Pule Mabe blasted MultiChoice yesterday.

Complaining about the European Union (EU) – or rather MultiChoice – is not what the ANC should be focussed on, said University of Pretoria political sciences lecturer Roland Henwood.

“The ANC has everything wrong on this – not focusing on the issue confronting the world,” Henwood said. 

“The basic legal and normative principles that underpin the international system is at the centre – the sovereignty and existence of a state, in this case Ukraine.

“My understanding is that RT [Russia Today] and other broadcasters from Russia are blocked from broadcasting from Europe and Russia, not by distributors of service.”

Mabe said the ANC believed “this censorship act done in bad faith during the human rights month in South Africa – undermining subscribers’ freedom of association – negatively impacts on the need for plurality of views and media freedom, which is sacrosanct and provided for in our constitution”.

“The reasons conveyed by MultiChoice in seeking to justify this censorship act are quite bizarre and lack any legal or humane justification.

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“Stifling the plurality and diversity of views undermines internationally agreed principles on freedom of speech, choice and association.”

In a statement last week, MultiChoice explained the content was provided by a third party which had withdrawn the service, leaving the satellite television company to face varying levels of discontent and accusations.

Sanef chair Sibusiso Ngalwa said: “Suppression is ranging from silencing of independent news channels within Russia to channels such as Russia Today being removed on the MultiChoice platform in SA.

“The RT feed was blocked by MultiChoice’s provider in Europe as a result of wide-ranging sanctions introduced by the EU against Russia in the aftermath of that country’s invasion of Ukraine.

This was followed by the blocking of RT from numerous news feeds and tech platforms globally.

“We also strongly condemn the bombing of a Ukrainian TV tower in Kyiv that prevents citizens from accessing one of their news sources.

“Russian strikes on the Kyiv TV tower brought down the main TV tower in the nation’s capital, killing five people [last] Tuesday and knocking out some state broadcasting but leaving the structure intact. This violates the rights of media workers in this conflict.”

Russia is also drawing the Iron Curtain on news outlets.

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The BBC and CNN were yesterday the latest casualties in a growing media blackout because of a new law threatening up to 15 years in jail for “fake news” about its invasion.

The new legislation sets out jail terms of varying lengths and fines against people who publish “knowingly false information” about the military.

One of the last remaining independent media outlets in Russia, Mediazona, said yesterday it had been blocked by authorities for its reporting on Moscow’s invasion.

Last week the Ekho Moskvy radio station and Dozhd TV channel, two of Russia’s liberal media outlets, were either dissolved or suspended operations.

Dozens of media workers and independent outlets, including Dozhd, have been designated “foreign agents” by authorities, and many reporters and editors have been forced to quit the country.

Spanish news agency EFE has also pulled the plug due to Russia’s new laws. 

Additional reporting by AFP