J-Lab Episode 36: Reporting Russia with Meduza's Ivan Kolpakov

J-Lab

New laws banning independent coverage of the invasion of Ukraine have forced many news outlets to leave Russia. Meduza claims to be Russia’s biggest independent media outlet even though its editors have been based, in exile, in neighbouring Latvia for most of the last 10 years. In recent years Meduza’s reporting has ranged from exposing the presence of Russian mercenaries in Venezuela to uncovering the machinations of the Kremin’s propaganda apparatus. Now it finds itself reporting the war in Ukraine, but just last week it had to evacuate more than 20 of its reporters from Russia In this episode, we speak with Meduza editor-in-chief and co-founder Ivan Kolpakov who explains what life has been like for Russian journalists under Vladimir Putin, a leader who uses the power of TV to spread propaganda and convince the Russian people of his narrative. Ivan describes how it's possible to operate in exile, and why he believes it will take a long time for independent journalism to help Russian people see through the disinformation and lies. To support the work of Meduza, visit https://save.meduza.io/eu