"The Special Military Operation" on Russia's Internet

Week before last, there were more independent media voices and less online censorship in Russia than many of us in the West might have imagined. But with every passing day that Russian troops are in Ukraine, it becomes harder for their friends and family back home to access and share independent news of what is happening. The Kremlin has cracked down hard on dissent, the remnants of a free press, and social media platforms it does not control.

How does the Russian public navigate between the unavoidable official story of state-backed media, a yearning for more independent information, and the ongoing erosion of spaces (even if just digital ones) where people can congregate to share gossip, grouse, or even organize? And how will the astonishing events of the past two weeks permanently alter the Russian internet? Join Future Tense and Cronkite Global Initiatives at ASU's Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication to consider these questions.

Speakers:

Taisia Bekbulatova
Editor in Chief, Holod Media

Yana Pashaeva
Freelance journalist based in Moscow
2020-2021 Humphrey Fellow at Cronkite School of Journalism, ASU

Ben Dalton
Fellow, Future Frontlines Program, New America

Moderator:

Andrés Martinez
Editorial Director, Future Tense
Professor of Practice, Cronkite School of Journalism, ASU

This event is hosted by Future Tense and Cronkite Global Initiatives Arizona State University's Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.