The strategy of the Russian government to counteract the emergence of an unmediated public sphere in online media - Old methods in a new environment?

Essay from the year 2020 in the subject Communications - Media and Politics, Politic Communications, grade: 1,0, , language: English, abstract: This paper wants to ascertain if the Russian government's strategy to regulate internet media uses totally new methods or if the tools used to control online content are often indistinguishable from the ones used in traditional media. To answer this question first it will be worked out a theoretical framework, based on which this research can be conducted. Next will be an overview about the development and usage statistics of the Russian internet, before the legal and non-legal strategy concerning the internet media regulation in Russia, as well as related phenomena will be elaborated. The paper ends with a conclusion and an outlook on possible further development and necessary research. One important tool of the current Russian elites under the leadership of President Putin to secure power is controlling the media, as it helped them maintain Putin's popularity despite several economic crisis and sanctions. Having secured control over traditional media, Russia's ruling regime however entered a battle with content shared on social media and internet media outlets 'to consolidate an information dominance over citizens', as the online sphere brings several new threats for the Russian government, including counter narratives to official propaganda and the coordination of oppositional forces.