161 Country Report: Information Network
Caroline McClellan
Traditional
European Newsstream
European Newsstream is a website run by Pro Quest that provides access to information from the world’s top news resources and access to regional and local news from countries European-wide. They have news content archived dating back to the 1990s. Information is updated fairly regularly and was last updated on October 3, 2022. The site makes it easy to search key words and instantly be provided with hundreds of news sources related to your search.
European Newsstream – https://proquest/libguides.com/Europeannewsstream
I chose this site because it is a major news stream that provides access to newspapers from all around Europe. The information that they provide covers a range of topics, making it a good option for a variety of information. If looking for very recent information, this may not be the best source since it has not been updated in the past couple months.
Nexis Uni
Nexis Uni is a search engine that provides relevant content on a variety of topics. It allows you to enter keywords or titles in order to specify your search and find the most relevant information. Information is updated regularly with new news, business, and legal sources. Information is available in over 57 languages.
I chose this site because it is a reliable source for research content with a broad range of topics covered. It contains more than 17,000 news, business and legal sources that provide up to date information.
The Moscow Times
The Moscow Times was an independent news source in Russia, from 1992 up until 2017 when it ceased publication of their print edition. From 2017 up to 2022, the newspaper ran an online edition in Russia. Following the invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, journalists for the newspaper were moved to Amsterdam for their own safety and on April 15, the government blocked access to The Moscow Times. The newspaper is owned by Vladimir Jao, Svetlana Korshunova, and Derk Sauer, with many of the authors/editors choosing to go by pseudonyms for their own protection. The team of Russian and English journalists report on the Ukraine war, business, arts and life, and the current situation in Russia.
The Moscow Times – https://www.themoscowtimes.com/
I chose this site because it is an independent news source, meaning that they do not adhere to the government’s rules. While they have now been banned in Russia, this is still a great source to get a less biased view on what is happening within Russia. The website prides itself on adhering to the highest journalistic standards and has taken action to protect its journalists from being persecuted. They have continued to report on the situation with Ukraine, protecting their journalists identities.
Lenta.ru
Lenta.ru is a Russian online newspaper based in Moscow and owned by Rambler Media Group. They provide new coverage on science, technology, sports, culture, and the economy in Russia. It is offered in Russian, from a Russian perspective. This source could definitely be biased as it is owned by the biggest Russia web portal and probably censored towards the government’s positions. A strength is that it updates with new news daily.
Lenta.ru – https://lenta.ru/
I chose this source because it offers the Russian perspective on what is happening daily within Russia. While it does provide information on the war, this source gives more information focused on the environment within Russia and news that affects the daily lives of citizens.
New media
Tass
Tass is the largest Russian news agency and one of the largest news agencies worldwide. Tass is registered as a Federal State Unitary Enterprise, owned by the Government of Russia. Daily, 3,000 news items and about 600-800 photographs and videos from correspondents in Russia and across the world are published.
Tass – Russian News agency – https://tass.com/
I chose this source because it provides the Russian perspective, and while it may be censored or provide biased information, it contains real news from Russia. It also is updated daily, so this provides the most recent, up to date information.
Meduza
Meduza is an international Russian- and English-language publication that aims to provide news about events in Russia, reporting as accurately, objectively, and impartially as possible. With hundreds of sources in Russia and across the former Soviet Union, Meduza strives to provide unbiased information about Russia. The CEO of meduza is Galina Timchenko, a Russian journalist and the editor-in-chief is Kevin Rothrock.
Meduza – https://meduza.io/en
I chose this source because it provides the perspective of someone from Russia and someone who has lived within Russia, while still trying to provide objectivity and be unbiased. This source provides credible information, helping to break down the government’s power over the people.
Russia Insider
Russia insider is a website aimed at media criticism and reform, started by a group of expats living in Russia who felt media coverage in Russia to be biased and inaccurate. The editor and publisher is Charles Bausman, who is an expatriate himself. The website is offered in Russian and publishes content surrounding the current events in Russia.
Russia Insider – https://russia-insider.com/en
I chose this website because it is from the perspective of a Russian expatriate, who has dealt with the censorship and limitations of press within Russia. This source provides objective, unbiased information regarding the situation within Russia and has credible sources within Russia to report out.
Social media
Telegram – Kremlin News
Telegram is one of the largest used social media sites in Russia and is the platform of choice for Kremlin officials. The telegram is regularly updated with new posts relating to current events and news throughout Russia. Telegram is one of the only sites left in Russia that is not censored by the Russian government, so it is a source of reliable, unbiased information. It is not known who specifically runs the telegram page, but it is said to be “a group of experts and journalists.” The identity of the author is most likely withheld so they are not put in danger for spreading information that the government would not want spread.
Telegram – https://t.me/s/news_kremlin_eng
I chose this as one of my sources because it is the second largest source of information that people in Russia turn to and one of the only sources that the Russian government has not censored yet. I think this provides an unbiased view into what is actually happening in Russia.
Twitter – President of Russia
Twitter is one of many social media sites that is used within Russia. The President of Russia has a twitter with over 1.7 million followers. The account provides information regarding current events and meetings that the president is partaking in. This provides the perspective of the Russian government.
Twitter – https://twitter.com/KremlinRussia_E
I chose this source because it is where the Russian people go to obtain their news about the current events within Russia. While it is a biased perspective, it still provides valuable information into what is going on in Russia.
Youtube – Kremlin
The Kremlin uses Youtube as a way to post videos of conferences/meetings of the President for the people to see. The account has 166,000 followers and has posted over 916 videos. The information presented on the channel is most likely placing the government in a positive light and supporting their initiatives.
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@kremlin/about
I chose this as one of my sources because it is one of the social media sights that people can still access in Russia and see what is happening with the Russian government. While it is biased towards the Russian government’s goals, it provides useful information.
Data sources
Statista
Statista is an online statistics portal that offers a wide variety of data on over 170 industries and more than 150 countries. Statista is run by stroer Media with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany. They have data on more than 80,000 topics coming from over 22,500 sources. Information can be found in four different languages: German, English, French, and Spanish. Statista is updated regularly and provides users with reliable, accurate information and data regarding countries all around the world.
Statista.com
I chose this source because it is very easy to navigate and useful when looking for data on a specific topic, allowing you to search key words. It also provides reliable information that you can rely on as credible as it has come from multiple sources around the world. Overall, they provide relevant data.
The World Bank
The World Bank for the Russian Federation provides data and statistics on social, economic, environment, and institutions. The World Bank is offered in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. It is run by a Board of Governors made up from 189 member countries. The World Bank offers unbiased data and statistics on multiple countries and multiple topics.
The World Bank – https://data.worldbank.org/country/russian-federation
I chose this source because it provides objective, unbiased data and multiple different topics and countries. This source could be useful when comparing different countries. It makes it very easy to find data and allows you to search to find what you are looking for.
Our World in Data
Our World in Data is an online resource that provides data on range of topics from social and political to legal and economic. Our World in Data is run by Edouard Mathieu and is based in the United Kingdom. This source provides an outside perspective through the use of data and statistics.
Our World in Data – https://ourworldindata.org/country/russia
I chose this source because it provides another source of unbiased, objective statistics and data about a range of different topics. It has data from many years and can help to provide insight into what is going on within Russia.
Visual and/or audio
Radio Sputnik
Radio Sputnik is a radio source based in Moscow, Russia that provides English language radio and news talks from a Russian perspective. It is a state-owned news agency and radio broadcast service that publishes over 800 hours of radio broadcasting material daily in over 31 languages. Radio Sputnik has been active for over 93 years and focuses on global politics and economics.
Radio Sputnik – https://sputniknews.com/radio/
I chose this source because it provides the Russian perspective on politics and economics. While this is a good source to gain this perspective, you must be careful as it has been described as “a Russian propaganda outlet”. Overall, this source still provides useful information from the Russian perspective.
Rt.com
Rt.com is a global TV news network that provides information on current events, news, and documentaries. Information is offered in seven different languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Serbian, and Russian. They cover stories overlooked by mainstream media and provide a Russian viewpoint on major global events. RT is publicly financed from the budget of the Russian Federation and is run by Margarita Simonyan (editor-in-chief) and Alexey Nikolov (managing director).
Rt.com – https://www.rt.com/
I chose this source because it offers up to date information on the situation in Russia from the Russian perspective. While we know most of this information is likely biased, this information is still helpful to get the full picture of what is happening. It also offers a new perspective, highlighting stories that other news sources would not.
RUPTLY
Ruptly is an international news agency that provides real-time visual news coverage. It is Russian state-owned, which makes it most likely biased towards the government’s position, and based in Berlin, Germany. RT is the owner of Ruptly, with content offered in four languages: English, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic. They claim to offer news “without the blind fold on”. They provide content on live, ongoing events around the world.
Ruptly – https://www.ruptly.tv/en/events
I chose this source because it provides live, real-time videos of events going on worldwide. This can provide really good unbiased information about Russia as it is in video form and can show what is happening real time.
Additional
Government.ru
Government.ru is the official website of the government of the Russian federation. The website provides information regarding government meetings and decisions, as well as current news regarding Russia. Information is actively updated and provided by the Russian government. Information from this source could be biased as it is run by the government, leading to concerns about censorship.
I chose this source because while it may be biased towards the perspective of the Russian government, the information they provide can still give insight into what is happening in the country. I think this source also provides information on government decisions within Russia that other sources do not.
Kremlin.ru
This website has information regarding events, documents regarding legal action like executive orders, and contacts for the Russian federation. It also provides insight into the structure of the Russian government. This website is offered in Russian and English and is run by the presidential executive office.
Kremlin.ru – http://www.en.kremlin.ru/
I chose this source because it provides information into the legal environment of Russia, with information on executive orders and laws that are being enacted. This website is biased towards the view of the Russian government.
Aljazeera
Aljazeera is a news channel available in over 150 countries and territories in more than 430 million homes. It provides content related to the Ukraine war, the economy, and opinions, as well as general news. It is run by Al Jazeera Media Network, which is a state-owned Arabic-language international news network.
Aljazeera – https://www.aljazeera.com/where/russia
I chose this source because it provides an outside perspective on the events going on with Russia, while using both print and text to illustrate this information. While this source could still be biased, it is not biased towards the perspective of the Russian government.
