Mediazona facts for kids
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Type of site
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News website |
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| Available in | Russian, English |
| Owner | Pyotr Verzilov |
| Created by | Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina |
| Editor | Sergey Smirnov (editor-in-chief) |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | None |
| Launched | September 4, 2014 |
| Current status | Active |
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Content license
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Proprietary |
Mediazona (Russian: Медиазона) is an independent news website from Russia. It was started by Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. The website focuses on news about the justice system, law enforcement, and prisons in Russia. Its main editor is Sergey Smirnov.
Mediazona works with a group called Zona Prava. This group helps protect the rights of people in prison. Together, they aim to share important stories that might not be covered by other news outlets.
Contents
What is Mediazona?
Mediazona is a news site that looks closely at how the legal system works in Russia. This includes courts, police, and prisons. It was created to bring more transparency to these areas.
Why Was Mediazona Started?
Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova started Mediazona after they were released from prison in 2013. They had been in prison for almost two years.
A Look at Their Beginnings
Their arrest happened after a performance they called a "punk prayer." This took place inside a famous church in Moscow in 2012. During their performance, they asked for protection for Russia against Vladimir Putin. He was re-elected as Russia's president shortly after.
While in prison, Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova said they faced very difficult conditions. They described long working hours and poor health conditions for prisoners. These experiences made them want to create a platform to share what was happening.
What Mediazona Aims to Do
Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova said Mediazona was created to highlight problems in Russia's courts and prison systems. They also wanted to fill a gap in independent news.
Filling a News Gap
Around 2014, many Russian news outlets faced challenges. Their leaders were sometimes replaced with people who supported the government more. This left fewer independent news sources available.
When Mediazona began, Tolokonnikova explained their goal. She said they felt Russian news could no longer freely report on certain issues. She mentioned that there was little space for news that questioned government policies or reported on human rights issues. Mediazona wanted to cover everything related to courts, prisons, arrests, and legal cases.
Alyokhina added that many important political issues in Russia happen in courtrooms. She hoped Mediazona would bring more transparency to these events. They wanted to help change the way independent news worked in Russia.
Mediazona Today
In 2016, Tolokonnikova said Mediazona had about 2.2 million visitors each month. This made it a smaller news site compared to some others in Russia. However, they were always looking for ways to grow.
How They Operate
Mediazona is mainly funded by donations. It also gets money from speaking fees when Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova give talks.
The site has reported on many important stories. For example, in 2015, they wrote about unexplained deaths of people in police custody in Siberia. They also interviewed a former prisoner from a camp in Ukraine. This interview described how pro-Russian groups took over the prison camp.
Facing Challenges
Journalists from Mediazona have faced difficulties. In 2016, a Mediazona journalist named Yegor Skovoroda was attacked. This happened while he was traveling with other reporters and activists in Ingushetia. The group was trying to enter Chechnya for a press trip. They planned to meet people who had been harmed or whose family members had been taken. The attackers set their vehicle on fire.
Mediazona has a media license in Russia. However, Tolokonnikova said in 2016 that they worried this license could be taken away.
In 2021, the Russian Ministry of Justice labeled Mediazona as a "foreign agent." This means the government sees them as being influenced by outside sources.
In March 2022, Mediazona was blocked in Russia by Roskomnadzor. This happened because of their reporting on the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Roskomnadzor demanded the website shut down. Mediazona refused and shared ways for Russians to get around the block. They promised to keep working, saying it was their duty to their readers.
Awards and Recognition
- Free Media Awards, 2020
Images for kids
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Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, the founders of Mediazona.
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Pyotr Verzilov, the publisher of Mediazona.
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Sergey Smirnov, the editor-in-chief of Mediazona.
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