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Putin closes Russian news agency

Summary

9 December 2013

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has closed down the country's state-owned news agency RIA Novosti. He announced it will be replaced by a news agency called Russia Today, led by one of the Kremlin's strongest supporters.

Reporter:

Daniel Sandford

Report

During Vladimir Putin's time as Russia's leader, RIA Novosti has tried hard to produce balanced coverage¹ for Russian and international audiences. Although state-owned, it has reflected the views of the opposition², and covered difficult topics for the Kremlin. 

Now, without warning, and with a stroke of President Putin's pen, it has been abolished. It's not clear yet what it was that sealed the agency's fate. 

The decree abolishing RIA Novosti also gets rid of the state-owned Voice of Russia radio station. It creates a new news agency under the "Rossia Segodnya" or "Russia Today" brand. Until now Russia Today has broadcast Kremlin-friendly news in several languages on TV and its website. 

The new Russia Today International News Agency will be headed by Dmitry Kiselev, a journalist who has been an ardent³ supporter of Vladimir Putin and who recently said that gay people should be banned from giving blood. He said their hearts should be burned rather than used in transplants.