Disciplining the influential media in Russia

Over the past month, the Kremlin has taken a number of steps against the RBC media holding. The internet portal, newspaper, monthly magazine and business TV channel which make up this group are among the few influential media outlets which publish materials inconvenient for the Kremlin, and the RBC portal is among the most frequently quoted websites in Russia. The oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov controlled a majority stake in the holding. In 2011 he was the leader of the government-controlled political party Right Cause (Pravoye Delo), and in 2012 he was the Kremlin-licensed candidate in the presidential election. Onexim Group – which is owned by Prokhorov – was searched in mid-April this year. Then an investigation was launched into the alleged embezzlement of funds at RBC, and articles suggesting that Prokhorov intended to sell his shares in RBC were published in the press which closely co-operate with the Kremlin. This pressure resulted in the key editors resigning on 13 May, and some of the journalists have left RBC as a result.