Russian TV channel started broadcasting from new studio in Amsterdam
Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, critical journalism in Russia was silenced. For example, a week after the invasion, the popular, independent TV Rain – in Russian TV Dozhd – delivered. But the journalists of TV Rain will not be silenced, and will broadcast from this week from a custom studio in Amsterdam.
TV Rain has found a place in DPG media’s Init building. The news channel is in the same room as the Moscow Times of the Dutch publisher Derk Sauer, which has been here since the end of March. TV Rain has been around since 2010 and political journalist Mikhail Fishman has been there from the start. That his transmitter on black had to be captured on the Russian invasion at nothing. “It was clear that it would happen. Because in Russia you say war, you say censorship. War means censorship, and then independent journalism cannot exist.
Journalists who name by name – namely the date of the invasion of Ukraine is not a ‘special military operation’ but simply war – risk a best efforts obligation. TV Rain was delivered in early March. They started broadcasting again this summer. From Latvia, Georgia, France and also the Netherlands. Fishman: “I’ve been doing my show from Amsterdam for two months now. But we have a real studio.”
Last night there was a modest party to celebrate the opening of the studio. Since TV Rain started making news again – now about four months ago – the channel in Russia has been watched by millions of people via YouTube. “It’s essential,” says Fishman, who came to Amsterdam with his wife and daughter. “You can’t imagine what propaganda bubble the Russians are in. For 20 years actually, since Putin came to power. But you can break that bubble by bringing the news in the right way. was very popular in Russia. On youtube we had millions of viewers. And that’s not the case yet.”
“You can’t show your face when you work for TV Rain”
But informing the Russians from, for example, Amsterdam is of course a lot more difficult. “Professionally it is of course a big challenge. TV Rain was largely dependent on live reports on the street. Reporting demonstrations and lawsuits. That is no longer possible. Our journalists are incognito, because you can’t even show your face see if you work for TV Rain.”
Fishman is happy to continue his work from Amsterdam, but hopes to return to Moscow someday. “I will do that as soon as I can return home. Because it is important that I can do my work from Russia. But I don’t see it happening for the time being.”
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