Lenta.ru

Lenta.ru (stylised as LƐNTA.RU) is a Russian-language online newspaper. Based in Moscow, it is owned by Rambler Media Group. In 2013, the Alexander Mamut-owned companies "SUP Media" and "Rambler-Afisha" merged to form "Afisha.Rambler.SUP", which owns Lenta.ru.[1] In 2012, the online newspaper was one of the most popular Russian language online resources with over 600 thousand visitors daily.[2]

In March 2014, Lenta.ru underwent a change of leadership following politically motivated interference by its owner. Editor-in-chief Galina Timchenko and 39 staff members left the outlet and later founded a newspaper Meduza, in November of the same year.[3][4]

History

Replacement of the leadership and staff in 2014

Following a March 10, 2014, Lenta.ru interview by Ilya Azar of from the Right Sector's Kyiv branch,[13] Russian censorship organization Roskomnadzor accused Lenta.ru of violating Russian media censorship and "counter-extremism" laws.[14][13][15][16][17][18] Since the warning by Roskomnadzor was the second issued in a 12-month period, Roskomnadzor could ask the courts to terminate Lenta.ru's mass media license.[14][17] Both the BBC and The Economist called Russian state response to the publications by Lenta.ru a censorship.[1][19]

On March 12, 2014 the owner, Alexander Mamut, fired the Editor-in-Chief Galina Timchenko and replaced her with Alexey Goreslavsky. Thirty-nine employees out of the total 84, including Director-general Yuliya Minder, lost their jobs. This includes 32 writing journalists, all photo-editors (5 people) and 6 administrators.[20] The employees of Lenta.ru issued a statement that the purpose of the move was to install a new Editor-in-Chief directly controlled by the Kremlin and turn the website into a propaganda tool.[21] Dunja Mijatović, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, referred to the move as a manifestation of censorship.[22]

Galina Timchenko, together with a team of around 20 journalists who resigned from their jobs at Lenta.ru, started the new internet newspaper Meduza.[23][24]

Coverage of 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 9 May 2022, the Russian Victory Day, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lenta.ru briefly displayed information about the Russian war against Ukraine in a way that did not comply with government regulations or the enforced guidelines of Lenta.ru. Articles were published regarding the mass killing of civilians, looting, abandoned bodies of Russian troops, the destruction of Mariupol, censorship, governmental lies to relatives of deceased soldiers, attacks against the freedom of press, and more. Lenta.ru journalists Egor Polyakov and Alexandra Miroshnikova have stated that they were the authors of these articles, and reported that they now need new jobs, lawyers, and political asylum. The content was quickly removed, but can be found in Wayback Machine.[25][26]

class	skin-invert
url	http://lenta.ru/
commercial	Yes
type	Online newspaper
language	Russian
registration	Free/Subscription
owner	Rambler Media Group (subsidiary of Sberbank)
author	Anton Nossik
launch date	September 18, 1999
current status	Active

History

Replacement of the leadership and staff in 2014

Coverage of 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Chief editors

Management

Awards and recognitions

External links

References