Entire staff of Russian TV channel resigns live on-air over Ukraine Invasion [Watch]
The entire workforce of Russian television channel resigned live on air, after declaring “no to war” in its final telecast. The decision was taken after authorities in Russia suspended operations of the channel over its coverage of the Ukraine invasion.
“We need strength to exhale and understand how to work further. We really hope that we will return to the air and continue our work,” network’s CEO Natalia Sindeyeva, who is one of the founders of the channel said.
Natalia Sindeyeva said “No to war” in the last telecast of the channel as all employees present in the studio staged a walkout.
The footage of the mass resignation was extensively shared on social media.
Here's the video:
Meanwhile TVRain, the last independent media outlet operating in Russia, has shut down — here's the last few minutes of its broadcast, poorly Google Translated. It then cut to Swan Lake, which has particular relevance: https://t.co/XXtUHroZkt pic.twitter.com/Iq7HSal7FW
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 3, 2022
Following the mass resignation, the viral video shows, the channel played the same 'Swan Lake' ballet video that was aired on state-run TV channels in Russia when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio station, one of Russia's last liberal media outlets, has also been dissolved by its board after coming under pressure over its coverage of the Ukraine invasion, its editor said on Thursday.
The station, one of the leading news channels in Russia, had been taken off the air on Tuesday albeit it appeared still to be broadcasting on YouTube after the board's decision was put out.
The radio station has shown interviews with Ukrainian journalists who detailed the horrors of Russian invasion, a decision, which as per the New York Times, could have crossed a line.
The Editor-in-Chief Alexei Venediktov told Reuters this week that the station would not desert the independent editorial line that has been its trademark for three decades, declaring: "Our editorial policies will not change."
The US accused Russia of launching a "full war on media freedom and the truth" by blocking independent news outlets and preventing Russians from hearing news of the invasion of Ukraine.
"Russia's government is also throttling Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram platforms that tens of millions of Russia's citizens depend on to access independent information and opinions," the State Department said.
Russians also used social media to connect to each other and the outside world, state department added.
First published: 4 March 2022, 17:52 IST