Young Voices Under Pressure

Censorship, recruitment attempts by the FSB, propaganda in universities, forced emigration, anonymous bylines, and financial hardship are among the manage challenges that young Russian journalists face today. Vazhnye Istory spoke with several early-career journalists about the realities of working in the profession in Russia today.

In fall 2025, a freelance journalist, Matvei [name changed] sought advice from senior colleagues after being contacted by alleged FSB officers. He said they asked him to monitor the newsroom staff and report back. He refused.

Matvei is not alone. Human rights lawyer Yevgeny Smirnov said recruitment attempts targeting young journalists, NGO workers, and activists have increased sharply in recent months. He said that late last year five people approached him with similar complaints.

Journalist and economic policy expert Alexandra Prokopenko said she observed such recruitment practices even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Students, she said, were sometimes summoned by university administrators and warned that their activities could harm their academic or career prospects.

Smirnov said university officials often play a role in identifying promising students, then sharing information with security services that later approach them.

The FSB intensified its presence at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics around 2019, amid mass protests tied to local elections. A student publication, DOXA, covered the demonstrations extensively.

After 2022, changes accelerated. State-aligned media and pro-war figures took senior roles in journalism programs, and restrictions tightened. One student said she was denied an internship at an independent outlet because its editorial stance did not align with faculty policy. By 2024, applicants to journalism programs were barred from citing materials produced by organizations labeled "foreign agents."

Other institutions saw similar shifts. At the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, a liberal arts faculty that included journalism was dismantled in 2022 after prosecutors accused it of undermining "traditional values." Journalism programs were absorbed into public administration departments, with a stronger emphasis on state narratives.

Still, some universities retain pockets of academic independence. A student identified as Rina said her instructors continue to cite independent outlets in class while advising caution.

Professional challenges persist beyond education. Polina, who trained at a journalism school run by exiled media outlet Novaya Gazeta Evropa, saw the program shut down after authorities labeled it "undesirable." She later joined Groza, an independent outlet focused on student life, initially working anonymously.

When she decided to publish under her real name, editors told her she would need to leave Russia. She relocated abroad, but the outlet soon came under financial pressures. Now based in Tbilisi, Polina said she struggles to legalize her status and feels disconnected from events in Russia.

Another journalist, Alina, studied at a program run by the business daily Kommersant but grew disillusioned. She said visiting lecturers acknowledged liberal views but described self-censorship as necessary.

Alina now writes under and alias for an exiled outlet, and she has remained in Russia. She said anonymity protects her safety but limits her career. "I can’t tell people where I work," she said. 

For some, the strain is pushing them out of journalism altogether. Asya, who has worked at an independent outlet since 2024, said she once saw the profession as a calling. That sense of mission has faded amid constant pressure, financial instability, and fear.

She is considering leaving journalism for public relations. "I just want a normal life," she said.