The BBC was one of the first news outlets to leave Russia following the country’s new censorship laws noting that journalists and individuals in the country may be incarcerated for up to 15 years if they report “fake” information about what’s occurring in Ukraine.
However, despite a new censorship law, the English news channel is now making a u-turn as it will resume its English-language reporting. The BBC noted an “urgent need to report from inside Russia” but did not detail how journalists would attempt to maneuver Russia’s edict.
“We have considered the implications of the new legislation alongside the urgent need to report from inside Russia,” the BBC said in a statement, per TheWrap.
“After careful deliberation, we have decided to resume English language reporting from Russia this evening (Tuesday 8 March), after it was temporarily suspended at the end of last week.”
The BBC continued by saying that they will lean heavily on the strict editorial standards but didn’t explain the criteria to keep those reporting safe in Russia.
“We will tell this crucial part of the story independently and impartially, adhering to the BBC’s strict editorial standards,” the statement added. “The safety of our staff in Russia remains our number one priority.”
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
