Putin’s Folly And The U.S. Media Industry’s Solidarity

Watching the tragic events in Ukraine occurring in real time demonstrates the awesome responsibility of the American media to ensure the truth about the unjustified invasion continues to be told. The well-planned attack by a nuclear superpower on a small sovereign nation that posed no military threat is nothing short of a criminal act. It’s not Ukrainian weapons that Russia is scared of — it’s the Ukrainian peoples’ desire for democracy and commitment to freedom that terrifies the autocrats next door.

The patriotism of the Ukrainian people is an inspiration to individuals and nations around the world. The fierceness with which they have turned back the Russian invaders has shocked many of us. But the reality rifles and Molotov cocktails will only hold off armored columns and air strikes for so long. Putin is in so far now that he may stop at nothing to subdue his former subjects. Ukrainians will no doubt continue to fight as long as one Russian tank remains in the country. The prospect of a prolonged guerilla war between Ukrainian resistance and Russian occupiers is very real.

Such a war will likely result in further damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure and, more importantly, should raise the ire of the Russian people who will be forced to pay the cost in rubles and lives of this ill-advised aggression. And such a war should not only remain on the minds of, but be strongly supported with weapons and humanitarian aid by freedom-loving people here at home and around the world. The question I have is, do we have the attention span and intestinal fortitude to do so?

In an age where public opinion is shaped by 140-character messages and 30-second videos, we tend to grow weary of the truly important issues. Will we grow bored with the travesty of Ukraine in a few weeks and allow Putin and his henchmen to have their way with that nation and its people?  Will we be so upset at the price we have to pay — higher energy prices and further disruptions to the supply chain — that we demand our political leaders end the economic sanctions on Russia?

Or do we have the commitment to defending freedom on which this nation was built to suffer minor inconveniences — none of which comes close to what the Ukrainians are going through — to continue to squeeze the Russian economy until its own people tell Putin “Enough is enough?”

I hope it is the latter. And I hope the American media industry, which has been doing such an incredible job of covering the war so far, continues to focus on developments in Ukraine and in a way that inspires America and the world to pay attention and take action.

And if you don’t think the free press is a critical component of a free nation, look no further than these examples of the propaganda that Putin expects the Russian people to swallow.

Beyond news outlets covering the invasion virtually 24/7, I’ve been keenly observing and am heartened by how media and technology entities are collectively rallying to assist Ukraine. It goes far, and it goes wide — encompassing media-related sanctions, banning business with Russia, conducting offensive cyberattacks against state-run media, and undertaking humanitarian efforts to assist Ukrainians.

On the broadband side, Liberty Global is offering free calls and texts from Europe to and from Ukraine, and free data to customers currently within the country’s borders. Liberty’s Polish employees are raising funds for refugees that will be doubled by UPC Polska, its Polish telecom operation, and donating supplies to refugees.

Both Verizon and Astound Broadband are waiving domestic and international calling charges for their customers in Ukraine; Verizon is also waiving text roaming charges and encouraged its customers to donate to the International Rescue Committee for emergency supplies.

Taking a page from the EU’s playbook, which said it would ban all Russian-sponsored media, DirecTV and Roku dropped Kremlin-financed state broadcast network RT from their U.S. lineups as of March 1. Comcast-NBCUniversal’s IMD (International Media Distribution) told its U.S. pay TV distributors that it was removing its Russian-language channels. Discovery and WarnerMedia suspended broadcasts of Russian channels and business with Russia this week.

The New York Times, Bloomberg, Netflix, Amazon/Amazon Prime Video and TikTok have followed several major networks in withdrawing from or halting service to Russia. The news divisions of CNN International, ABC, CBS, the BBC and CBC cited their embedded reporters’ safety and a new law passed by Russian parliament allowing 15-year prison sentences for anyone accused of spreading anything Russia deems “fake” information in the country.

The NAB showed its solidarity by urging broadcasters carrying Russian-sponsored programming to drop the limited amount they offer. NATPE announced it would ban Russian companies from its upcoming international television sales market in Budapest, and Brunico Communications’ parent Realscreen said it would suspend business relations with Russian-based companies until Russian stops its aggression against Ukraine.

On the Big Tech front, Facebook parent Meta said last week it would block access to RT and Sputnik across the European Union, and that it has applied algorithmic restrictions to Russian state media to prevent it from surfacing as prominently in users’ feeds. Google and YouTube said they won’t allow Russian state media outlets to run ads or monetize their content (though this week Google and other platforms were called out for continuing to invest advertising dollars across numerous websites that promote Russian disinformation). Twitter announced plans to “reduce the visibility and amplification” of Russian state media content.

Microsoft has de-ranked Russian state-sponsored sites search results and has banned all advertising from RT and Sputnik across its ad network. Both Apple and Microsoft have removed RT apps from their app stores, and Apple announced it will no longer sell its products in Russia.

Russia’s attacks on Ukraine continue to destroy infrastructure, and damage has disrupted internet access in Ukraine. After a government official publicly plead for Starlink satellite internet access for the country, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk obliged, activating Starlink service in Ukraine and sending additional hardware.

Internet and other tech companies have been aware of — and battling — Russia’s dark world of cybercrime for decades. Cyberspace has become the true, and perhaps more sustained battlefield than even what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine.

Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) detected a new round of “offensive and destructive cyberattacks” on Ukraine’s digital infrastructure that started several hours before physical attacks began on February 24. Microsoft president Brad Smith reminded readers in a blog post that the company has long advocated creating a Geneva Convention to govern cyberspace. In the meantime, Ukraine is openly soliciting an “IT Army,” and loosely organized groups including Cyber Partisans and global hacking alliance Anonymous are answering the call, claiming responsibility for disabling a host of Russian and Belarusian government websites and hacking pro-Russian ransomware groups.

I’m encouraged that the media industry is willing to forego earnings in order to stand in support of any and all efforts aimed at ending Putin’s folly. It’s more significant than simply getting a country like Russia to quit its insane notion that it can take any country it wants, impose its brand of “democracy” on the world, and allow a madman running a superpower to rule, with no consequences. If we don’t draw the line here, what’s next?

Joe Annotti is president and CEO of the Media Financial Management Association and its BCCA subsidiary, the media industry’s credit association. He can be reached at [email protected] and via the association’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.