Agentura.Ru
Encyclopedia
Agentura. Ru is a Russian web-site founded in 2000 as internet-community of journalists who cover terrorism, and Intelligence agencies. Since 2000 by 2006 web-site was supported by ISP Relcom, since 2006 Agentura.Ru is the voluntary project.
Agentura. Ru is considered a respected sources on Russia's
secret services. Its editor is Andrei Soldatov
and deputy editor Irina Borogan
.
Agentura. Ru has been quoted by The New York Times
, the Moscow Times
, the Washington Post
, Online Journalism Review, Le Monde
, The Christian Science Monitor, CNN
, Federation of American Scientists
, the BBC
and the websites of The Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies, Center for Defence Information, The Library of Congress, Cambridge Security Programme. The New York Times
dubbed Agentura.Ru 'a website that came in from the cold to unveil Russian secrets'.
Committee to Protect Journalists
(CPJ) in its annual report "Attacks on the press 2003" quoted Agentura. Ru:
In September 2005 Agentura. Ru Studies and Research Centre / ASRC /, research department of Agentura. Ru project, published the research paper “Terrorism prevention in Russia: one year after Beslan” (English). A short version of it appeared in the Royal United Services Institute
/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor. On June 2006 Agentura.Ru Studies and Research Centre prepared the report "Al Qaeda. The role in the North Caucasus". First published in Novaya Gazeta.
Between January 2006 and late 2008, Agentura.Ru cooperated with Novaya Gazeta
in covering intelligence and terrorism
issues.
In June 2008 The Moscow Times
has written on Agentura.Ru in article "Journalist Enjoying A Security Monopoly"
’s employer Novaya Gazeta
fired him and Agentura.ru colleague Irina Borogan
. In press release, Soldatov and Borogan said that Novaya Gazeta had ceased its collaboration with Agentura.ru without explanation. ‘They even removed our banner from their website,’ said Soldatov, noted by Maria Eismont in Index on Censorship on November 27). The paper’s editors had not met with them; all information came from the personnel department.
As a result of this action, the statement continued, “’Novaya gazeta,’ one of the few independent publications in the country in fact is ceasing to cover the special services and publish investigations [on them and] ‘both the suddenness and the form in which the separation happened gives reason to suppose that it was taken not for purely economic reasons”. reads the statement on Agentura.ru, encouraging readers to guess which of the recently published stories could be the real reason. One of Agentura’s last articles for Novaya Gazeta focused on the former FSB officer Pavel Ryaguzov, accused of murdering Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya
in 2006.
Novaya Gazeta’s deputy editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov denied to Index on Censorship any politics behind the firing. ‘Job cuts, including some of the star writers, are a result of the investors’ decision to cut the funding of the paper. This has nothing to do with professional performance.’ Sokolov added that the job cuts ‘will certainly affect the paper, but not catastrophically’. He said that the newspaper would continue to monitor the secret services, ‘like we always did, even before collaborating with Agentura’. Sokolov added that the coverage of Politkovskaya’s murder case, which he was overseeing himself, would be unaffected.
Roman Shleinov, head of the investigations unit at Novaya Gazeta, told Index on Censorship the paper would continue to do investigations, although there would be less specialisation and journalists would have to write on a wider range of issues. ‘Maybe the job cuts will push the remaining staff to work harder,’ he said. But, in general, Shleinov was pessimistic: ‘It seems that things will get worse.’
Agentura. Ru is considered a respected sources on Russia's
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
secret services. Its editor is Andrei Soldatov
Andrei Soldatov
Andrei Soldatov is a Russian investigative journalist and Russian security services expert. He is a co-founders of the Agentura.Ru web site.-Journalism:...
and deputy editor Irina Borogan
Irina Borogan
-Journalism:Irina Borogan started her journalistic career in 1996 as correspondent of Segodnya newspaper. For Segodnya she covered 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Taiwan earthquake, situation in refugees camps in Ingushetia before the Second Chechen War.In September 2000,...
.
Agentura. Ru has been quoted by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, the Moscow Times
The Moscow Times
The Moscow Times is an English-language daily newspaper published in Moscow, Russia since 1992. The circulation in 2008 stood at 35,000 copies and the newspaper is typically given out for free at places English-language "expats" attend, including hotels, cafés and restaurants, as well as by...
, the Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, Online Journalism Review, Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, The Christian Science Monitor, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Federation of American Scientists
Federation of American Scientists
The Federation of American Scientists is a nonpartisan, 501 organization intent on using science and scientific analysis to attempt make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1945 by scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs...
, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the websites of The Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies, Center for Defence Information, The Library of Congress, Cambridge Security Programme. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
dubbed Agentura.Ru 'a website that came in from the cold to unveil Russian secrets'.
Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
(CPJ) in its annual report "Attacks on the press 2003" quoted Agentura. Ru:
"While some Russian newspapers like the Moscow-based twice-weekly Novaya Gazeta have developed a strong tradition of exposing government abuses and continue to do so, others have been dissuaded after seeing colleagues murdered, beaten, prosecuted, and fined. Journalists who have opted for publishing on the Internet - like Andrei Soldatov, who runs the Web site Agentura.ru and specializes in writing about Russia's powerful security services-have been detained and questioned by security forces angered by articles about their activities".
In September 2005 Agentura. Ru Studies and Research Centre / ASRC /, research department of Agentura. Ru project, published the research paper “Terrorism prevention in Russia: one year after Beslan” (English). A short version of it appeared in the Royal United Services Institute
Royal United Services Institute
The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies , officially still known by its old name, the Royal United Services Institution, is a British defence and security think tank. It was founded in 1831 by The Duke of Wellington.RUSI describes itself asIt won Prospect Magazine's...
/Jane's Homeland Security and Resilience Monitor. On June 2006 Agentura.Ru Studies and Research Centre prepared the report "Al Qaeda. The role in the North Caucasus". First published in Novaya Gazeta.
Between January 2006 and late 2008, Agentura.Ru cooperated with Novaya Gazeta
Novaya Gazeta
Novaya Gazeta is a Russian newspaper well known in the country for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs....
in covering intelligence and terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
issues.
In June 2008 The Moscow Times
The Moscow Times
The Moscow Times is an English-language daily newspaper published in Moscow, Russia since 1992. The circulation in 2008 stood at 35,000 copies and the newspaper is typically given out for free at places English-language "expats" attend, including hotels, cafés and restaurants, as well as by...
has written on Agentura.Ru in article "Journalist Enjoying A Security Monopoly"
"
Agentura.ru has developed into an information and analytical hub, updated on a daily basis and covering developments related to security services in Russia and the former Soviet Union and terrorist groups worldwide. It also publishes articles on the history and practices of foreign security agencies and issues like media and legislative oversight of security services".
Ceasing of cooperation with Novaya Gazeta
On November 12, 2008, Andrei SoldatovAndrei Soldatov
Andrei Soldatov is a Russian investigative journalist and Russian security services expert. He is a co-founders of the Agentura.Ru web site.-Journalism:...
’s employer Novaya Gazeta
Novaya Gazeta
Novaya Gazeta is a Russian newspaper well known in the country for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs....
fired him and Agentura.ru colleague Irina Borogan
Irina Borogan
-Journalism:Irina Borogan started her journalistic career in 1996 as correspondent of Segodnya newspaper. For Segodnya she covered 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Taiwan earthquake, situation in refugees camps in Ingushetia before the Second Chechen War.In September 2000,...
. In press release, Soldatov and Borogan said that Novaya Gazeta had ceased its collaboration with Agentura.ru without explanation. ‘They even removed our banner from their website,’ said Soldatov, noted by Maria Eismont in Index on Censorship on November 27). The paper’s editors had not met with them; all information came from the personnel department.
As a result of this action, the statement continued, “’Novaya gazeta,’ one of the few independent publications in the country in fact is ceasing to cover the special services and publish investigations [on them and] ‘both the suddenness and the form in which the separation happened gives reason to suppose that it was taken not for purely economic reasons”. reads the statement on Agentura.ru, encouraging readers to guess which of the recently published stories could be the real reason. One of Agentura’s last articles for Novaya Gazeta focused on the former FSB officer Pavel Ryaguzov, accused of murdering Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
in 2006.
Novaya Gazeta’s deputy editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov denied to Index on Censorship any politics behind the firing. ‘Job cuts, including some of the star writers, are a result of the investors’ decision to cut the funding of the paper. This has nothing to do with professional performance.’ Sokolov added that the job cuts ‘will certainly affect the paper, but not catastrophically’. He said that the newspaper would continue to monitor the secret services, ‘like we always did, even before collaborating with Agentura’. Sokolov added that the coverage of Politkovskaya’s murder case, which he was overseeing himself, would be unaffected.
Roman Shleinov, head of the investigations unit at Novaya Gazeta, told Index on Censorship the paper would continue to do investigations, although there would be less specialisation and journalists would have to write on a wider range of issues. ‘Maybe the job cuts will push the remaining staff to work harder,’ he said. But, in general, Shleinov was pessimistic: ‘It seems that things will get worse.’
External links
- (Russian) Official website
- (English) Official website
- (Russian) Agentura.Ru Studies and Research Centre / ASRC / website
- (English) Agentura.Ru Studies and Research Centre / ASRC / website
- (English) Agentura on Facebook