Welcome to The Fix’s weekly news digest! Every week, we bring you important news stories from the world of media – and try to put them in a wider context.

This week, the last major independent news outlet in Russia, Novaya Gazeta, suspended publication. The suspension is meant to be temporary, until the end of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Novaya Gazeta was founded in the early 1990s. It has been one of the leading independent newspapers in Russia, known for its high-profile investigations. Its editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov is the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2021; he dedicated the prize to six of his paper’s journalists murdered for their work over the years.

After the Russian government started its invasion of Ukraine and cracked down on remaining free media by imposing unprecedented censorship, Novaya Gazeta tried to continue operation from Russia within new boundaries, a marked difference to most other independent outlets, which either closed a few weeks ago (TV Rain, Echo Moscow) or operate from outside the country (Meduza).

Yet, after several warnings from the authorities, Novaya Gazeta decided to pause online and print publications until the end of the war. As well as the prospects of ending the war itself, it’s unclear whether and when Novaya Gazeta will be able to resume full-scale publication in print and online. Yet, as Meduza reports, the newsroom is ready to continue working, looking for new ways to serve its readers.   

More from The Fix: Are independent Russian media gone for good?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is constantly bringing new casualties, including new casualties among journalists covering the war.

Late last week, Russian shelling injured two Ukrainian reporters. Andriy Tsaplienko, a reporter for 1+1 TV channel, was injured in the northern city of Chernihiv, while Channel 24‘s camera operator Oleksandr Navrotskyi was hit by Russian shelling in the Kyiv region.

Besides, Ukrainian journalist Iryna Dubchenko was illegally detained by Russian forces and taken to the city of Donetsk, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

More from The Fix: Russian forces target journalists, civilians

The Financial Times launched FT Edit, a smartphone app that opens access to a daily selection of eight articles, for a fraction of the normal subscription price – £0.99/month in the first six months, then rising to £4.99 (€5.91) a month. 

The newspaper’s aim is to attract new people who can’t afford a full subscription. As PressGazette reports, FT now has over a million paying digital subscribers, but its social media reaches 26 million people – and they will be the target audience for the new product.

A new report published this week by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), an alliance led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, laments the threats to press freedom in Greece. 

According to Politico’s summary, the report shows that “the independence of the media and the safety of journalists are under greater threat in Greece than in most other EU countries.”

Based on the fact-finding mission that took place in December, the authors point to Greece’s government slow and opaque approach to investigating the assassination of crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz, as the government’s attempts to “control the message”, as well as the challenges in covering immigration and protest.

Bonus — Five more stories you might want to check out:

Reuters: Telegram joins program from Brazil’s Electoral Court to fight fake news

Photo by rishi on Unsplash