By Sammie Jones-
Russia’s RT and Sputnik news agencies have been banned from attending a conference on media freedom in London for playing an “active role in spreading disinformation”.
The Uk Foreign Office banned the Russian media outlet from attending the conference after approving the attendance of 60 ministers, 1,000 reporters and members of civil society, all of whom will attend the event on Wednesday this week. Global leaders and representatives from the media industry, journalists, civil society and academia will attend the interactive panel discussions designed to discuss all the challenges faced by journalists, and promote press freedom.
The first day is set to focus on defining the challenges, the second on framing solutions. The structure of the conference will focus on protection and prosecution, including impunity, national frameworks and legislation building trust in media and countering disinformation
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The Russian Embassy condemned the decision as “direct politically motivated discrimination”. A statement from RT read: “It takes a particular brand of hypocrisy to advocate for freedom of press while banning inconvenient voices and slandering alternative media; sadly, the world has learned to expect just that from the UK Foreign Office.”Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a conference on media freedom where journalists are denied access can only be called a “pseudo-conference”.
“This is the most vivid manifestation of the absurdity of what is happening. And this absurdity, unfortunately, in some countries, including the country that hosts this event, often acquires a regular protracted character,” Peskov told reporters in Moscow.”
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office, which organised the conference, said: “We have not accredited RT or Sputnik because of their active role in spreading disinformation. While it’s not possible to accommodate all requests for accreditation, journalists from across the world’s media are attending the conference, including from Russia.”
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The Russian Embassy said it had complained to the Foreign Office over the decision, accusing the UK of a “months-long smear campaign” against RT.
RT said in a statement: “It takes a particular brand of hypocrisy to advocate for freedom of press while banning inconvenient voices and slandering alternative media.”
Sputnik said: “Our goals are clearly indicated in our charter and spreading disinformation is not one of them.”
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