OSCE to US and Russia: Stop designating media as agents

OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Desir says he is worried by a series of recent measures introduced by the US and Russia.

These countries are requiring media entities from other countries to register themselves as "foreign agents," the OSCE said in a statement.

This week, the United States Department of Justice required the production company working for the Russian broadcaster RT in the United States to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the statement said, and added that on Wednesday, "in an apparent response," the Russian State Duma amended its mass media legislation, allowing authorities to designate certain media outlets as "foreign agents."

According to the information available, on the same day, several media outlets with links to the United States, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, received a...