Polling shows that Russians just don’t care about ‘foreign agent’ designations for journalists (and most don’t even know it’s happening)

Roughly two-thirds (65 percent) of Russians say they’re unaware that the state authorities maintain a registry of “foreign agent” media outlets, which currently includes independent publications like Meduza and Dozhd television. Just 34 percent of respondents in a new survey by the Levada Center told pollsters that they’ve heard something about this.

According to the Levada Center’s study, on average, the best-informed Russians are 55 or older and frequent readers of Telegram channels. Russians with the least knowledge of the campaign against “foreign agent” journalists are typically between the ages of 25 and 39 and those who get most of their information from television.

Asked if they approve of the government’s policy of designating “foreign agents” in the news media, 11 percent of the Levada Center’s respondents expressed approval, 19 percent expressed disapproval, and 66 percent said they don’t care.

Since June 2021, the share of Russians who say the country’s “foreign agent” law is intended to pressure independent civic institutions rose marginally from 40 percent to 45 percent. The percentage of Russians who say the law is meant to curb the West’s damaging influence on Russia remained unchanged (slipping within the margin of error from 37 to 36 percent).