Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, Russia’s Interior Ministry reportedly urged police across the country to refrain from publishing “negative” news stories (mainly, press releases about crimes committed) on the websites of the ministry’s regional departments. Once the soccer tournament wrapped up on July 17, journalists at the website “7×7” ran the numbers on the content published on ministerial websites in 19 different regions over the past two months. In many areas, not a single “negative” story saw the light of day during the World Cup.
Meduza: Russian police didn’t publish crime reports during World Cup
Security officers patrol the Volgograd railway station in Volgograd, a city hosting several games of the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament, on June 18, 2018.
