What is Meduza?
Meduza is an independent Russian-language news website based in Riga, Latvia. It was founded in 2014 by the former chief editor of Lenta.ru, Galina Timchenko, along with a team of journalists who resigned from Lenta.ru due to political pressure and curtailing of editorial independence.
Meduza aims to publish high-quality journalism and provide objective news and analysis without censorship. The website covers major events in Russia, former Soviet republics, and around the world. It focuses on politics, society, technology, and culture.
Key features that distinguish Meduza include:
- Editorial independence from the Russian government and investors
- Base of operations in Latvia allows avoidance of Russian media regulations
- Innovative news formats such as interactive longreads and visual storytelling
- Talented team of experienced Russian journalists and editors
- Clean, readable web design optimized for readability
Since its founding, Meduza has grown to become one of the most popular and respected independent news sources for Russian speakers worldwide. However, the website was designated as a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities in 2021, imposing bureaucratic requirements and threatening its financial viability through loss of advertisers.
The Economist, BBC News, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, Vox.com, USA TODAY, Russia Today, NPR News, News as Facts, The Daily Beast, HuffPost, Public Library of Science are some alternatives to Meduza.