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Bloomberg and the BBC said Friday they are temporarily suspending their news operations in Russia after lawmakers approved legislation that threatens to imprison journalists and individuals for up to 15 years if they publish what Moscow deems to be "fake" information about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Why it matters: The new law will make it very hard for Western outlets to report factually from the ground on what's happening in Russia.
Details: "This legislation appears to criminalise the process of independent journalism," BBC director-general Tim Davie said in a statement.
Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait wrote to the organization's editorial and research staff on Friday that the company has "with great regret decided to temporarily suspend our news gathering inside Russia."
Meanwhile, CNN on Friday said that it would "stop broadcasting in Russia while we continue to evaluate the situation and our next steps moving forward."
Catch up quick: Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor on Tuesday restricted access to Russian independent outlets Radio Ekho Moskvy and Dozhd TV for "deliberately" sharing what it claimed was false information about the invasion.
Between the lines: Russian regulators have cracked down on independent voices for years, but they ramped up those efforts — including restricting tech platforms like Facebook and Twitter — following Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with ABC, CNN and Bloomberg's statements.
