Journalism and law: analysis of legislation in the field of press freedom in Russia and China

this study is devoted to the analysis of legislation in the field of press freedom in Russia and China in the context of the development of journalism. The relevance of the topic is due to contradictory trends in media regulation in these countries, as well as the need to develop balanced approaches to ensuring freedom of speech and information. The purpose of the work is to identify the features of the legal regulation of journalistic activity in Russia and China, to assess its impact on the functioning of the media. The research used methods of comparative legal and content analysis, systematization and generalization of empirical data. The empirical basis was made up of legislative acts, court decisions, and media publications from 2015 to 2023. It has been established that both countries have a comprehensive system of legal norms regulating the media sphere, while in Russia the emphasis is shifted towards restrictive measures, and in China - strict state control. Trends towards further tightening of media legislation have been identified (the growth rate of the number of restrictive norms in Russia is 1.24, in China – 1.31). It is shown that legal mechanisms are often used to put pressure on independent journalism, which negatively affects the implementation of its functions in society. The results obtained have theoretical value for the development of media law and practical significance for improving law enforcement in this area. It seems promising to explore the possibilities of harmonizing media legislation with international standards, taking into account the national specifics of Russia and China.

journalism, freedom of the press, media legislation, media regulation, Russia, China