Putin says Russia should look into law that labels some media foreign agents

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that authorities will review a law under which dozens of news outlets and reporters have been labelled as “foreign agents”, which critics see as a tool for stifling dissent.

Putin told a group of journalists and Russia experts that he would look into the “fuzzy criteria” under which media are added to the list.

The “foreign agent” tag is used to designate what authorities say are foreign-funded organisations engaged in political activity. It carries highly negative Soviet-era overtones and has prompted some media to shut down after sponsors and advertisers withdrew their support.