Popular propagandist weekly "Rio Plus" closes down in the occupied Luhansk region
In occupied Alchevsk (Luhansk region), the weekly newspaper "Rio Plus," which provided informational support to the occupiers' regime, closed down due to financial difficulties.
informator.media reports this, citing local residents.
"The print run has not exceeded 3,000 recently, and advertisers have been leaving quickly because of the war," notes the publication's source of the publication, close to the "LPR" group's publishing sphere.
"Rio Plus" themselves stated that they will close down on July 27, and subscribers will instead be receiveing the "Express Novosti" newspaper, which "Rio Plus" will merge with. They allegedly promise to keep the editorial staff in Alchevsk.
According to informator.media, the newspaper has been running since 2002 and was one of the few private publications in the occupied territory.
The newspaper is owned by the Kulinchenko family, which owns the former Luhansk Regional Printing House, and now "Press-Express" LLC.
"With the beginning of the occupation, the Luhansk residents' business in Alchevsk was not affected, but the newspaper itself shrank from 32 to 20 pages. Private and commercial announcements are now diluted with official news from regional and city separatist authorities. The subject matter of the commercial block of the publication has also changed – advertising of peaceful services and household goods has been replaced by announcements about the pensions being now paid in cash and about passenger transport to russia," informator.media reports.
Most of the printing commissions were taken away from Kulinchenko by the occupation authorities, who created their own enterprise SE "Gosreklama," on the basis of which all the municipal newspapers of the "LPR" group are being printed.
Let us add that the occupiers announced the holding of a "referendum" on including the occupied territories into russia. So it is quite possible that the closure of the newspaper, or rather, its merger with another media outlet, is a step aimed at enhancing the control over propaganda content.
Help us be even more cool!
