Short answers, pulled from the story.
Russia ranked 164 out of 180 countries in the 2013 Press Freedom Index. This low score reflects significant government discretion to suppress speech lacking official support despite constitutional guarantees.
Anna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist known for criticizing Russia's actions in Chechnya who was shot dead on the 7th of October 2006. Her death occurred in the lobby of her apartment building in Moscow and triggered international outcry regarding media safety.
Channel One, Russia TV, and NTV constitute the three main federal channels controlled by the government as of 2013. All but one national TV channel are fully or partially owned by state entities such as Gazprom or structures linked to Vladimir Putin.
Wikipedia was confirmed to be blacklisted on the 5th of April 2013 following an article titled Cannabis Smoking on the Russian Wikipedia site. The blockage represents part of broader efforts to restrict access to information deemed critical of state policy.
Marina Ovsyannikova received an 8.5-year jail term sentenced in absentia on the 4th of October 2023 for spreading false information about the Russian army. This case exemplifies the use of criminal charges against journalists publishing content critical of military actions.