▁been ▁allowed ▁to ▁operate ▁fairly ▁independently ." ▁The ▁Internet ▁has ▁attract ed ▁Put in ' s ▁attention ▁because ▁his ▁critics ▁have ▁tried ▁to ▁use ▁it ▁to ▁challenge ▁his ▁control ▁of ▁information . ▁Marian ▁K . ▁Le ight on , ▁who ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁C IA ▁as ▁a ▁Soviet ▁anal yst ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁says , ▁" H aving ▁m uzz led ▁Russia ' s ▁print ▁and ▁broadcast ▁media , ▁Put in ▁focused ▁his ▁energ ies ▁on ▁the ▁Internet ." ▁Robert ▁W . ▁Or tt ung ▁and ▁Christopher ▁Walker ▁report : ▁Re por ters ▁Without ▁B orders , ▁for ▁instance , ▁ranked ▁Russia ▁ 1 4 8 ▁in ▁its ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁list ▁of ▁ 1 7 9 ▁countries ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁freedom ▁of ▁the ▁press . ▁It ▁particularly ▁critic ized ▁Russia ▁for ▁the ▁crack down ▁on ▁the ▁political ▁opposition ▁and ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁authorities ▁to ▁vig or ously ▁purs ue ▁and ▁bring ▁to ▁justice ▁crim inals ▁who ▁have ▁murder ed ▁journal ists . ▁Fre edom ▁House ▁ranks ▁Russian ▁media ▁as ▁" not ▁free ", ▁indicating ▁that ▁basic ▁saf egu ards ▁and ▁guarante es ▁for ▁journal ists ▁and ▁media ▁enter pr ises ▁are ▁absent . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁Put in ▁and ▁others ▁in ▁his ▁government ▁began ▁prom oting ▁the ▁idea ▁in ▁Russian ▁media ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁the ▁modern - day ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁Roman ov ▁ts ars ▁who ▁ended ▁Russia ' s