Although visibility in the media sector remains low moving into 2012, it is already clear that the situation will not be bright in 1H12, and any uptick in local advertising market growth that might happen will be more likely to take place in 2H12. That said, the reversal of disappointing trends seen in 2011 (for CTC Media and Yandex) or successful monetization of investments (for Mail.ru Group) will be events to look out for this year.

American author William Dunkerley says he found widespread journalistic malfeasance involving the British media in relation to the 2006 death of Alexander Litvinenko from exposure to radioactive polonium in London. Dunkerley says the Litvinenko affair "appears to be a fraud perpetrated on the public". In an e-mail to the Leveson enquiry to which BSR has been given access, he says:

by William Dunkerley

The ubiquitous "who murdered Alexander Litvinenko" news story has turned out to be a fraud. In late 2006, world media outlets were reporting that the former KGB spy was murdered on orders of Vladimir Putin. It was one of the biggest, most sensational news stories of the time. Now a new video turns that account upside down. The video shows that Litvinenko wasn't a spy, he never worked for the KGB, and the claim that Vladimir Putin ordered the murder is not fact-based. It was merely an allegation made by an arch-enemy of Putin's. What's more, the London coroner hasn't ever concluded that Litvinenko was even murdered. 

Russia Media Monthly. December 2011 - Everything You Need To Know

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