Nearly 20 years after the demise of communism, Russia’s democracy is backsliding and its political system is “reverting to type.” This process of “de-democratization” under Vladimir Putin and his successor Dmitry Medvedev is particularly obvious with regard to freedom of the press. The government has succeeded in placing most influential media outlets, primarily national television channels, under its effective control, while independent voices are silenced through a wide range of methods, including the threat of criminal prosecution, harassment and, in extreme cases, terror. However, much of the responsibility for this drastic situation lies with the media community itself, which appears, by and large, neither ready nor willing to stand up for their professional and human rights. Prominent Russian editor, Nikolay Rudenskiy, draws from his extensive experience working within the Russian media landscape and shares his views on the current state of Russian journalism and what he calls the “three C’s” of the Russian media community: conformity, cynicism, and corruption. John Squier provides comments.