First reporter Maria Nipps-Whitting has left the country, and now office manager Carola Schneider has had her credentials revoked.
Russia is taking massive action against Western media, including ORF. “Russian authorities today revoked the recognition of Carola Schneider, head of ORF Moscow, and asked her to leave the country as soon as possible,” public broadcasting announced Wednesday. “ORF takes note of Russia’s decision, but cannot understand it at all. Today’s action can only be interpreted as an arbitrary act against independent reporting.” ORF has protested Russia’s actions and announced it will apply for new authorizations.
It was announced yesterday that Russia is blocking access to more than 80 EU media outlets, including ORF. In early June, reporter Maria Nips-Witting had to leave the country – as the Moscow Foreign Ministry announced at the time, in a “mirror operation”. Russian reporters for the state agency TASS, at least one of whom is suspected of espionage, had their accreditation revoked earlier.
Carola Schneider, who heads the correspondent’s office, is still in Moscow. If he leaves, ORF journalists will not be represented in the warring country. (APA/Red.)
ORF Moscow Office
Carola Schneider headed the ORF office in Moscow from 2011 to 2021 and took it over from Paul Grizai again in 2023 after an academic leave. He was in Russia with Miriam Beller and both returned to Vienna in 2023. In response, ORF sent Maria Nipps-Witting in January of this year to support Schneider, an experienced ORF journalist.
