A major study by a human rights watchdog suggests that press freedom in Russia has declined markedly in the past year.
In its report for the year 2000, US-based Freedom House says of the 187 countries surveyed, developments in Russia are most alarming.
It highlights the forcible take-over of the independent television station NTV, the daily Sevodnya newspaper and the weekly Itogi magazine by state-dominated gas monopoly, Gazprom.
Were Russia to be rated today, the Survey would place it in the Not Free category
Freedom House report
The study says only 21% of the world's population live in a "free" media environment compared to 43% in "partly free" and 36% in the "not free" areas.
Freedom House describes Yugoslavia and Peru as "bright spots", where journalistic bravery is attributed with contributing to the overthrow of former leaders - Slobodan Milosevic and Alberto Fujimori.
But it says "China continues to harass and intimidate journalists, jail 'cyber dissidents' and fill the country's airwaves with defamatory propaganda directed at groups such as Falun Gong".
Russia: "ominous"
The report speaks of a "discernible regression in the state of Russian press freedom".
"Were Russia to be rated today, the Survey would place it in the Not Free category," Freedom House notes.
It singles out "serious crackdowns on independent journalists and media outlets - especially those reporting on official corruption or the war in Chechnya".
Vladimir Gusinsky's media empire is crumbling around him
NTV and the two publications taken over this month are part of the crumbling media empire owned by the Russian tycoon, Vladimir Gusinsky.
Mr Gusinsky left Spain for Israel last week after a Spanish court refused to extradite him to Moscow where he is wanted on fraud charges.
He says the allegations against him are politically motivated, and that the Kremlin is trying to silence his organisation's critical news coverage.
The BBC's Jacky Rowland says many people in Russia agree with this, seeing the media casualties as part of an official campaign against the freedom of the press.
Thousands of demonstrators joined rallies in Moscow to support NTV journalists in their struggle against the takeover of their station.
Regional break-down
Freedom House's survey says 15 countries improved within their categories in Africa, but nine declined and 30 still remain in the "not free" group.
A similar trend was discerned in Asia with four countries improving their standing but with press freedoms worsening in another seven.
China continues to harass and intimidate journalists
Freedom House report
The study notes that the Palestinian uprising has taken a toll on journalists, "who suffered abuses and shootings by both Israeli and Palestinian security forces".
In the Middle East only Israel is rated as having a free media and Jordan and Kuwait operating a "partly free" regime. The media in 11 states is considered "not free".
Of former communist countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, with the exception of the significant progress in Yugoslavia, six countries made slight improvements, but nine registered a decline.
They included Ukraine, which risked sliding into the "not free" category after President Leonid Kuchma's alleged involvement in the disappearance and murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze.
Internet
The study is also said to be the first comparative survey on internet freedom.
Countries were rated based on their levels of internet penetration, the regulatory environment and the cost of internet access.
Of the 131 countries examined, 58 were rated "least restrictive" with 55 being "moderately restrictive" and 18 belonging in the "restrictive category".