Controversial television programs are the more common targets of the authorities' wrath, visited in the form of cancellation, dismissal of critical executives or editors in state-run television, and the closure of some independent provincial broadcasting stations. The show was suspended temporarily in December. As in many countries making the transition to greater press freedom, Russia's courts are clogged with libel suits that bedevil editors and journalists determined to serve the public's right to know. According to Obshchaya Gazeta, the media lost such libel suits in more than 60 percent of the cases. The Chamber dispensed dozens of decisions on libel, hate speech, and ownership, and recommended prosecution in many instances.
Some journalists see the chamber as an effective bolster for the sluggish, overwhelmed court system.
According to this view, the chamber works to control the noxious expression of dozens of fascistic groups, which have gained access to state printing presses and national air time through the largesse of sympathetic officials and talk show hosts. Moreover, they view the chamber as a potential ally for the liberal newspapers that frequently receive threats from such violence-prone groups. Other commentators regard the chamber's pronouncements as unacceptable intrusions on editorial independence and journalistic freedom, but cooperate when it summons them for testimony to avoid eventually dealing with the courts. The bolder publications, such as Moskovsky Komsomolets, simply ignore the summonses and do not appear to suffer consequences. Most journalists agree that as a creature of the executive branch, the Chamber has no credibility as a neutral arbitrator within their profession or the broader public.