Why has Steve Rosenberg not been kicked out of Moscow? As head of a superpower President Putin knows he has to host the world’s news media

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg owes his ability to continue reporting from Moscow to what he believes is President Putin’s wish to be regarded as the head of a superpower, a role that requires Russia accepting the presence of the world’s new media.

Like correspondents from other western broadcasters such as France, Germany, Italy and Sky News, Rosenberg realises that he is forever walking a tight rope, knowing he could be expelled at any time.

All that he has is a three-month visa and its renewal is always left until the very last day, a constant reminder of his vulnerability.

“I don’t kid myself this could end tomorrow,” said Rosenberg at a ceremony where he received the 2025 Charles Wheeler award for his outstanding contribution to broadcast journalism.

“I am walking along a fine line, a tight rope over a minefield every time I do a news report – a minefield of repressive legislation to punish any criticism of the Russian state or anti-Russian rhetoric in the media.

“But Russia is a world power, it sees itself as a great country, and as a seat of power it hosts the world’s media.”

In thanking the British Journalism Review and the University of Westminster for the award, and for the support of the Journalists’ Charity, Rosenberg said that when he was growing up in Chingford, North London, he knew Charles Wheeler as a familiar face on television reporting for BBC News from Washington and Brussels.

“What is the golden rule for a foreign correspondent? Charles Wheeler nailed it. Say what you think as well as what you know as a result of where you are.”

Wheeler’s daughters Shirin and Marina said they were constantly amazed that Steve was still in Russia, and they were sure that admiration would have been the same for their father.

Still being there and not getting kicked out was part of Rosenberg’s gift as a correspondent. He always appeared to be having a private conversation with each viewer, and his “tongue in cheek” reporting was phenomenal. 

Looking back on more than 30 years in Russia, Rosenberg described the impact of the introduction of laws which had made it harder for people to say what they knew.

“The most at risk are not the foreign correspondents, but Russian independent journalists and citizens who put themselves in great danger.”

Over the years he had acquired a thick skin as state media had dubbed him an “obnoxious propagandist” who should be kicked out of Russia. One commentator had accused him of being an enemy of Russia, walking around “looking like a defecating squirrel”.

“I don’t let it get to me. I am not an enemy of Russia.

“I would like to think there is some respect for me.

“I speak Russian. I have spent more than half my life in Russia. Russia has enthralled me, baffled me, but shocked me to the core recently.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has cast a huge shadow over everything and everyone in the whole country, so it is important for me to be there and to report what the Russians are saying and thinking.”

In response to questions from Professor Steven Barnett, who chaired the event, Rosenberg acknowledged that he had acquired almost a star status in the Russian media after putting two challenging questions to President Putin and another President Lukashenko of Belarus.

People did come up to him on a daily basis, shaking his hand and asking for a selfie, telling him he was the “famous British journalist”.

Rosenberg thought this recognition reflected the wish of Russian people to be associated with the west and other Europeans despite all the anti-European and anti-western rhetoric in the Russian state media.

They did not express an opinion, but some thanked him for the work he did, and he could see they were pleased the BBC was still in Russia. After one of the Putin press conferences, the security guard outside his home complimented him for asking “a good question”.

A constant pressure when Rosenberg appeared at news conferences was being pounced on by reporters from Russian tv. “I keep getting asked ‘Why do you hate Russia?’ I tell them I have a love for Russia, that I have been here for many years and that I play Russian music.”

At a recent economic summit in St Petersburg, one commentator remarked that Rosenberg was “a nice chap, plays the piano nicely, but is a terrible propagandist”.

Rosenberg described how he always tried to report calmly, accurately, and diplomatically, to get the story out as calmly as he could. He recognised his own responsibility towards the Russian people he interviewed them in the street.

“When I am doing vox pops I don’t ask people a direct question such as ‘Do you support the war?’ or ‘Are you against the war?’ Answering that kind of question could get people into bad trouble and you don’t want to do that.”

There were lots of questions he wanted to ask and occasionally he did get the chance to talk to people at length, perhaps for ten or even 20 minutes.

“It is clear people are alarmed by the current situation. Their friends have been killed. More and more people say my nephew is fighting in Ukraine or perhaps has been killed in Ukraine. So, you can work out what their view is.”

He regretted that there were stories about what was happening in Russia that he could not report. Correspondents could not get permission to go to border regions like Kursk or Belgorod so that was a disappointment.

Although the media landscape in Russia was so controlled, there was more freedom in the newspapers than on state television with press reports on petrol shortages and inflation.

However, far fewer newspapers were being published and many of the newspaper kiosks were shut.

“Every time you switch on tv they are talking about how Russia is liberating towns in Ukraine and how Nato is the aggressor, but I don’t think it is convincing everybody.”

When Putin became President 25 years ago, he was super popular, promising he would guarantee security and prosperity.

“There is no security anymore. There are daily drone attacks. The economy is getting noticeably worse, taking a big nosedive in the last couple of months.

“When there are rallies support is organised. People are bussed in from factories. People in Russia want a quiet life. Most could not care less as long as they get paid on time and get their pensions on time and the state does not send them off to war.

“But more and more people are feeling the effects of the war. This winter will be difficult. Will more people join the dots as a result of the decision to launch the special military operation?”

When asked what he thought of Putin, Rosenberg said that after 25 years as President and Prime Minister he thought Putin regarded himself as invincible. He had thought Ukraine would be a short operation, not a war, a complete miscalculation.

“Putin still believes Russia will win, that he is on the path to victory, and it seems that nothing will push him off that highway – a total belief in his ability to defeat the opposition inside the country and the world.”

The relationship between President Trump and Putin had cooled since their summit in Alaska and Trump had lost patience with him.

“Will we see more pressure from Trump on Putin? The expectation in the Russian media is that the war will go on and on and Russia must prepare.

“Putin’s demand is to end the war on Russia’s terms. It is now clear that Trump won’t do that and there is more concern in the Kremlin.”