Vasily Gatov is a Russian media researcher and author based in Boston. Vasily has more than 32 years of professional experience in domestic and international media. While working for RIA Novosti (2011-2013), Vasily founded Novosti Media Lab, the research and development company, fostering innovation in communication, and the social impact of media. He is a regular contributor to industrial and general publications, both in Russia and globally. He is also a board member for Russian Publishers Guild (GIPP) and WAN-IFRA (world association of newspapers and news publishers). Prior to that, he served as an executive and strategist for several Russian media companies, including RenTV network, Media3 (Russia's largest print conglomerate in 2007-2012), and RIA Novosti, a national multimedia news agency. His experience includes reporting on such important events in Russia's history as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster; the 1991 failed coup d'état, Boris Yeltsin's presidency and the first Chechen war (1994-1997). His research interests cover the issues of the technological effect on media development as an institution, the censorship and media effects, and media innovation.