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{{Short description|Russian state-controlled international television network}} | |||
{{redirect-distinguish|Russia Today|Rossiya Segodnya|Russian Federation Today}} | {{redirect-distinguish|Russia Today|Rossiya Segodnya|Russian Federation Today}} | ||
{{redirect-distinguish|ANO TV-Novosti|RIA Novosti}} | |||
{{redirect-distinguish|RTTV|RTVI|RTV (disambiguation){{!}}RTV}} | |||
{{pp-move}} | |||
{{protection padlock|small=yes}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} | |||
{{Infobox television channel | {{Infobox television channel | ||
| name |
| name = RT | ||
| |
| logo = Russia-today-logo.svg | ||
| |
| logo_size = 200px | ||
| type = ],<ref name="state media" /><br />],<br />]<ref name="propaganda" /> | |||
| logocaption = | |||
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2005|12|10}} (registered on 6 April 2005)<ref name="ReferenceA">]</ref> | |||
| logoalt = | |||
| owner = ANO "TV-Novosti"<ref name="RT Contact info">{{cite web|url=https://www.rt.com/about-us/contact-info/|title=Contact info|website=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-date=20 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120035000/https://www.rt.com/about-us/contact-info/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| logo2 = | |||
| picture_format = ] (])<br />(downscaled to ] ]/] for the ] feed) | |||
| launch = {{Start date|2005|12|10}} (registered on April 6, 2005)<ref name="ReferenceA">]</ref> | |||
| country = Russia | |||
| closed date = | |||
| language = News channel:<br /> English, French, German, Arabic & Spanish <br /> | |||
| picture format = ] (])<br><small>(HD feed downgraded to ] ]/] for ]s)</small> | |||
Documentary ]:<br />English, Russian<br />Online platforms:<br /> Portuguese (Brazil) & Serbian. | |||
| owner = ], via ANO “TV-Novosti”<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/about-us/contact-info/|title=Contact info|publisher=RT|accessdate=2015-06-09}}</ref> | |||
| area = Worldwide | |||
| slogan = ''Question More'' | |||
| |
| headquarters = Borovaya Street, Building 3/1, ], ] | ||
| former_names = Russia Today (2005–2009) | |||
| language = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>] | |||
| sister_channels = {{plainlist| | |||
| broadcast area = Worldwide | |||
* ] (2010–2022) | |||
| headquarters = ], ] | |||
* ] (2017–2023) | |||
| former names = Russia Today (2005–2009) | |||
* ] (2014–2022) | |||
| replaced names = | |||
* ] (2014–2022) | |||
| replaced by names = | |||
* ] | |||
| sister names = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>] | |||
* ] | |||
| timeshift names = | |||
* ] | |||
| web = {{url|http://rt.com}} | |||
* ]<ref name="Ruptly" /> (including Redfish and ])<ref name="Times Redfish" /><ref name="CNN Maffick"/> | |||
| terr serv 1 = ] (]) | |||
| terr chan 1 = Channel 135 '''with RT UK''' | |||
| terr serv 2 = ] (]) | |||
| terr chan 2 = {{plainlist| | |||
* WNVC 30.4 ] '''with RT America''' | |||
* ] 35.4 ], ] '''with RT America'''<ref>, Rabbitears.info, ''accessed July 2013''.</ref> | |||
* WNVT 30.8 ], Virginia ''' with RT America''' | |||
* W31CT 31.5 ] '''with RT America''' | |||
}} | }} | ||
| founded = 6 April 2005; 19 years ago | |||
| sat serv 1 = ] (]) | |||
| webcast = https://swentr.site/on-air/ | |||
| sat chan 1 = Channel 724 | |||
| website = {{official website}} | |||
| sat serv 2 = ] | |||
| sat chan 2 = Channel unallocated | |||
| sat serv 3 = ] (]) | |||
| sat chan 3 = Channel 324 | |||
| sat serv 4 = ] (]) | |||
| sat chan 4 = Channel 355 | |||
| sat serv 5 = ] (]) | |||
| sat chan 5 = Channel unallocated | |||
| sat serv 6 = ] (]) | |||
| sat chan 6 = Channel 531 | |||
| sat serv 7 = ] (]) | |||
| sat chan 7 = Channel 146 | |||
| sat serv 8 = ] (Russia) | |||
| sat chan 8 = Channel unallocated | |||
| sat serv 9 = ] (UK) | |||
| sat chan 9 = Channel 206 (SD/HD) '''with RT UK''' | |||
| sat serv 10 = Sky ] & ] | |||
| sat chan 10 = Channel 512 (SD/HD)<br>Channel 518 (SD) '''with RT UK''' | |||
| sat serv 11 = ] (]) | |||
| sat chan 11 = Channel 092 | |||
| sat serv 12 = ] (U.S.) | |||
| sat chan 12 = '''Nationwide:'''<br>Channel 280 (SD/HD)<br>'''] area:'''<br>Channel 8084 (SD/HD) '' with RT America''' | |||
| sat serv 13 = ] (U.S.) | |||
| sat chan 13 = Channel unallocated '''with RT America''' | |||
| sat serv 14 = ] (India) | |||
| sat chan 14 = Channel 461 | |||
| sat serv 15 = ] <small>(])</small> | |||
| sat chan 15 = Channel unallocated | |||
| sat serv 16 = ] (]) | |||
| sat chan 16 = Channel 90 | |||
| sat serv 17 = ] (India) | |||
| sat chan 17 = Channel 738 | |||
| sat serv 18 = ] <small>(])</small> | |||
| sat chan 18 = Channel 363 | |||
| sat serv 19 = ] <small>(])</small> | |||
| sat chan 19 = Channel 658 | |||
| sat serv 20 = ] (Malaysia) | |||
| sat chan 20 = Channel 520 (SD) (Coming Soon) | |||
| cable serv 1 = Available on certain U.S. cable systems | |||
| cable chan 1 = Check Local Listings | |||
| cable serv 2 = Available on select Canadian cable systems | |||
| cable chan 2 = Check Local Listings | |||
| cable serv 3 = ] (Washington, D.C. area) | |||
| cable chan 3 = Channel 455 '''with RT America''' | |||
| cable serv 4 = ] (Washington, D.C. area) | |||
| cable chan 4 = Channel 473 '''with RT America''' | |||
| cable serv 5 = ] (Washington, D.C. area) | |||
| cable chan 5 = Channel 33 '''with RT America''' | |||
| cable serv 6 = ] (Philippines) | |||
| cable chan 6 = Channel 86 (Analog) <br> Channel 221 (Digital) | |||
| cable serv 7 = ] (]) | |||
| cable chan 7 = Channel 151 | |||
| cable serv 8 = ] (Philippines) | |||
| cable chan 8 = Channel 221 (Digital) | |||
| cable serv 9 = ] (]) | |||
| cable chan 9 = Channel TBA | |||
| cable serv 10 = ] (]) | |||
| cable chan 10 = Channel 290 | |||
| cable serv 11 = ] (]) | |||
| cable chan 11 = Channel 509 (UPC area only) | |||
| cable serv 12 = ] (]) | |||
| cable chan 12 = Channel 214 | |||
| cable serv 13 = ] <small>(])</small> | |||
| cable chan 13 = Channel 658 | |||
<!-- Please be careful about changing the cable system information above, as their slots widely vary by locality, even with the same cable company. --> | |||
| iptv serv 1 = ] (]) | |||
| iptv chan 1 = Channel 505 | |||
| iptv serv 2 = ] (Canada) | |||
| iptv chan 2 = Channel 517 | |||
| iptv serv 3 = ] (Canada) | |||
| iptv chan 3 = Channel 573 | |||
| iptv serv 4 = Eagle Multimedia (U.S.) | |||
| iptv chan 4 = Channel unallocated '''with RT America''' | |||
| iptv serv 5 = Russian TVGroup (U.S.) | |||
| iptv chan 5 = Channel unallocated '''with RT America''' | |||
| iptv serv 6 = ] (]) | |||
| iptv chan 6 = Channel 413 (SD) (Coming Soon) | |||
| iptv serv 7 = ] (Singapore) | |||
| iptv chan 7 = Channel 163 (SD) | |||
| iptv serv 8 = ] (]) | |||
| iptv chan 8 = Channel unallocated | |||
| iptv serv 9 = ] (]) | |||
| iptv chan 9 = Channel 99 | |||
| iptv serv 10 = ] (]) | |||
| iptv chan 10 = Channel 547 | |||
| online serv 1 = Live stream | |||
| online chan 1 = {{small|(free, available in English)}} | |||
| online serv 2 = ] (U.S.) | |||
| online chan 2 = | |||
| online serv 3 = ] | |||
| online chan 3 = ] | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''RT''', formerly '''Russia Today''' ({{langx|ru|Россия Сегодня|Rossiya Segodnya}}),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pisnia |first=Natalka |date=2017-11-15 |title=Why has RT registered as a foreign agent with the US? |language=en |work=] |location=Washington |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41991683 |access-date=2022-03-02 |archive-date=2 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302002010/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41991683 |url-status=live }}</ref> is a Russian ]<!-- This part of the lead has been discussed many times. Reliable sources use "state-controlled". Please do not change it without prior discussion -->{{refn|name=state media|<ref name="Journalism Studies">{{cite journal |last1=Haigh |first1=Maria |last2=Haigh |first2=Thomas |last3=Kozak |first3=Nadine I. |title=Stopping Fake News |journal=] |date=26 October 2018 |volume=19 |issue=14 |pages=2062–2087 |doi=10.1080/1461670X.2017.1316681 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316465929 |access-date=1 March 2022 |publisher=] |s2cid=152142122 |issn=1461-670X |via=]}}</ref>{{rp|p=2070|q=The state-owned Russia Today channel, carried widely in Western countries (Cohen 2014) as a result of subsidies provided by Moscow to cable and satellite operators (Zavadski 2015), mimics the form but not the journalistic practices of conventional news channels such as CNN.}}<ref name="International Affairs 2021">{{cite journal |last1=Golovchenko |first1=Yevgeniy |last2=Hartmann |first2=Mareike |last3=Adler-Nissen |first3=Rebecca |author-link3=Rebecca Adler-Nissen |title=State, media and civil society in the information warfare over Ukraine: citizen curators of digital disinformation |journal=] |publisher=] |date=1 September 2018 |volume=94 |issue=5 |pages=975–994 |doi=10.1093/ia/iiy148 |doi-access=free |url=https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/202808484/iiy148.pdf |access-date=20 March 2021 |issn=0020-5850 |quote=Particularly in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine that erupted in 2013–2014, the Kremlin has been accused of orchestrating disinformation campaigns against the Ukrainian government and western countries by using online trolls and state-controlled online outlets such as RT (formerly known as Russia Today), Sputnik and Life News. |archive-date=16 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616063625/https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/202808484/iiy148.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="European Security 2017">{{cite journal |last1=Hellman |first1=Maria |last2=Wagnsson |first2=Charlotte |title=How can European states respond to Russian information warfare? An analytical framework |journal=] |date=3 April 2017 |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=153–170 |doi=10.1080/09662839.2017.1294162 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423124457/https://dl1.cuni.cz/pluginfile.php/773054/mod_resource/content/0/hellman2017.pdf |archive-date=23 Apr 2021 |url=https://dl1.cuni.cz/pluginfile.php/773054/mod_resource/content/0/hellman2017.pdf |access-date=23 Sep 2022 |publisher=] |s2cid=157635419 |via=]}}</ref>{{rp|4|q=Use of state-controlled media such as RT (previously known as Russia Today) to spread the Russian narrative or contest the opponent's narrative is an important part of Russian information warfare.}}<ref name="Digital War 2021">{{cite journal |last1=Al-Rawi |first1=Ahmed |title=How did Russian and Iranian trolls' disinformation toward Canadian issues diverge and converge? |journal=Digital War |date=12 February 2021 |volume=2 |issue=1–3 |pages=21–34 |doi=10.1057/s42984-020-00029-4 |doi-access= |publisher=] |s2cid=258704949 |language=en |issn=2662-1983}}</ref>{{rp|2|q=One of the major tools highlighted by the author is Russia Today, the state-controlled international television network that is often cited by Russian trolls in their dissemination of Pro-Kremlin messages.}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Denton |first1=Allison |title=Fake News: The Legality of the Russian 2016 Facebook Influence Campaign |journal=] |date=16 April 2019 |volume=37 |pages=209 |url=https://www.bu.edu/ilj/files/2020/04/Denton.pdf |publisher=] |quote=Additionally, the U.S. is not the only country that has been targeted by Russian influence campaigns. Russia has been accused of conducting another influence campaign prior to the 2017 French election between Marine Le Pen (Russia's pick) and Emmanuel Macron. Before the election, Kremlin-controlled news sources Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik reported that Macron was secretly gay, and that he was backed by a "very rich gay lobby." |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-date=26 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226015903/https://www.bu.edu/ilj/files/2020/04/Denton.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="HKS 2020" />{{rp|at=Implications|q=However, when it comes to disinformation from state-controlled media sources platforms' options are more limited. Most often channels like Russia's RT and Iran's PressTV do not technically violate a platform's terms of service and so cannot be removed. State-media outlets often have no overt connection to their host state on their social media channels or their website. For instance, "In The Now" appears like any other short video news service and racks up millions of views but is a subsidiary of RT (O'Sullivan et al., 2019).}}}} international news television network funded by the ].<ref name="MaxFisher">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/06/13/in-case-you-werent-clear-on-russia-todays-relationship-to-moscow-putin-clears-it-up/|title=In case you weren't clear on Russia Today's relationship to Moscow, Putin clears it up|last=Fisher|first=Max|date=13 June 2013|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612145257/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/06/13/in-case-you-werent-clear-on-russia-todays-relationship-to-moscow-putin-clears-it-up/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Nimmo">{{cite news |last=Nimmo |first=Ben |date=8 January 2018 |title=Question That: RT's Military Mission |work=Atlantic Council-Digital Forensic Research Lab |publisher=] |url=https://medium.com/dfrlab/question-that-rts-military-mission-4c4bd9f72c88 |access-date=13 March 2018 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920222956/https://medium.com/dfrlab/question-that-rts-military-mission-4c4bd9f72c88 |url-status=live }}</ref> It operates ] and ] ]s directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing Internet content in Russian, English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Portuguese and Serbian. | |||
RT is a brand of TV-Novosti - self-named an "autonomous non-profit organization" (ANO) - founded by the Russian state-owned news agency ] in April 2005.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Журнал Стандарт / №09(80) сентябрь 2009Вести с эфирного фронта {{!}} ComNews |url=https://www.comnews.ru/standart/article/52517 |access-date=2022-05-15 |website=www.comnews.ru |archive-date=16 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016123219/https://www.comnews.ru/standart/article/52517 |url-status=live }}</ref> During the economic crisis in December 2008, the Russian government, headed by Prime Minister ], included ANO "TV-Novosti" on its ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.premier.gov.ru/eng/events/messages/2883/|title=Archive of the official site of the 2008–2012 Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin|publisher=]|access-date=24 October 2014|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222034/http://archive.premier.gov.ru/eng/events/messages/2883/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|format=DOC|url=http://www.government.ru/content/governmentactivity/mainnews/33281de212bf49fdbf39d611cadbae95.doc|script-title=ru:Перечень системообразующих организаций, утвержденный Правительственной комиссией по повышению устойчивости развития российской экономики|language=ru|trans-title=List of systemically important institutions approved by the Government Commission on Sustainable Development of the Russian Economy|publisher=government.ru|access-date=18 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227071316/http://www.government.ru/content/governmentactivity/mainnews/33281de212bf49fdbf39d611cadbae95.doc|archive-date=27 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://top.rbc.ru/economics/25/12/2008/271243.shtml|script-title=ru:Правительство РФ приняло перечень системообразующих организаций|language=ru|trans-title=The Russian government has adopted a list of backbone organizations|work=]|access-date=24 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220071141/http://top.rbc.ru/economics/25/12/2008/271243.shtml|archive-date=20 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> RT operates as a multilingual service with channels in five languages: the original English-language channel was launched in 2005, the ] in 2007, ] in 2009, ] in 2014 and ] in 2017. ] (2010–2022),<ref name="vonTwickel" /><ref name="Darcy-2022">{{Cite news |last=Darcy |first=Oliver |date=4 March 2022 |title=RT America ceases productions and lays off most of its staff |work=CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/media/rt-america-layoffs/index.html |access-date=4 March 2022 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307181801/https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/media/rt-america-layoffs/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ] (2014–2022) and other regional channels also produce local content. RT is the parent company of the ] video agency,{{refn|name=Ruptly|<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sloss |first1=David L. |title=Tyrants on Twitter: Protecting Democracies from Information Warfare |date=12 April 2022 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1-5036-3115-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2MlcEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT76 |url-access=limited |via=] |access-date=3 March 2022 |language=en |quote=Ruptly, a subsidiary of RT that specializes in video, has 230,000 likes on Facebook, 52,000 Twitter followers, and 304,000 YouTube subscribers in the UK. |archive-date=31 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153431/https://books.google.com/books?id=2MlcEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT76#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chobanyan |first1=Karina |editor1-last=Vartanova |editor1-first=Elena |editor2-last=Gladkova |editor2-first=Anna |journal=World of Media |title=Up for a challenge? Digital practices of 24-hour news channels |date=2020 |issue=3 |page=50 |url=http://worldofmedia.ru/volumes/2020/2020_Issue_3/World%20of%20Media_3-2020%20(1).pdf |access-date=3 March 2022 |publisher=] |issn=2686-8016 |quote=RT, which owns Ruptly news agency, likes to post its raw footage of world events. |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303185740/http://worldofmedia.ru/volumes/2020/2020_Issue_3/World%20of%20Media_3-2020%20(1).pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Howard |title=Tech Tock...: Time is Running Out to Find Solutions to Mis- and Disinformation and Privacy Problems |url=https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/tech-tock |date=May 2018 |website=] |publisher=] |location=] |access-date=3 March 2022 |language=en |pages=17–18 |quote=Ruptly is a news agency created by Russian funded news channel RT in 2013 to rival Reuters and AP. Finally, it is very transparent about following the same agenda as RT: "Ruptly builds on and extends the core strengths and values of our parent company RT." |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303184258/https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/tech-tock |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Spiegel RT2">{{cite web|date=30 May 2014|title=Russia Uses State Television to Sway Opinion at Home and Abroad|url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/russia-uses-state-television-to-sway-opinion-at-home-and-abroad-a-971971.html|access-date=22 March 2021|website=]|quote=Moscow is looking beyond the short-term, seeking to influence opinion in the long-run to create "an alternative discourse in Western countries as well," says Margarita Simonyan, editor in chief of Kremlin foreign broadcaster RT, formerly known as Russia Today, which owns Ruptly.|archive-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202063746/https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/russia-uses-state-television-to-sway-opinion-at-home-and-abroad-a-971971.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Interfax RT2">{{cite web|date=9 August 2020|title=В Минске задержаны двое стрингеров видеоагентства Ruptly|trans-title=Two stringers of video agency Ruptly detained in Minsk|url=https://www.interfax.ru/world/720981|access-date=22 March 2021|website=]|language=ru|quote=Двух стрингеров видеоагентства Ruptly задержали в Минске, сообщил владелец сервиса, телеканал RT.|trans-quote=Two stringers of the Ruptly video agency were detained in Minsk, the owner of the service, RT TV channel, said.|archive-date=22 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422220701/https://www.interfax.ru/world/720981|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Zara|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Zara|date=11 April 2019|title=What is Ruptly? Julian Assange arrest video footage raises eyebrows about RT-owned outlet|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90333590/what-is-ruptly-julian-assange-arrest-video-footage-raises-eyebrows-about-rt-owned-outlet|access-date=23 July 2021|website=]|archive-date=23 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723132552/https://www.fastcompany.com/90333590/what-is-ruptly-julian-assange-arrest-video-footage-raises-eyebrows-about-rt-owned-outlet|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="pg1104192">{{Cite web|date=11 April 2019|title=RT's video agency Ruptly beats UK media to Julian Assange footage|url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/rt-subsidiary-ruptly-beats-uk-media-to-exclusive-julian-assange-footage/|access-date=21 October 2020|website=Press Gazette|language=en-US|quote=The footage captured by Ruptly showed Assange for the first time in about a year, now sporting a long white beard. He could be heard shouting "the UK has no sovereignty" and "the UK must resist this attempt by the Trump administration..." as he was dragged out by five police officers and put into a van.|archive-date=29 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929052950/https://pressgazette.co.uk/rt-subsidiary-ruptly-beats-uk-media-to-exclusive-julian-assange-footage/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Aro |first1=Jessikka |author-link=Jessikka Aro |title=Emilia Seikkanen Worked in a Trendy Video Start-Up in Berlin – Tells All about the Kremlin's Global Information Operation |url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11820154 |website=] |access-date=2 March 2022 |language=en |date=6 March 2021 |quote=The company left out the essential information in its job vacancy advertisements: Ruptly is the subsidiary of the Russian state-funded media company RT, formerly Russia Today. It's located in the same office as RT's German media branch, named RT Deutsch. |archive-date=2 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302190732/https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11820154 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Shane |last2=Nakashima |first2=Ellen |author1-link=Shane Harris |author2-link=Ellen Nakashima |title=With a mix of covert disinformation and blatant propaganda, foreign adversaries bear down on final phase of presidential campaign |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/with-a-mix-of-covert-disinformation-and-blatant-propaganda-foreign-adversaries-bear-down-on-final-phase-of-presidential-campaign/2020/08/20/57997b7a-dbf1-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html |newspaper=] |access-date=3 March 2022 |date=21 August 2020 |archive-date=27 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127123117/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/with-a-mix-of-covert-disinformation-and-blatant-propaganda-foreign-adversaries-bear-down-on-final-phase-of-presidential-campaign/2020/08/20/57997b7a-dbf1-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Birnbaum |first1=Emily |title=Facebook restores previously suspended Russia-linked pages |url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/431497-facebook-restores-previously-suspended-russia-linked-pages/ |website=] |access-date=3 March 2022 |language=en |date=25 February 2019 |archive-date=7 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107230345/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/431497-facebook-restores-previously-suspended-russia-linked-pages |url-status=live }}</ref>}} which owns the Redfish video channel and the ] digital media company.<ref name="Times Redfish">{{cite news | last=Moore | first=Matthew | title=Company behind Grenfell YouTube film has links to Kremlin | website=] | date=10 February 2018 | url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/company-behind-grenfell-youtube-film-has-links-to-kremlin-k9bqlk6mf | access-date=25 January 2021 | archive-date=30 January 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130045508/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/company-behind-grenfell-youtube-film-has-links-to-kremlin-k9bqlk6mf | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="CNN Maffick">{{cite news|last1=O'Sullivan|first1=Donie|last2=Griffin|first2=Drew|last3=Devine|first3=Curt|last4=Shubert|first4=Atika|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/15/tech/russia-facebook-viral-videos/index.html|title=Russia is backing a viral video company aimed at American millennials|work=CNN|date=February 18, 2019|access-date=July 30, 2020|archive-date=6 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806064505/https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/15/tech/russia-facebook-viral-videos/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
'''RT''' (founded as "Russia Today") is a Russian state-funded ] which runs ] and ] ]s, as well as Internet content directed to audiences outside the Russian Federation. RT International, which is based in Moscow, presents around-the-clock news bulletins, documentaries, talk shows, and debates, as well as sports news and cultural programs about Russia.<ref name="RTCorporate"> at rt.com, accessed September 20, 2012.</ref> RT operates as a multilingual service with channels in three languages; the original English language channel was launched in 2005. The Arabic language ] was launched in 2007, while its Spanish language channel ] was launched in 2009. ] (since 2010),<ref name="vonTwickel"/> and ] (since 2014) offer some locally based content for those countries. | |||
RT has regularly been described as a major ] outlet for the Russian government and ].{{refn|name=propaganda|<ref>{{cite book |last1=Langdon |first1=Kate C. |last2=Tismaneanu |first2=Vladimir |title=Putin's Totalitarian Democracy: Ideology, Myth, and Violence in the Twenty-First Century |publisher=] |isbn=978-3-030-20579-9 |pages=189–224 |date=9 July 2019 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FG-hDwAAQBAJ |url-access=limited |via=] |access-date=21 March 2021 |language=en |chapter=Russian Foreign Policy: Freedom for Whom, to Do What? |quote=Soviet-born British journalist Peter Pomerantsev documented the typical newsroom antics in one of Russia's largest propaganda outlets, RT News (formerly known as Russia Today). When his acquaintance composed a piece that referenced the Soviet Union's occupation of Estonia in 1945, the writer was chewed out by his boss, who maintained the belief that Russians saved Estonia. Any other descriptions of the events of 1945 were unacceptable assaults on Russia's integrity, apparently, so the boss demanded that he amend his text. |archive-date=31 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153320/https://books.google.com/books?id=FG-hDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Reire |first1=Gunda |title=Euro-Atlantic values and Russia's propaganda in the Euro-Atlantic space |journal=] |date=2015 |volume=13 |issue=4 |url=http://www.spcentrs.lv/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Reire-2015-Yearbook-IESW.pdf |access-date=21 March 2021 |via=Center for International Studies |quote=Nowadays, Russia attacks the Western value of rationality and uses the argument of "the second opinion" or plurality of opinions. The phrase "the second opinion" has even become the slogan of RT. For instance, this propaganda channel used the public opinion's contention as to the nature of the Iraq war, to sell itself as an impartial, objective media outlet in the USA. Overall, Russian propaganda involves a clash of political systems, which is more dangerous than the old-school Soviet propaganda. |archive-date=4 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104213449/http://www.spcentrs.lv/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Reire-2015-Yearbook-IESW.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Network Propaganda">{{Cite book|last1=Benkler|first1=Yochai|author-link1=Yochai Benkler|last2=Faris|first2=Rob|last3=Roberts|first3=Hal|chapter=Epistemic Crisis|chapter-url=https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780190923624.001.0001/oso-9780190923624-chapter-1|title=Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation and Radicalization in American Politics|url=https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780190923624.001.0001/oso-9780190923624|publisher=]|date=October 2018|access-date=21 March 2021|isbn=978-0-19-092362-4|doi=10.1093/oso/9780190923624.001.0001|doi-access=free|pages=358|oclc=1045162158|quote=The emphasis on disorientation appears in the literature on modern Russian propaganda, both in inward-focused applications and in its international propaganda outlets, Sputnik and RT (formerly, Russia Today). Here, the purpose is not to convince the audience of any particular truth but instead to make it impossible for people in the society subject to the propagandist's intervention to tell truth from non-truth.|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126010551/https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780190923624.001.0001/oso-9780190923624|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Karlsen |first1=Geir Hågen |title=Ukraine and Beyond |editor1-last=Matláry |editor1-first=Janne Haaland |editor2-last=Heier |editor2-first=Tormod |editor1-link=Janne Haaland Matláry |date=5 August 2016 |publisher=] |isbn=978-3-319-32530-9 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-32530-9_9 |page=199 |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-32530-9_9 |chapter-url-access=subscription |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BNHMDAAAQBAJ |url-access=limited |access-date=28 February 2022 |language=en |chapter=Tools of Russian Influence: Information and Propaganda |via=] |quote=The propaganda apparatus proper consists of four means: media, social media, political communication and diplomacy, and covert active measures, all tied together in a coordinated manner. The main international media channel is the RT broadcaster and website, formerly known as ''Russia Today''. It is complemented by ''Sputnik'' radio and website, news and video agencies, and the ''Russia Beyond the Headlines'' news supplement, making up a news conglomerate operating in almost 40 languages. |archive-date=7 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407114835/https://books.google.com/books?id=BNHMDAAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ižak |first1=Štefan |title=(Ab)using the topic of migration by pro-Kremlin propaganda: Case study of Slovakia |journal=Journal of Comparative Politics |date=January 2019 |volume=12 |issue=1 |page=58 |url=http://www.jofcp.org/assets/jcp/JCP-January-2019.pdf |access-date=28 February 2022 |publisher=] / ] / ] |language=en |issn=1338-1385 |quote=Almost all important media in Russia are state controlled and used to feed Russian audience with Kremlin propaganda. For international propaganda Kremlin uses agencies like RT and Sputnik. Both are available in many language variations and in many countries (Hansen 2017). Aim of this propaganda is to exploit weak spots and controversial topics (in our case migration to the EU) and use them to harm integrity of the West (Pomerantsev and Weiss 2014). |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301184238/http://www.jofcp.org/assets/jcp/JCP-January-2019.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Oates |first1=Sarah |last2=Steiner |first2=Sean |section=Projecting Power: Understanding Russian Strategic Narrative |title=Russia's Public Foreign Policy Narratives |journal=Russian Analytical Digest (Rad) |series=Russian Analytical Digest |date=17 December 2018 |volume=17 |number=229 |pages=2–5 |doi=10.3929/ethz-b-000311091 |doi-access=free |url=https://css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/pdfs/RAD229.pdf |access-date=21 March 2021 |publisher=] |location=] |via=] |quote=The analysis of Russian strategic narrative allows us to understand more clearly the logic in Russian propaganda found on English-language outlets such as RT and more effectively deter Russian information aggression. |archive-date=1 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001161723/https://css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/pdfs/RAD229.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>{{r|Orttung|p=2|q=Russian propaganda, specifically RT, is carefully targeted to different audiences and has nuanced messaging designed to undermine the West on the basis of its own criteria, build credibility by covering less-heard voices in regional news, and using human interest program (click-bait) to draw in viewers.}}<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Media|last1=Ajir|first2=Bethany|last2=Vailliant|title=Russian Information Warfare: Implications for Deterrence Theory|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26481910|jstor=26481910|journal=]|date=Fall 2018|issn=1936-1815|pages=70–89|volume=12|issue=3|jstor-access=free|access-date=21 March 2021|quote=The real-world repercussions of these objectives are identified through several forms of attack. The first is through disseminating official Russian state propaganda abroad via foreign language news channels as well as Western media. Most notable is the creation of the very successful government-financed international TV news channel, Russia Today (RT).|archive-date=9 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193856/https://www.jstor.org/stable/26481910|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bicknell|first=Bob|date=11 December 2005|title=Russian News, English Accent|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-news-english-accent-11-12-2005/|access-date=11 March 2021|website=]|language=en-US|archive-date=30 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530041616/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-news-english-accent-11-12-2005/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Ioffe"/><ref name="SpiegelBidder"/><ref name="Guardian_Harding_RT"/><ref name="Kramer">{{cite news|last=Kramer|first=Andrew E|title=Russian Cable Station Plays to U.S.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/business/media/23russiatoday.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all&|newspaper=The New York Times|date=22 August 2010|access-date=23 February 2017|archive-date=1 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301062934/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/business/media/23russiatoday.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all&|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Ukraineback">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26546083|title=Ukraine hits back at Russian TV onslaught|publisher=BBC|year=2014|access-date=20 June 2018|archive-date=29 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529201642/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26546083|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="MacFarquhar">{{cite news|url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/europe/russia-sweden-disinformation.html|title=A Powerful Russian Weapon: The Spread of False Stories|last=MacFarquhar|first=Neil|date=28 August 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=29 August 2016|archive-date=18 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618150336/https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/europe/russia-sweden-disinformation.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Oremus-2017">{{Cite web|last=Oremus|first=Will|date=2017-03-16|title=Irony Dies Again as Russia Today Launches Fake-News Debunker|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/03/russia-today-launches-fake-news-debunker-fakecheck.html|access-date=2021-12-17|website=]|language=en|archive-date=17 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217231721/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/03/russia-today-launches-fake-news-debunker-fakecheck.html|url-status=live}}</ref>}} Academics, fact-checkers, and news reporters (including some current and former RT reporters) have identified RT as a purveyor of ]{{refn|name=disinformation|{{r|Journalism Studies|p=2077|q=Many of these fake news stories specifically involved misleadingly edited or contextualized quotes, which were highlighted in 26 percent of the StopFake reports. For example, Russia Today broadcast what it claimed was an interview with the Chief Rabbi of a Kiev synagogue, calling on his followers to emigrate because of rising anti-Semitic violence. StopFake found that the interviewee was the Chief Rabbi of Simferopol, Crimea, describing conditions under Russian occupation. This was also an example of the specific practice of wrongly identifying individuals featured in news stories, which were documented to identify news stories as fake in 15 percent of StopFake reports.}}<ref name="International Affairs 2021" />{{r|European Security 2017|p=4|q=Applebaum and Lucas (2015) see troll factories as one of two corner stones of Russian disinformation, the other being RT.}}{{r|Digital War 2021|p=11|q=The primary theme on which the Russian and Iranian trolls converge is the war in Syria, owing to Russia and Iran's military involvement and strategic interests in the Middle East. In this regard, both sets of trolls heavily relied on RT news (Russia Today) in sourcing disinformation.}}<ref name="HKS 2020">{{cite journal |last1=Nassetta |first1=Jack |last2=Gross |first2=Kimberly |title=State media warning labels can counteract the effects of foreign misinformation |url=https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/state-media-warning-labels-can-counteract-the-effects-of-foreign-misinformation/ |journal=Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review |publisher=] |location=] |access-date=21 March 2021 |doi=10.37016/mr-2020-45 |doi-access=free |date=30 October 2020 |quote=However, when it comes to disinformation from state-controlled media sources platforms' options are more limited. Most often channels like Russia's RT and Iran's PressTV do not technically violate a platform's terms of service and so cannot be removed. However, they still play a vital role in the disinformation ecosystem. Not only do they put out disinformation through their websites and social media channels, they are key nodes in coordinated campaigns, as well. For instance, the content originally posted on RT will be reposted down a chain of websites until it appears to be an organic article on an American outlet (Nimmo, 2017). |archive-date=1 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301041724/https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/state-media-warning-labels-can-counteract-the-effects-of-foreign-misinformation/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="MacFarquhar"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Golovchenko |first1=Yevgeniy |title=Measuring the scope of pro-Kremlin disinformation on Twitter |journal=Humanities and Social Sciences Communications |date=11 December 2020 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1057/s41599-020-00659-9 |doi-access=free |language=en |issn=2662-9992 |quote=The impact of Russian state-controlled news outlets—which are frequent sources of pro-Kremlin disinformation—is concentrated in one, highly popular news outlet, RT. When it comes to overt reach, the Russian government openly funds English-speaking outlets, such as Sputnik News and RT. These outlets serve as a frequent source of pro-Kremlin disinformation both according to scholars, fact-checkers and Western authorities (BBC, 2019; Elliot, 2019; Thornton, 2015).}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Walker |first1=Christopher |title=The Hijacking of "Soft Power" |journal=] |date=2016 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=49–63 |doi=10.1353/jod.2016.0007 |url=https://www.ned.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/January-2016-JOD-Hijacking-of-Soft-Power-Christopher-Walker.pdf |access-date=21 March 2021 |publisher=] |s2cid=31802016 |via=] |quote=State or state-friendly media in Russia – Life News, NTV, Channel One Russia, and Russia 24—disseminate not just the Kremlin's narratives but also outright fakery to domestic audiences and those in the Russian-speaking space. These outlets spread the same stories via social media as well. RT, meanwhile, pushes this manipulated content out to international audiences. |archive-date=31 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153329/https://www.ned.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/January-2016-JOD-Hijacking-of-Soft-Power-Christopher-Walker.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fletcher |first1=Richard |last2=Cornia |first2=Alessio |last3=Graves |first3=Lucas |author-link3=Lucas Graves |last4=Nielsen |first4=Rasmus Kleis |author-link4=Rasmus Kleis Nielsen |title=Measuring the reach of "fake news" and online disinformation in Europe |journal=Australasian Policing |date=1 January 2018 |volume=10 |issue=2 |url=https://www.mediterraneocronaca.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Measuring-the-reach-of-fake-news-and-online-distribution-in-Europe-CORRECT-FLAG.pdf |access-date=25 February 2022 |via=Mediterraneo Cronaca |quote=For comparative purposes, we also included two prominent Russian news sites which have featured in European policy discussions around disinformation, namely Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik. These Russian state-backed organisations are clearly different from sites that engage in for-profit fabrication of false news, but both independent fact-checkers and the EU's European External Action Service East Stratcom Task Force have identified multiple instances where these sites have published disinformation. |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225233853/https://www.mediterraneocronaca.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Measuring-the-reach-of-fake-news-and-online-distribution-in-Europe-CORRECT-FLAG.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Borges |first1=Priscila Monteiro |last2=Gambarato |first2=Renira Rampazzo |title=The Role of Beliefs and Behavior on Facebook: A Semiotic Approach to Algorithms, Fake News, and Transmedia Journalism |journal=] |publisher=] |date=29 January 2019 |volume=13 |pages=603–618 |url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/10304 |access-date=26 February 2022 |language=en |issn=1932-8036 |quote=Notorious examples of fake news masquerading as news can be found in reports broadcast on the U.S. cable news channel Fox News (Schram & Fording, 2018) and the Russian international television network RT (Russia Today; Dowling, 2017). Thus, there are also a number of fake news reports published by traditional media outlets (White, 2017), generating a consequent increase in distrust for traditional journalism (Siddique, 2018). |archive-date=12 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312003224/https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/10304 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=LoGiurato|first=Brett|date=30 April 2014|title=Russia's Propaganda Channel Just Got A Journalism Lesson From The US State Department|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/state-department-responds-rt-russia-today-john-kerry-2014-4|access-date=11 March 2021|website=]|archive-date=4 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704084800/https://www.businessinsider.com/state-department-responds-rt-russia-today-john-kerry-2014-4|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Crowley|first=Michael|date=1 May 2014|title=Tit-for-Tat: Putin's Maddening Propaganda Trick|url=https://time.com/84843/vladimir-putin-russia-propaganda/|access-date=11 March 2021|magazine=]|archive-date=19 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119044428/http://time.com/84843/vladimir-putin-russia-propaganda/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="sarafirth" /><ref name="Reliable Sources" />}} and ].{{refn|name=conspiracy theories|<ref name=economist-wobbly /><ref name="Oremus-2017" /><ref name="Yablokov 2015">{{cite journal |last1=Yablokov |first1=Ilya |title=Conspiracy Theories as a Russian Public Diplomacy Tool: The Case of ''Russia Today'' (''RT'') |journal=] |date=November 2015 |volume=35 |issue=3–4 |pages=301–315 |doi=10.1111/1467-9256.12097 |url=https://www.ucg.ac.me/skladiste/blog_10134/objava_20166/fajlovi/Russia%20Today.pdf |via=] |access-date=21 March 2021 |publisher=] |s2cid=142728966 |quote=Among the conspiratorial ideas that feature in ''RT''{{'}}s broadcasts, two types are of particular interest: the first includes genuinely American conspiracy theories; and the second includes ideas of conspiracy in relations between the US and Russia. The analysis of these two types of conspiracy theories offers an opportunity to explore how they are employed to undermine US domestic and foreign policies. |archive-date=12 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412041633/https://www.ucg.ac.me/skladiste/blog_10134/objava_20166/fajlovi/Russia%20Today.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Elswah |first1=Mona |last2=Howard |first2=Philip N |author-link2=Philip N. Howard |title="Anything that Causes Chaos": The Organizational Behavior of Russia Today (RT) |journal=] |date=1 October 2020 |volume=70 |issue=5 |pages=623–645 |doi=10.1093/joc/jqaa027 |doi-access=free |url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:140663c1-7856-4f9b-9e19-cde93be7e340/files/rf7623c77x |access-date=21 March 2021 |publisher=] |quote=Across our interviews, our respondents agreed that the goals of the channel since 2008 have been and still are as follows. First, to push the idea that Western countries have as many problems as Russia. Second, to encourage conspiracy theories about media institutions in the West in order to discredit and delegitimize them. This is clearly adherent to the channel's "Questions More" slogan. Third, to create controversy and to make people criticize the channel, because it suggests that the channel is important, an approach that would particularly help RT managers get more funding from the government. |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316012616/https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:140663c1-7856-4f9b-9e19-cde93be7e340/files/rf7623c77x |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Byford 2011">{{cite book |last1=Byford |first1=Jovan |author-link=Jovan Byford |chapter=Introduction |title=Conspiracy Theories: A Critical Introduction |date=2011 |pages=9–10 |doi=10.1057/9780230349216 |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230349216_1 |chapter-url-access=subscription |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e0ilsF4VcTQC |url-access=limited |access-date=21 March 2021 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1-349-32350-0 |via=] |language=en |quote=The channel has provided the likes of Alex Jones, Webster Tarpley, David Ray Griffin and Jim Marrs with the opportunity to promote, to an international audience, their ideas about the New World Order, 9/11, the Bilderberg group or the climate change conspiracy, all while being treated with absolute deference by the channel's journalists. Embedded video clips of appearances on Russia Today have become a regular feature on the websites of American conspiracy theorists, where they are brandished as a sign of credibility and mainstream recognition. |archive-date=9 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009063147/https://books.google.com/books?id=e0ilsF4VcTQC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Dukalskis-dictatorship>{{Cite book|last=Dukalskis|first=Alexander|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kxs4zgEACAAJ|title=Making the World Safe for Dictatorship|date=2021|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-19-752014-7|language=en|access-date=13 May 2021|archive-date=31 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153331/https://books.google.com/books?id=kxs4zgEACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gray|first=Rosie|date=13 March 2014|title=How The Truth Is Made At Russia Today|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/how-the-truth-is-made-at-russia-today|access-date=11 March 2021|website=]|language=en|archive-date=22 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222125441/https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/how-the-truth-is-made-at-russia-today|url-status=live}}</ref>}} UK media regulator ] has repeatedly found RT to have breached its rules on impartiality, including multiple instances in which RT broadcast "materially misleading" content.{{refn|<ref>{{cite news |author=William Turvill |title=Ofcom rules against Russia Today over Syria conflict report |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/ofcom-rules-against-russia-today-over-syria-conflict-report |date=15 November 2012 |work=Press Gazette |access-date=23 January 2016 |archive-date=30 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530042434/https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/ofcom-rules-against-russia-today-over-syria-conflict-report |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=BBC-21Sept/><ref name=GuardianOfcom/><ref> | |||
RT is a ] of "TV-Novosti", an "autonomous non-profit organization", founded by the Russian news agency ] on April 6, 2005.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comnews.ru/node/67949|title=Interview with Alexei Nikolov, Director General of autonomous nonprofit organization "TV-Novosti"|publisher=}}</ref> During the economic crisis in December 2008, the ] included ANO "TV-Novosti" in the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.premier.gov.ru/eng/events/messages/2883/|title=ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION VLADIMIR PUTIN|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.government.ru/content/governmentactivity/mainnews/33281de212bf49fdbf39d611cadbae95.doc|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227071316/http://www.government.ru/content/governmentactivity/mainnews/33281de212bf49fdbf39d611cadbae95.doc|archivedate=2008-12-27 |script-title=ru:Перечень системообразующих организаций, утвержденный Правительственной комиссией по повышению устойчивости развития российской экономики |trans-title=List of systemically important institutions approved by the Government Commission on Sustainable Development of the Russian Economy |format=DOC |publisher=government.ru |date= |accessdate=18 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://top.rbc.ru/economics/25/12/2008/271243.shtml|title=Правительство РФ приняло перечень системообразующих организаций|work=РБК}}</ref> | |||
{{cite news|url=https://tol.org/client/article/26401-british-bank-closes-russian-broadcaster-rt-accounts.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020080937/http://www.tol.org/client/article/26401-rt-simonyan-natwest-galloway-zakharova.html|archive-date=20 October 2016|url-status=live|title=British Bank Closes Russian Broadcaster RT Accounts|date=18 October 2016|author=Alevtina Kuzmenkova|publisher=]|quote=OFCOM, the British broadcast regulator, has repeatedly singled out RT for its lack of impartiality}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Waterson |first1=Jim |title=Alex Salmond's RT show breached Ofcom broadcasting rules |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jul/16/alex-salmond-rt-show-breached-ofcom-broadcasting-rules |website=] |access-date=21 March 2021 |language=en |date=16 July 2018 |archive-date=16 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116114646/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jul/16/alex-salmond-rt-show-breached-ofcom-broadcasting-rules |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Pomerantsev 2015">{{Cite web|last=Pomerantsev|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Pomerantsev|date=4 January 2015|title=Inside Putin's Information War|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/01/putin-russia-tv-113960_Page3.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150105223740/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/01/putin-russia-tv-113960_Page3.html#.VKsSaZ37RPY|archive-date=5 January 2015|access-date=11 March 2021|website=]}}</ref>}} | |||
In 2012, RT's ] ] compared the channel to the ].<ref name="eu150118">{{Cite news|date=2018-01-15|title=Chief Editor: RT is Like "a Defence Ministry"|url=https://euvsdisinfo.eu/chief-editor-rt-is-like-a-defence-ministry/|access-date=2021-12-25|website=]|language=en|author1=Default|archive-date=31 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153322/https://euvsdisinfo.eu/chief-editor-rt-is-like-a-defence-ministry/|url-status=live}}</ref> Referring to the ], she stated that it was "waging an ], and with the entire Western world".<ref name="Nimmo" /><ref name="kommersant070412">{{cite web|date=7 April 2012|title="Нет никакой объективности"|trans-title=There is no objectivity|url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1911336|access-date=21 March 2021|website=]|language=ru|quote=Сейчас ни с кем не воюем. А вот в 2008 году воевали. Министерство обороны воевало с Грузией, а информационную войну вели мы, причем со всем западным миром. Ну невозможно только начинать делать оружие, когда война уже началась! Поэтому Министерство обороны сейчас ни с кем не воюет, но готово к обороне. Так и мы.|trans-quote=Currently we are not at war with anyone. But in 2008 – we were. The Ministry of Defence was at war with Georgia, and we were waging an information war, and with the entire Western world. Well, it's impossible just to start making weapons when the war has already begun! Therefore, the Ministry of Defence is now not at war with anyone, but is ready for defense. So are we.|archive-date=5 December 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171205164813/https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1911336|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2017, RT America was ordered to register as a ] with the ] under the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/11/14/564045159/rt-america-firm-registers-as-foreign-agent-in-u-s-russia-looks-to-retaliate|title=TV Company Linked To Russia's RT America Registers As Foreign Agent In U.S.|last=Chappell|first=Bill|date=14 November 2017|publisher=NPR|access-date=3 March 2018|archive-date=21 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621005530/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/11/14/564045159/rt-america-firm-registers-as-foreign-agent-in-u-s-russia-looks-to-retaliate|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
RT has been called a ] outlet for the ]<ref name=Ioffe/><ref name=SpiegelKriegDerBilder/><ref name=Knobel/> and ],<ref name="Ioffe"/><ref name=SpiegelKriegDerBilder>{{Cite news| title = Putin Fights War of Images and Propaganda with Russia Today Channel| work = Spiegel Online| accessdate = 2013-08-14| date = 2013-08-13| url = http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/putin-fights-war-of-images-and-propaganda-with-russia-today-channel-a-916162.html}}</ref><ref name="Guardian_Harding_RT" /><ref name="Kramer">{{Cite news|last=Kramer|first=Andrew E|title=Russian Cable Station Plays to U.S.|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/business/media/23russiatoday.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all&|newspaper=The New York Times|date=22 August 2010}}</ref> by former Russian officials,<ref name="Preobraz">{{citation|author=R.C. Campausen|url=http://www.aim.org/aim-column/kgb-tv-to-air-show-hosted-by-anti-war-marine-vet/|title=KGB TV to Air Show Hosted by Anti-war Marine Vet|publisher=]|date=10 January 2011|accessdate=5 April 2011}}</ref> | |||
by news reporters,<ref name="Ukraineback"/> including former RT reporters.<ref name="sarafirth"/><ref name="Reliable Sources"/><ref name="Bivens"/> It has also been accused of spreading ].<ref name="BI State Department"/><ref>{{cite news|last= Crowley|first=Michael|title=Putin's Russian Propaganda|url=http://time.com/84843/vladimir-putin-russia-propaganda/|work=TIME|date=1 May 2014}}</ref>The United Kingdom media regulator ] has threatened RT with sanctions because of repeated violations of its rules on impartiality.<ref name="GuardianOfcom">. ]. 10 November 2014</ref> The network states that it offers a "Russian perspective" on global events.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/about-us/|title=About us — RT|publisher=}}</ref> | |||
RT was banned in ] in 2014 after ];<ref name="Ukraine ban" /> ] and ] implemented similar bans in 2020.<ref name="Latvia ban" /><ref name="Lithuania ban" /> ] banned ] in February 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russia's RT channel blocked by German regulators |url=https://www.dw.com/en/russias-rt-channel-blocked-by-german-regulators/a-60635397 |website=] |access-date=23 February 2022 |date=2 February 2022 |archive-date=10 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510193206/https://www.dw.com/en/russias-rt-channel-blocked-by-german-regulators/a-60635397 |url-status=live }}</ref> During the ], the ] and ] formally banned RT and independent service providers in over 10 countries suspended broadcasts of RT.<ref name=CRTC>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-russia-today-broadcasting-decision-1.6386929 |title=CRTC bans Russian state-controlled TV channels RT, RT France from Canadian airwaves |last1=Zimonjic |first1=Peter |date=March 16, 2022 |website=CBC News |access-date=5 May 2022 |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701061527/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-russia-today-broadcasting-decision-1.6386929 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Chmielewski 2022">{{cite web |last1=Chmielewski |first1=Dawn |title=Roku is removing RT from the Roku Channel Store in Europe – source |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/roku-is-removing-rt-roku-channel-store-europe-source-2022-03-01/ |website=] |access-date=1 March 2022 |language=en |date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=2 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302001035/https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/roku-is-removing-rt-roku-channel-store-europe-source-2022-03-01/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-01 |title=Russian-backed RT channel to lose Sky TV slot in UK within 24 hours |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/mar/01/russian-backed-rt-channel-to-lose-sky-tv-slot-in-uk-within-24-hours |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=The Guardian |language=en |archive-date=17 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220917215046/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/mar/01/russian-backed-rt-channel-to-lose-sky-tv-slot-in-uk-within-24-hours |url-status=live }}</ref> Social media websites followed by blocking external links to RT's website and restricting access to RT's content.<ref name="Reuters20220301" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dwoskin |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Zakrzewski |first2=Cat |last3=De Vynck |first3=Gerrit |title=Major social media platforms ban Russian state media in Europe |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/01/youtube-tiktok-facebook-state-media-ban/ |newspaper=] |access-date=1 March 2022 |date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301092843/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/01/youtube-tiktok-facebook-state-media-ban/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ] removed RT from ] and de-ranked their search results on ],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newman |first=Jared |date=2022-03-01 |title=Here's which tech companies have—and haven't—banned Russia's state-sponsored RT media app |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90726527/tech-companies-banned-rt-news-app-russia-microsoft-google |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301215636/https://www.fastcompany.com/90726527/tech-companies-banned-rt-news-app-russia-microsoft-google |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=Reuters |date=2022-02-28 |title=Microsoft to remove RT apps, ban Russian state-owned media ads |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/microsoft-remove-rt-apps-ban-russian-state-owned-media-ads-2022-02-28/ |access-date=2022-03-01 |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301215636/https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/microsoft-remove-rt-apps-ban-russian-state-owned-media-ads-2022-02-28/ |url-status=live }}</ref> while ] removed the RT app from all countries except for Russia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Emerson |first=Sarah |title=Apple Halted Product Sales In Russia And Disabled Apple Maps Features In Ukraine |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/sarahemerson/apple-responds-ukraine-russia-rt-sputnik-maps |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=BuzzFeed News |language=en |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301220420/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/sarahemerson/apple-responds-ukraine-russia-rt-sputnik-maps |url-status=live }}</ref> However, RT content continues to be ] through third-party sites.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bond |first=Shannon |date=June 6, 2024 |title=This is what Russian propaganda looks like in 2024 |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/06/06/g-s1-2965/russia-propaganda-deepfakes-sham-websites-social-media-ukraine |access-date=June 15, 2024 |work=] |archive-date=15 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615142511/https://www.npr.org/2024/06/06/g-s1-2965/russia-propaganda-deepfakes-sham-websites-social-media-ukraine |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===Foundation=== | ===Foundation=== | ||
] | |||
The creation of RT was a part of a larger ] effort by the ] that was intended to improve the image of ] abroad.<ref name="ForeignPolicy" /> RT was conceived by former media minister ],<ref name="Osborn">Andrew Osborn, , '']'', August 16, 2005.</ref> and Russian president ]'s press spokesperson Aleksei Gromov.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1063693.html |title=Russia: New International Channel Ready To Begin Broadcasting |date=2005-12-09 |publisher=]}}</ref> At the time of RT's founding, ] director ] stated: "Unfortunately, at the level of mass consciousness in the West, Russia is associated with three words: communism, snow and poverty," and added "we would like to present a more complete picture of life in our country."<ref name="Osborn" /> It is registered as an ]<ref>, RT.com, ''accessed May 6, 2013''.</ref><ref name="RN-2012"/> funded by the ] through the ].<ref>, rianovosti.com, July 6, 2005.</ref><ref>, infox.ru, Jan 23, 2009.</ref> | |||
RT's formation was part of a ] effort by the ] in 2005 to improve Russia's image abroad.<ref name="ForeignPolicy" /> RT was conceived by former media minister ]<ref name="Osborn">Andrew Osborn, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141407/https://www.theage.com.au/news/world/russias-cnn-wants-to-tell-it-like-it-is/2005/08/15/1123958007022.html |date=12 June 2018 }}, '']'', 16 August 2005. {{Limited access}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Parsons |first=Robert |date=9 December 2005 |title=Russia: New International Channel Ready To Begin Broadcasting |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1063693.html |publisher=] |access-date=18 April 2015 |archive-date=23 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623150345/http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1063693.html |url-status=live }}</ref> At the time of RT's founding, ] director ] stated: "Unfortunately, at the level of mass consciousness in the West, Russia is associated with three words: communism, snow and poverty", and added "we would like to present a more complete picture of life in our country".<ref name="Osborn" /> RT is funded by the ], part of the government of Russia.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mettler|first=Katie|date=2017-06-08|title=Jesse Ventura's new Russian state TV show: 'I am working for the enemy of mainstream media now'|language=en|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/06/08/jesse-venturas-new-russian-state-tv-show-i-am-working-for-the-enemy-of-mainstream-media-now/|access-date=2022-02-04|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=22 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322094611/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/06/08/jesse-venturas-new-russian-state-tv-show-i-am-working-for-the-enemy-of-mainstream-media-now/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ruddick|first=Graham|date=2017-11-17|title='Be ashamed, Alex': Salmond courts controversy with RT|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/nov/17/be-ashamed-alex-salmond-courts-controversy-rt-russia-today|access-date=2022-02-04|website=]|language=en|archive-date=31 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153328/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/nov/17/be-ashamed-alex-salmond-courts-controversy-rt-russia-today|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
In 2005, RIA Novosti founded '''ANO TV-Novosti''' (or "Autonomous Non-profit Organization TV-News") to serve as the parent organization for RT. ANO TV-Novosti was registered on 6 April 2005,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and Sergey Frolov ({{Langx|ru|Сергей Фролов|label=none}}) was appointed its ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Фролов Сергей |trans-title=Frolov Sergey |url=http://interatr.org/ru/persons/frolov-sergej/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=interatr.org |language=ru |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303231659/http://interatr.org/ru/persons/frolov-sergej/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
In 2005, RIA Novosti helped establish ANO TV-Novosti (or "] TV-News") to serve as the parent organization for the planned channel. ANO TV-Novosti was registered on April 6, 2005.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> ANO TV-Novosti appointed Sergey Frolov as its ] position;<ref>, Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications, Aug 29, 2007.</ref> Frolov stated regarding the channel's development: "A main problem in the beginning was that in our country we've never broadcast English-language television. When it began Russia Today had a certain lack of personnel: it seems hard to find qualified journalists, political scientists, economists, analysts, with good English skills in Moscow."<ref name="translate.google.com">, broadcasting.ru, Dec 15, 2006.</ref> | |||
] ] visits RT offices with Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan |
] ] visits RT offices with Editor-in-Chief ]]] | ||
The channel was launched as |
The channel was launched as Russia Today on 10 December 2005. At its launch, the channel employed 300 journalists, including approximately 70 from outside Russia.<ref name="ForeignPolicy">Julian Evans, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510193206/https://foreignpolicy.com/2005/12/01/spinning-russia/ |date=10 May 2022 }}, ], 1 December 2005.{{Limited access}}</ref> Russia Today appointed ] as its editor-in-chief; she recruited foreign journalists as presenters and consultants.<ref name="Osborn" /> | ||
Simonyan, |
Simonyan, aged 25 years old when she was appointed, was a former ] reporter who had worked in journalism since she was 18. She told '']'' that after the ], many new young journalists were hired, resulting in a much younger pool of staffers than other news organizations.<ref name="Heyman">Stephen Heyman, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301061921/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/arts/television/18heym.html?_r=0 |date=1 March 2019 }}, '']'', 18 May 2008.</ref> Journalist ] (who has appeared as a guest on RT)<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415214648/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ir0Fg4JWOw |date=15 April 2023 }} interview on RT website. (via YouTube)</ref> stated that, having been part of the launch staff at ], he saw RT as another "channel of young people who are inexperienced, but very enthusiastic about what they are doing".<ref name="Walker">Shaun Walker, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925191557/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-today-tomorrow--the-world-2083869.html |date=25 September 2015 }}, ], 20 September 2010.</ref> Shortly after the channel was launched, James Painter wrote that RT and similar news channels such as ] and ] saw themselves as "counter-hegemonic", offering a differing vision and news content from that of ] like CNN and the ].<ref name="Painter">{{cite web|author=James Painter|url=http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/James_Painter.pdf |title=The boom in counter-hegemonic news channels: a case study of TeleSUR|year=2007|work=] at ]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708070119/http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/James_Painter.pdf|archive-date=8 July 2007}}</ref> | ||
===Development and expansion=== | ===Development and expansion=== | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
RT launched several new channels in ensuing years: the Arabic language channel ] in 2007, the Spanish language channel RT Actualidad in 2009, RT America – which focuses on the United States – in 2010, and the |
RT launched several new channels in ensuing years: the Arabic language channel ] in 2007, the Spanish language channel ] in 2009, RT America – which focuses on the United States – in 2010, and the RT Documentary channel in 2011.<ref name="vonTwickel">{{Cite web|last=von Twickel|first=Nikolaus|date=23 March 2010|title=Russia Today courts viewers with controversy|url=https://www.rbth.com/articles/2010/03/23/230310_rt.html|access-date=12 December 2020|website=]|publisher=]|archive-date=21 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421180512/https://www.rbth.com/articles/2010/03/23/230310_rt.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
In August 2007, Russia Today became the first television channel to report live from the |
In August 2007, Russia Today became the first television channel to report live from the North Pole (with the report lasting five minutes and 41 seconds). An RT crew participated in the ] Russian polar expedition, led by ] on the '']'' ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rt.com/news/russias-landmark-events-of-2007/|title=Russia's landmark events of 2007|work=RT International|access-date=14 April 2017|language=en-EN|archive-date=28 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428063304/https://www.rt.com/news/russias-landmark-events-of-2007/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Zagorodnov">{{cite news|last=Zagorodnov|first=Artem|date=25 September 2008|title=Today's woman who needs to be heard|newspaper=]|publisher=]|url=http://rbth.com/articles/2008/09/25/250908_rt.html|access-date=18 April 2015|archive-date=17 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117194109/https://www.rbth.com/articles/2008/09/25/250908_rt.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On 31 December 2007, RT's broadcasts of New Year's Eve celebrations in ] and ] were broadcast in the hours prior to the New Year's Eve event at ] ].<ref name="Zagorodnov"/> | ||
Russia Today drew particular attention worldwide for its coverage of the ].<ref name="Zagorodnov"/><ref name="Rowland">{{cite news|last=Rowland|first=Kara|title=Russia Today: Youth served|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/27/russia-today-youth-served/?page=all|newspaper=The Washington Times|date=27 October 2008|access-date=5 November 2012|archive-date=4 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604194711/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/27/russia-today-youth-served/?page=all|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Weigel">David Weigel, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312003255/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2011/06/the-rt-network-russia-s-answer-to-fox-news-and-msnbc.html |date=12 March 2024 }}, '']'', 27 June 2011.</ref> RT named ] as the aggressor<ref name="Weigel"/> against the ] governments of ] and ], which were protected by Russian troops.<ref>Charles King, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925131944/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russia-fsu/2009-10-11/clarity-caucasus |date=25 September 2015 }}, '']'', 11 October 2009.</ref> RT saw this as the incident that showcased its newsgathering abilities to the world.<ref name="Ioffe">{{cite news|url=https://www.cjr.org/feature/what_is_russia_today.php|title=What Is Russia Today?|author=Julia Ioffe|date=September–October 2010|work=Columbia Journalism Review|author-link=Julia Ioffe (journalist)|access-date=13 March 2022|archive-date=25 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125213220/http://www.cjr.org/feature/what_is_russia_today.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Margarita Simonyan stated: "we were the only ones among the English-language media who were giving the other side of the story – the South Ossetian side of the story".<ref name="Rowland"/> | |||
In 2009, Russia Today rebranded |
In 2009, Russia Today was rebranded to "RT", which ] academics Jack Nassetta and Kimberly Gross described as an " to shed state affiliation".<ref name="HKS 2020" /> Simonyan said the company had not changed names but the company's corporate logo was changed to attract more viewers: "who is interested in watching news from Russia all day long?"<ref name="vonTwickel" /> | ||
Julia Ioffe also describes 2009, when the Barack Obama administration came to office "promising a different approach toward Russia", as a time when RT became "more international and less anti-American", and "built a state-of-the-art studio and newsroom" in the U.S. capital<ref name="Ioffe"/> | |||
In early 2010, RT unveiled |
In early 2010, RT unveiled an advertising campaign to promote its new "Question More" slogan.<ref>{{cite web |title='Question More' |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/Question_More/1927299.html |website=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |access-date=10 February 2023 |language=en |date=13 January 2010 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210041330/https://www.rferl.org/a/Question_More/1927299.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The campaign was created by Ketchum, GPlus, and London's Portland PR.<ref name="Guardian_Harding_RT">{{Cite news |last=Harding |first=Luke |author-link=Luke Harding |date=18 December 2009 |title=Russia Today launches first UK ad blitz |work=] |location=Moscow |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/18/russia-today-propaganda-ad-blitz |access-date=12 December 2016 |archive-date=14 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714162042/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/18/russia-today-propaganda-ad-blitz |url-status=live }}</ref> One of the advertisements featured as part of the campaign showed U.S. President ] ] into Iranian leader ] and asked: "Who poses the greatest nuclear threat?" The ad was banned in American airports. Another showed a Western soldier "merging" with a ] fighter and asked: "Is terror only inflicted by terrorists?"<ref name=Burrell>Ian Burrell, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423063609/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/from-russia-with-news-1869324.html |date=23 April 2019 }}, '']'', 15 January 2010.</ref> One of RT's 2010 billboard advertisements won the British Awards for National Newspaper Advertising "Ad of the Month".<ref name="Advertising"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227105837/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rts-advertising-declared-ad-of-the-month-in-uk-86592702.html |date=27 February 2022 }}, RT (TV network), 5 March 2010.</ref> | ||
In 2010, ], Chairman of the U.S. Government's ], which runs ], ] and ], called for more money to invest in the programs because "We can't allow ourselves to be out-communicated by our enemies", specifically mentioning Russia Today, ]'s ] and China's ] (CCTV) in the following sentence. He later explained that he actually was referring to "enemies" in ], not the countries he mentioned.<ref>Josh Rogin, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228194731/https://foreignpolicy.com/2010/10/05/new-bbg-chief-wants-more-money-to-combat-enemies-such-as-china-and-russia/ |date=28 February 2017 }}, '']'', 5 October 2010.</ref> In 2011, ] ] stated that the U.S. was "losing the information war" abroad to foreign channels like RT, ] and China Central Television<ref>{{cite news|author=Kirit Radia|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/03/sec-of-state-hillary-clinton-al-jazeera-is-real-news-us-losing-information-war|title=Sec. of State Hillary Clinton: Al Jazeera is 'Real News', U.S. Losing 'Information War'|publisher=Political Punch|date=2 March 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001140919/https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/03/sec-of-state-hillary-clinton-al-jazeera-is-real-news-us-losing-information-war|archive-date=1 October 2011}}</ref> and that they were supplanting the Voice of America.<ref>Andy McSmith, , ], 5 March 2011</ref><ref>Ishaan Tharoor, , '']'', 3 March 2011.</ref> | |||
=== |
===2012–2021=== | ||
In early 2012, shortly after his appointment as |
In early 2012, shortly after his appointment as ], ] challenged Margarita Simonyan<ref name="HuffPoPutin">{{cite news|last=Hirst|first=Tomas|title=Putin's Perverse Fear of Soft Power|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tomas-hirst/putins-perverse-fear-of-s_b_1312766.html|newspaper=HuffPost|date=3 January 2012|access-date=8 November 2012|archive-date=22 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222183427/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tomas-hirst/putins-perverse-fear-of-s_b_1312766.html|url-status=live}}</ref> on Twitter about allegations from RT<ref name="Toohey">{{cite news|last=Toohey|first=Nathan|date=8 February 2012|title=RT and McFaul argue over Navalny's US education|newspaper=]|url=http://themoscownews.com/russia/20120208/189437448.html|url-status=dead|access-date=30 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228121243/http://themoscownews.com/russia/20120208/189437448.html?id=|archive-date=28 February 2014}}</ref> that he had sent Russian opposition figure ] to study at ].<ref name="HuffPoPutin" /><ref name="Toohey" /> According to RT, McFaul was referring to a comment in an article by political scientist ], which RT had specified were the views of the author.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rt.com/politics/mcfaul-opposition-rallies-panarin-667/|title=McFaul and the Moscow opposition rallies|work=RT International|access-date=14 April 2017|language=en-EN|archive-date=21 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321182301/https://www.rt.com/politics/mcfaul-opposition-rallies-panarin-667/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106021641/http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politics/09-02-2012/120456-michael_mcfaul_ambassador-0/ |date=6 November 2012 }}, ], 2 February 2012.</ref> McFaul then accepted an interview by Sophie Shevardnadze on RT on this and other issues and reasserted that the ] wanted a ] with Russia.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rt.com/politics/us-seeks-reset-russia-635/|title=US ambassador says seeks reset, not revolution in Russia|work=RT International|access-date=14 April 2017|language=en-EN|archive-date=14 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414164107/https://www.rt.com/politics/us-seeks-reset-russia-635/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222175132/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwOWlJix8bs |date=22 February 2012 }}, RT interview with Ambassador Michael McFaul.</ref> | ||
On 17 April 2012, RT debuted '']'', a news interview programme hosted by ] founder ]. The first guest on the program was ] leader ].<ref name="Stanley">Alessandra Stanley, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310214922/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/arts/television/julian-assange-starts-talk-show-on-russian-tv.html |date=10 March 2017 }}, '']'', 17 April 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The World Tomorrow |url=http://worldtomorrow.wikileaks.org/ |publisher=WikiLeaks |date=13 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415223431/http://worldtomorrow.wikileaks.org/ |archive-date=15 April 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=13 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Assange show premiere: Time to watch 'The World Tomorrow' |url=http://rt.com/news/assange-world-tomorrow-premier-date-time-934/ |publisher=RT|location=Russia |date=13 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413165005/http://rt.com/news/assange-world-tomorrow-premier-date-time-934/ |archive-date=13 April 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=13 April 2012 }}</ref> The interview made global headlines as Nasrallah rarely gives interviews to Western media.<ref name="Taylor">{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Jerome |title=Julian Assange launches talk show on Kremlin-backed broadcaster Russia |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/julian-assange-launches-talk-show-on-kremlinbacked-broadcaster-russia-today-7654690.html |access-date=14 April 2021 |work=The Independent |date=17 April 2012 |language=en |quote=Heading off criticism for his choice of partner he added: "There's Julian Assange, enemy combatant, a traitor, getting in to bed with the Kremlin and interviewing terrible radicals from around the world. I think that's a pretty trivial kind of attack. If they actually look at how the show is made: we make it, we have complete editorial control, we believe that all media organisations have an angle, all media organisations have an issue. |archive-date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414143334/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/julian-assange-launches-talk-show-on-kremlinbacked-broadcaster-russia-today-7654690.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Commentators described this as a "coup".<ref>Raphael Satter, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305030246/http://news.yahoo.com/assange-interviews-hezbollah-leader-tv-premiere-115117514.html |date=5 March 2016 }}, ] via '']'', 17 April 2012.</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419163553/http://www.news.com.au/world/assange-debuts-chat-show/story-fn6sb9br-1226330924558 |date=19 April 2015 }}, ], 18 April 2012.</ref> WikiLeaks described the show as "a series of in-depth conversations with key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries from around the world".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikileaks.org/New-Assange-TV-Series.html |title=New Assange TV Series |date=23 January 2012 |publisher=wikileaks.org |access-date=12 February 2012 |archive-date=11 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211041602/http://wikileaks.org/New-Assange-TV-Series.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It stated that the show is "independently produced and Assange has control"; WikiLeaks offers a "Broadcasters license, only".<ref name="Lucas">Douglas Lucas, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929230435/http://www.salon.com/2012/02/23/julian_assange_prepares_his_next_move/ |date=29 September 2012 }}, '']'', 23 February 2012.</ref> | |||
<!-- Commented out: ] --> | |||
On April 17, 2012, RT debuted '']'', a news interview program hosted by ] founder ]. The first guest on the program was ] leader ].<ref name="Stanley">Alessandra Stanley, , '']'', April 17, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The World Tomorrow |url=http://worldtomorrow.wikileaks.org/ |publisher=WikiLeaks |date=13 April 2012 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/66tobadKP |archivedate=13 April 2012 |deadurl=no |accessdate=13 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Assange show premiere: Time to watch 'The World Tomorrow' |url=http://rt.com/news/assange-world-tomorrow-premier-date-time-934/ |publisher=RT.com |date=13 April 2012 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/66tocDlo8 |archivedate=13 April 2012 |deadurl=no |accessdate=13 April 2012}}</ref> The interview made global headlines as Nasrallah rarely gives interviews to Western media.<ref name="Taylor">Jerome Taylor, , ], April 18, 2012.</ref> Commentators described this as a "coup"<ref>Raphael Satter, , ] via ], April 17, 2012.</ref><ref>, ], April 18, 2012.</ref> or a "scoop".<ref name="Adomanis">Mark Adomanis, , ], April 18, 2012.</ref><ref name="Greenwald" /> WikiLeaks described the show as "a series of in-depth conversations with key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries from around the world."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikileaks.org/New-Assange-TV-Series.html |title=New Assange TV Series |date=23 January 2012 |publisher=wikileaks.org |accessdate=12 February 2012}}</ref> It stated that the show is "independently produced and Assange has control"; WikiLeaks offers a "Broadcasters license, only".<ref name="Lucas" /> | |||
Assange said that RT allowed his guests to discuss things that they "could not say on a mainstream TV network".<ref>{{cite news|author=Raphael Satter |url=http://www.denverpost.com/nationalpolitics/ci_20414171/wikileaks-founders-show-air-kremlin-tv|title=Assange interviews Hezbollah leader in TV premiere|agency=]|work=]|date=17 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910131250/http://www.denverpost.com/nationalpolitics/ci_20414171/wikileaks-founders-show-air-kremlin-tv|archive-date=10 September 2013}}</ref> Assange's production company made the show and Assange had full editorial control. Assange said that, if WikiLeaks had published large amounts of compromising data on Russia, his relationship with RT might not have been so comfortable.<ref name="Taylor" /> In August of that year, RT suffered a ] attack. Some people linked the attack to RT's connection with Assange, and others to an impending court verdict related to ].<ref>David Meyer, , ], 17 August 2012.</ref> | |||
On October |
On 23 October 2012, RT, along with Al Jazeera and ], broadcast the ] third-party debate among four third-party ] of the United States.<ref>Michael Calderone, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809092421/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/19/third-party-debate-al-jazeera-english_n_1988014.html |date=9 August 2016 }}, '']'', Posted: 19 October 2012, Updated: 23 October 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2012/10/presidential_hopefuls_take_sta.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027162558/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2012/10/presidential_hopefuls_take_sta.html|archive-date=27 October 2012|title=Presidential Hopefuls Meet in Third Party Debate|work=]|date=25 October 2012|access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref> On 5 November, RT broadcast the two candidates that were voted winners of that debate, ] candidate Governor ] and ] candidate ], from RT's ] studio.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415011221/https://www.rt.com/usa/rt-third-party-debate-stein-249/ |date=15 April 2017 }}, Published: 27 October 2012; Edited: 3 November 2012; note that the debate was postponed from 30 October because of ].</ref><ref>Paul Singer, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819060717/https://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2012/11/05/nader-stein-johnson-debate-third-party/1682643/ |date=19 August 2017 }}, '']'', 5 November 2012.</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414163936/https://www.rt.com/usa/us-stein-johnson-foreign-036/ |date=14 April 2017 }}, RT.com story and video of debate, 6 November 2012.</ref> | ||
In May 2013, RT announced that former CNN host ] would host a new talk show on RT. King said in an advertisement on RT: "I would rather ask questions to people in positions of power, instead of speaking on their behalf."<ref>Dylan Byers, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925115340/http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/05/larry-king-joins-russian-channel-rt-164941 |date=25 September 2015 }}, '']'', 29 May 2013.</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414162933/https://www.rt.com/news/larry-king-joins-rt-873/ |date=14 April 2017 }}, RT Press release, 29 May 2013.</ref> As part of the deal, King would also bring his ] series '']'' to RT. On 13 June 2013, RT aired a preview telecast of King's new Thursday evening program ''Politicking'', with the episode discussing ]'s leaking of the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rt.com/shows/politicking-larry-king/nsa-scandal-snowden-schock-675/|title=Politicking: Larry King talks NSA scandal fallout|publisher=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-date=14 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414163644/https://www.rt.com/shows/politicking-larry-king/nsa-scandal-snowden-schock-675/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
In November 2012, ] bombs severely damaged RT's offices in ], wounding four journalists, during ]. The office was right next to that of the Israeli target, ], a television station that was affiliated with the Palestinian militant group ].<ref>, ], November 18, 2012.</ref> | |||
] ] 2013 visit to RT's new broadcasting centre and interview with RT correspondents]] | |||
In May 2013, RT announced that former CNN host ] would host a new talk show on RT. King said in an advertisement on RT: "I would rather ask questions to people in positions of power, instead of speaking on their behalf."<ref>Dylan Byers, , ], May 29, 2013.</ref><ref>, RT Press release, May 29, 2013.</ref> As part of the deal, King would also bring his ] series "]" to RT. On June 13, 2013 RT aired a preview telecast of King's new Thursday evening program ''Politicking'', with the episode discussing ]'s leaking of the ].<ref>, RT.com, June 13, 2013.</ref> | |||
Vladimir Putin visited the new RT broadcasting centre in June 2013 and stated: <blockquote>"When we designed this project back in 2005 we intended introducing another strong player on the international scene, a player that wouldn't just provide an unbiased coverage of the events in Russia but also try, let me stress, I mean – try to break the Anglo-Saxon monopoly on the global information streams. ... We wanted to bring an absolutely independent news channel to the news arena. Certainly the channel is funded by the government, so it cannot help but reflect the Russian government's official position on the events in our country and in the rest of the world one way or another. But I'd like to underline again that we never intended this channel, RT, as any kind of apologetics for the Russian political line, whether domestic or foreign."<ref name=Putin2013> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105194547/http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/18319 |date=5 January 2019 }}, Kremlin.ru website, 11 June 2013</ref><ref name=MaxFisher/></blockquote> | |||
In early October 2014, RT announced the launch of a dedicated news channel, ], aimed at British audiences. The new channel began operating on 30 October 2014.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129193915/http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2014102835839/rt-unveils-dedicated-news-channel-for-uk.html |date=29 November 2014 }}, Rapid TV News, 30 October 2014.</ref> | |||
] ] 2013 visit to RT new broadcasting centre and interview with RT correspondents''.]] | |||
Vladimir Putin visited the new RT broadcasting centre in June 2013 and stated "When we designed this project back in 2005 we intended introducing another strong player on the international scene, a player that wouldn’t just provide an unbiased coverage of the events in Russia but also try, let me stress, I mean – try to break the Anglo-Saxon monopoly on the global information streams.... We wanted to bring an absolutely independent news channel to the news arena. Certainly the channel is funded by the government, so it cannot help but reflect the Russian government's official position on the events in our country and in the rest of the world one way or another. But I’d like to underline again that we never intended this channel, RT, as any kind of apologetics for the Russian political line, whether domestic or foreign."<ref name=Putin2013>, Kremlin.ru website, June 11, 2013</ref><ref name=MaxFisher>Max Fisher, , ], June 13, 2013.</ref> | |||
In October 2016, the ] bank stated that they will no longer provide banking services to RT in the UK without providing any reasons. This decision was criticised by Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT, and the Russia Government. Simonyan sarcastically tweeted that: "Long live freedom of speech!"<ref>{{Cite web|last=karl-mcdonald|date=17 October 2016|title=Russia Today's UK bank accounts shut by NatWest|url=https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/russia-todays-uk-bank-accounts-shut-natwest-25993|access-date=30 November 2021|website=inews.co.uk|language=en|archive-date=30 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130092336/https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/russia-todays-uk-bank-accounts-shut-natwest-25993|url-status=live}}</ref> However, NatWest reversed its decision in January 2017, said it had reached a resolution with RT. Simonyan said the decision showed that "common sense has prevailed".<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 January 2017|title=NatWest reverses decision to close RT's bank accounts in UK|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jan/30/natwest-reverses-decision-close-rt-russia-today-bank-accounts-uk|access-date=30 November 2021|work=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=30 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130092339/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jan/30/natwest-reverses-decision-close-rt-russia-today-bank-accounts-uk|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
On July 12, 2014, during his visit to ], Putin announced that Actualidad RT will broadcast on ] in the ] country, making it the first foreign television channel to be broadcast free-to-air there.<ref>{{cite news|title=Putin: RT en español emitirá su señal en abierto en Argentina 24 al día|url=http://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/view/133759-rt-espanol-senal-argentina-abierto|accessdate=12 July 2014|publisher=Actualidad RT|date=12 July 2014|language=Spanish}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://omnifeed.com/article/www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/russia-today-argentina-tomorrow.html|title=Russia Today, Argentina Tomorrow|last=Bosoer|first=Fabián|author2=Finchelstein, Federico|date=21 October 2014|work=New York Times|accessdate=23 October 2014}}</ref> RT was made available on the dominant ]n subcrption television platform ] on February 17, 2015.<ref>{{TV Tonight|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/02/foxtel-adds-russia-today-channel.html/|title=Foxtel adds Russia Today channel|date=16 February 2015|accessdate=16 February 2015}}</ref> In October 2014, RT announced the launch of a dedicated news channel, ], aimed at the British market. The new channel started operating on October 30, 2014.<ref>, Rapid TV News, October 30, 2014.</ref> | |||
In 2018, some of the RT staff started a new media project, Redfish.media, that positioned itself as "grassroots journalism".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/grassroots-media-startup-redfish-is-supported-by-the-kremlin|title=This 'Grassroots' Media Startup Is Supported by the Kremlin|last=Davis|first=Charles|date=1 February 2018|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=12 August 2018|language=en|archive-date=31 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131233925/https://www.thedailybeast.com/grassroots-media-startup-redfish-is-supported-by-the-kremlin|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Times Redfish" /> The website was criticized by activist Musa Okwonga for deceptively interviewing him and then distributing it across RT channels while hiding its real affiliation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.okwonga.com/my-new-post-on-redfish-and-russia-today/|title=My new post, on Redfish and Russia Today.|website=okwonga.com|language=en-US|access-date=12 August 2018|archive-date=13 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813005114/http://www.okwonga.com/my-new-post-on-redfish-and-russia-today/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another similar RT project is ''In the NOW'', started in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/quirky-viral-video-channel-is-funded-by-the-russian-govt|title=This Quirky New Viral Video Channel Is Funded By The Russian Government|work=BuzzFeed|access-date=19 October 2018|language=en|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226140538/https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/quirky-viral-video-channel-is-funded-by-the-russian-govt|url-status=live}}</ref> On 15 February 2019, Facebook temporarily blocked the ''In the NOW'' page, saying that even though it does not require pages to disclose who funds them, it had suspended the page so viewers would not "be misled about who's behind them". ], CEO of ], which published the page, described the blocking as "unprecedented discrimination", and said that Facebook did not ask other channels to declare their parent company and financial affiliations. As of February 2019, a majority of Maffick stock was controlled by ], an RT subsidiary, with Naouai owning the remaining 49%. Facebook unblocked the page on 25 February 2019; Naouai said the company had agreed to do so once the page was updated to feature information on ''In the NOW''{{'}}s funding and management. She added that this requirement has been applied to no other Facebook page. ''In the NOW'' also has an active channel on ] and regularly posts videos from ], a Maffick-owned channel.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ma |first1=Alexandra |title=Russia's RT attacks Facebook for suspending 4 viral news channels that broadcast Kremlin talking points to millennials |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/rt-attacks-facebook-for-suspending-in-the-now-soapbox-other-pages-2019-2?r=US&IR=T |access-date=19 February 2019 |publisher=Business Insider Australia |date=18 February 2019 |archive-date=19 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219130341/https://www.businessinsider.com.au/rt-attacks-facebook-for-suspending-in-the-now-soapbox-other-pages-2019-2?r=US&IR=T |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-02-18|others=Based on reporting by Interfax, TASS, AFP, and CNN|title=Facebook Blocks 'Wildly Popular' RT-Run Page|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/kremlin-slams-facebook-s-decision-to-block-rt-blames-pressure-on-media-/29776607.html|access-date=18 February 2019|website=]|archive-date=18 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190218155857/https://www.rferl.org/a/kremlin-slams-facebook-s-decision-to-block-rt-blames-pressure-on-media-/29776607.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CNN Maffick" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Birnbaum|first=Emily|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/431497-facebook-restores-previously-suspended-russia-linked-pages/|title=Facebook restores previously suspended Russia-linked pages|work=The Hill|date=25 February 2019|access-date=30 July 2020|archive-date=7 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107230345/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/431497-facebook-restores-previously-suspended-russia-linked-pages|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
==Organization== | |||
State-owned ] news agency, which founded RT in 2005, is one of the largest in Russia. Its chairperson is ], who has modernised the agency since her appointment in 2003.<ref>", IPR Strategic Business Information Database, February 4, 2003. Accessed March 29, 2010.</ref><ref>, accessed 29 March 2010.</ref><ref>Peter Finn, ''The Washington Post'', March 6, 2008.</ref> RIA Novosti has stated it helped establish RT, but is "neither a sponsor nor a backer of Russia Today."<ref name="vonTwickel" /> Mikhail Seslavinsky, in charge of the ] asserted in 2005 that "Russia Today will come as an independent company".<ref>, Ria Novosti, June 7, 2005.</ref> Under Russian Law RT is a fully independent organisation. ] have also stated that they have not been influenced by ].<ref name="RN-2012" /> | |||
In February 2021, Matt Field from the '']'' reported that RT had created an account on ], a ] known for its ] userbase, right before the start of former ] ]'s ].<ref name="Field-2021">{{Cite web|last=Field|first=Matt|date=2021-02-09|title=As Trump's impeachment trial begins, the Russian network that helped him in 2016 taps his supporters on Gab.com|url=https://thebulletin.org/2021/02/as-trumps-impeachment-trial-begins-the-russian-network-that-helped-him-in-2016-taps-his-supporters-on-gab-com/|access-date=2021-02-10|website=]|language=en-US|archive-date=10 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210220940/https://thebulletin.org/2021/02/as-trumps-impeachment-trial-begins-the-russian-network-that-helped-him-in-2016-taps-his-supporters-on-gab-com/|url-status=live}}</ref> Field commented that RT had posted several articles on its Gab account, including one criticizing ], an organization run by ].<ref name="Field-2021" /> | |||
In 2007, RT established offices in the same building as RIA Novosti, after the Russian Union of Journalists was forced to vacate them.<ref>, ], via ], May 19, 2007.</ref> In 2012 Anna Kachkayeva, Dean of Media Communications at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, stated that they "share the same roof" because the two organizations are located in the same building, but regarding "funding, editorial policy, management and staff, they are two independent organisations whose daily operations are not interconnected in any way."<ref name="RN-2012">, RIA Novosti, February 6, 2012.</ref> In 2008, Simonyan noted that more than 50 young RT journalists had gone on to take positions in large Western media outlets.<ref name="Zagorodnov" /> By 2010, RT had grown to a staff of 2,000.<ref name="vonTwickel" /> | |||
In December 2021 RT launched a TV channel in Germany, RT DE TV using a license for cable and satellite broadcasting issued in Serbia. A week after the launch, on 22 December the channel was removed from broadcasting via European satellites by the European satellite operator at the request of the German media regulator.<ref>{{cite web |title=Content producer for Russia's RT wraps up journalistic operations in Germany |date=4 February 2023 |url=https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/3665397-content-producer-for-russias-rt-wraps-up-journalistic-operations-in-germany.html |access-date=4 February 2023 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204134251/https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/3665397-content-producer-for-russias-rt-wraps-up-journalistic-operations-in-germany.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
=== 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine === | |||
On 27 February 2022, the president of the European Commission ] announced the ] would ban RT and Sputnik (plus their subsidiaries) from operating in its 27 member countries.<ref name="CBS2022">{{Cite news |date=27 February 2022 |title=EU closes airspace to Russian planes, bans Russian media outlets and pledges arms to Ukraine |work=CBS |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-european-union-airspace-rt-sputnik/ |access-date=27 February 2022 |archive-date=5 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305215826/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-european-union-airspace-rt-sputnik/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The ban resulted in RT being blocked on downstream television networks located outside EU, such as the ] and ] as they were dependent on EU companies for the signal feed to RT.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-03-03 |title=RT: Russian-backed TV news channel disappears from UK screens |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-60584092 |access-date=2022-03-06 |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303112559/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-60584092 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Russian news channel RT unavailable on StarHub, Singtel due to transmission disruption 'at source' |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/russian-news-channel-rt-unavailable-starhub-singtel-transmission-disruption-2541731 |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=CNA |language=en |archive-date=12 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312070528/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/russian-news-channel-rt-unavailable-starhub-singtel-transmission-disruption-2541731 |url-status=live }}</ref> Canadian telecom companies ], ], ] and ] announced they would no longer offer RT in their channel lineups (although Rogers replaced its RT broadcasts with a ]).<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Posadzki |first1=Alexandra |author-link=Alexandra Posadzki |last2=Chase |first2=Steven |last3=Robertson |first3=Susan Krashinsky |date=2022-02-27 |title=Russia's RT to be removed from Canadian lineup by Bell, Rogers, Shaw |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ottawa-looks-for-ways-to-block-russian-broadcaster-rt/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228042526/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ottawa-looks-for-ways-to-block-russian-broadcaster-rt/ |archive-date=28 February 2022 |access-date=2022-02-28 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}</ref> This move was praised by Canada's Minister of Canadian Heritage ] who called the network the "propaganda arm" of Vladimir Putin.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 February 2022 |title=Rogers, Bell to pull Russian state-controlled channel RT over invasion of Ukraine |work=] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rogers-bell-russia-today-1.6366729 |access-date=28 February 2022 |archive-date=28 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228020121/https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rogers-bell-russia-today-1.6366729 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 28 February, Ofcom announced they had opened 15 expedited investigations into RT.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-28 |title=Ofcom opens 15 investigations into Russia Today |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/ofcom-opens-15-investigations-into-russia-today/ |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Politico |language=en-US |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301052350/https://www.politico.eu/article/ofcom-opens-15-investigations-into-russia-today/ |url-status=live }}</ref> These investigations will be focused on the 15 news editions broadcast on 27 February between 05:00 and 19:00 and will check if the coverage broke impartiality requirements in the broadcast code.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-28 |title=Ofcom launches 15 investigations into RT |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/ofcom-launches-investigations-into-rt |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Ofcom |language=en |archive-date=31 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153440/https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/ofcom-launches-investigations-into-rt |url-status=live }}</ref> On 2 March, the regulation was published which meant the ban was in force.<ref>{{cite news |title=European Union Publishes Regulation Banning Russia Today and Sputnik |url=https://techpolicy.press/european-union-publishes-regulation-banning-russia-today-and-sputnik |work=Tech Policy Press |access-date=2 March 2022 |archive-date=2 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302162859/https://techpolicy.press/european-union-publishes-regulation-banning-russia-today-and-sputnik |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
], ], and ] made RT's and Sputnik's social media content unavailable to users in the European Union on 28 February.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Peters |first1=Jay |title=Facebook blocks RT and Sputnik pages in the EU |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/28/22955542/facebook-meta-blocks-rt-sputnik-eu-instagram |website=] |access-date=1 March 2022 |language=en |date=28 February 2022 |archive-date=31 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731195054/https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/28/22955542/facebook-meta-blocks-rt-sputnik-eu-instagram |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dwoskin |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Zakrzewski |first2=Cat |title=Facebook and TikTok ban Russian state media in Europe |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/28/facebook-ukraine-russian-disinformation/ |newspaper=] |access-date=1 March 2022 |date=28 February 2022 |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220301/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/28/facebook-ukraine-russian-disinformation/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ] removed RT and Sputnik from ], the ], and the ] network on the same day.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fingas |first1=J. |title=Microsoft is the latest to ban Russian state media from its platforms |url=https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-bans-russia-state-media-193720376.html |website=] |access-date=1 March 2022 |date=28 February 2022 |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301000756/https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-bans-russia-state-media-193720376.html |url-status=live }}</ref> YouTube, on 1 March, banned access to all RT and Sputnik channels on its platform in Europe (including Britain).{{efn|Although videos and channels may appear in search results, the videos are unwatchable, with UK users given the message: "This channel is not available in your country".<ref name="Kanter" />}}<ref name="Reuters20220301">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/youtube-block-channels-linked-russias-rt-sputnik-across-europe-2022-03-01/|title=YouTube to block channels linked to Russia's RT and Sputnik across Europe|work=Reuters|date=1 March 2022|access-date=1 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="Kanter" /> ] followed by removing RT and Sputnik from its ] in all countries except Russia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mayo |first1=Benjamin |title=Apple shares statement on Russian invasion of Ukraine, company pauses all product sales and pulls RT News and Sputnik News apps from App Store |url=https://9to5mac.com/2022/03/01/apple-ukraine-statement-pause-product-sales/ |website=] |access-date=1 March 2022 |date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301210934/https://9to5mac.com/2022/03/01/apple-ukraine-statement-pause-product-sales/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ] dropped the RT app from its channel store,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Keck |first1=Catie |title=Roku, DirecTV drop Russian-backed RT channel |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/1/22957443/roku-directv-russia-ukraine-rt |website=] |access-date=2 March 2022 |language=en |date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=30 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330100409/https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/1/22957443/roku-directv-russia-ukraine-rt |url-status=live }}</ref> while ] pulled ] from its channel lineup.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weprin |first1=Alex |title=DirecTV Drops Russia-Backed RT Channel "Effective Immediately" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/directv-drops-russian-rt-1235101912/ |website=] |access-date=1 March 2022 |date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301184935/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/directv-drops-russian-rt-1235101912/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On 1 March, the ] announced the removal of RT from the Antel TV streaming platform.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Uruguay también suspendió la señal del canal ruso RT |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/mundo/2022/03/02/uruguay-tambien-suspendio-la-senal-del-canal-ruso-rt/ |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=infobae |language=es-ES |archive-date=7 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707161426/https://www.infobae.com/america/mundo/2022/03/02/uruguay-tambien-suspendio-la-senal-del-canal-ruso-rt/ |url-status=live }}</ref> New Zealand satellite television provider ] also removed RT, citing complaints from customers and consultation with the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pullar-Strecker |first1=Tom |title=Sky TV stops broadcasting Russia Today in light of war on Ukraine |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/127900707/sky-tv-stops-broadcasting-russia-today-in-light-of-war-on-ukraine |access-date=2 March 2022 |work=] |date=27 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227223947/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/127900707/sky-tv-stops-broadcasting-russia-today-in-light-of-war-on-ukraine |archive-date=27 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> ] blocked new outgoing links to RT and Sputnik on 3 March.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Reddit Bans Links to Russian State Media Across Entire Site |url=https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/reddit-bans-links-to-russian-state-media-1235195612/ |website=] |access-date=4 March 2022 |date=3 March 2022 |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303232815/https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/reddit-bans-links-to-russian-state-media-1235195612/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On 11 March, YouTube blocked RT and Sputnik worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-12 |title=YouTube blocks Russian state-funded media, including RT and Sputnik, around the world |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220312-youtube-blocks-russian-state-funded-media-including-rt-and-sputnik-around-the-world |access-date=2022-03-13 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=21 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321035648/https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220312-youtube-blocks-russian-state-funded-media-including-rt-and-sputnik-around-the-world |url-status=live }}</ref> From 16 March, the ] officially banned RT and ] from the ].<ref name=CRTC/> | |||
On 8 March 2022, ] challenged the EU ban of its activities in the ] of the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chee |first=Foo Yun |date=2022-03-08 |title=RT challenges EU ban at Europe's second top court |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/rt-challenges-eu-ban-europes-second-top-court-2022-03-08/ |access-date=}}</ref> After refusing to "urgently" consider the case on 30 March,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bodoni |first=Stephanie |date=2022-03-30 |title=Kremlin-Backed RT Loses Court Bid to Suspend EU Sanctions |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-30/kremlin-backed-rt-loses-court-bid-to-suspend-eu-sanctions |access-date= |archive-date=31 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153828/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-30/kremlin-backed-rt-loses-court-bid-to-suspend-eu-sanctions |url-status=live }}</ref> the General Court dismissed the case on 27 July 2022, ruling that the ban against RT was justified.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bodoni |first=Stephanie |date=2022-07-27 |title=RT Loses Court Fight Over EU Ban Following Ukraine Invasion |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-27/rt-loses-court-fight-against-eu-crackdown-on-russia-propaganda |access-date= |archive-date=4 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704120441/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-27/rt-loses-court-fight-against-eu-crackdown-on-russia-propaganda |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Between 22 and 26 February 2022, a couple of days before and after the ], "posts on Facebook from RT and Sputnik got more than 5 million likes, shares and comments". On YouTube, videos of "false stories, claiming that Ukrainians had attacked Russians or describing a 'genocide' against Russian-speaking Ukrainians in the separatist Donbas region," were watched "73 million times."<ref name="wapo-muffle-2022">{{cite news |last1=Dwoskin |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Merrill |first2=Jeremy B. |last3=De Vynck |first3=Gerrit |title=Social platforms' bans muffle Russian state media propaganda |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/16/facebook-youtube-russian-bans/ |access-date= |archive-date=11 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011210620/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/16/facebook-youtube-russian-bans/ |url-status=live }}</ref> During the invasion, hacktivist collective ] launched a ] attack that temporarily disabled the websites of RT and other Russian government-controlled organizations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anonymous targets RT portal in 'cyber war' against Russia |url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2022/02/25/anonymous-targets-rt-portal-in-cyber-war-against-russia |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |date=25 February 2022 |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225073340/https://www.newslaundry.com/2022/02/25/anonymous-targets-rt-portal-in-cyber-war-against-russia |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Purtill |first1=James |title=Anonymous takes down Kremlin, Russian-controlled media site in cyber attacks |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-02-25/hacker-collective-anonymous-declares-cyber-war-against-russia/100861160 |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |language=en-AU |date=25 February 2022 |archive-date=26 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226130516/https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-02-25/hacker-collective-anonymous-declares-cyber-war-against-russia/100861160 |url-status=live }}</ref> In March 2022, RT America closed and most of its staff ceased to work for the outlet.<ref name="Darcy-2022" /> RT began selling merchandise emblazoned with the ] – a pro-] and ] emblem – a few days after the start of the invasion.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sauer |first1=Pjotr |title=Why has the letter Z become the symbol of war for Russia? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/07/why-has-the-letter-z-become-the-symbol-of-war-for-russia |website=] |access-date=8 March 2022 |language=en |date=7 March 2022 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307213630/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/07/why-has-the-letter-z-become-the-symbol-of-war-for-russia |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
In March 2022, '']'' reported that RT had established a channel on ]'s video sharing platform Gab TV, which describes itself as a "free speech broadcasting platform." ''Vice News'' observed that Gab CEO Andrew Torba had given his support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Torba publicly supported RT, claiming that they are being subject to the same censorship as American conservatives "by ] and the ] regime". Torba also falsely claimed that Gab is "the one place on the internet where you can find RT News" when RT also has a presence on video sharing platform ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gilbert |first=David |date=2022-03-15 |title=Russian State TV Has Found a New Home on Gab |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/dypepw/rt-news-gab-social |access-date= |website=] |language=en |archive-date=17 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317223107/https://www.vice.com/en/article/dypepw/rt-news-gab-social |url-status=live }}</ref> Not all branches of RT have suffered declines since the war started. Interactions with the Arabic-language Facebook page "RT Online" grew 161.2% from 28 February to mid-March, "RT Play in Español" went up a 22.5%.<ref name="wapo-muffle-2022" /> | |||
In October 2022, RT presenter ] said on air that Ukrainian children who had in the past criticised the Soviet Union as occupiers of Ukraine should have been drowned or burned; he additionally laughed at reporting that Russian soldiers raped elderly Ukrainian women during the 2022 invasion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ukraine urges global ban of Russia's RT after presenter calls for drowning of Ukrainian children |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-urges-global-ban-russias-rt-after-presenter-calls-drowning-ukrainian-2022-10-23/ |access-date=24 October 2022 |work=] |date=23 October 2022 |archive-date=24 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024005613/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-urges-global-ban-russias-rt-after-presenter-calls-drowning-ukrainian-2022-10-23/?utm_source=reddit.com |url-status=live }}</ref> He was subsequently suspended by Simonyan, and criminal case investigation was opened.<ref>{{cite news |title=RT Host Suspended for Calls to 'Drown, Burn' Ukrainian Children |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/10/24/rt-host-suspended-for-calls-to-drown-burn-ukrainian-children-a79172 |work=] |date=24 October 2022 |access-date=24 October 2022 |archive-date=24 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024203642/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/10/24/rt-host-suspended-for-calls-to-drown-burn-ukrainian-children-a79172 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
In September and October 2022, RT launched RT Hindi<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rt.com/news/563568-rt-hindi-twitter-telegram-launch/ | title=RT Hindi debuts on Twitter | access-date=29 April 2023 | archive-date=29 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429120151/https://www.rt.com/news/563568-rt-hindi-twitter-telegram-launch/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and RT Balkan,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gotev |first=Georgi |date=2023-03-31 |title=Study: Russian embassy in Sofia most impactful in spreading propaganda |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/study-russian-embassy-in-sofia-most-impactful-in-spreading-propaganda/ |access-date= |website=] |language=en-GB |archive-date=29 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429121659/https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/study-russian-embassy-in-sofia-most-impactful-in-spreading-propaganda/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-11-15 |title=RT Launches Local Website, Broadcasting in Serbia |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/11/15/rt-launches-local-hub-in-serbia-a79380 |access-date= |website=] |language=en |archive-date=29 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429123155/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/11/15/rt-launches-local-hub-in-serbia-a79380 |url-status=live }}</ref> to expand its audience. | |||
=== 2023–present === | |||
In September 2023, RT launched its online platform in Portuguese, as "RT Brazil".{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} | |||
On August 9, 2024 the broadcast and other equipment from the RT studio in Washington DC were auctioned off.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Broadcasting and Television Production Auction. Washington, DC |url=https://rasmus.com/auctions/PDFH8RH4lUDFATQlWiEv |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=rasmus.com |language=en |archive-date=12 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812163452/https://rasmus.com/auctions/PDFH8RH4lUDFATQlWiEv |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
On September 16, 2024, Meta announced that it would ban RT from its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, for foreign interference activity.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/16/meta-bans-rt-russian-media-outlets|title= | |||
Meta bans Russian state media outlets over 'foreign interference activity'|work=The Guardian|date= | |||
17 September 2024}}</ref> | |||
==Organization== | |||
State-owned RIA Novosti news agency, which founded RT in 2005, is one of the largest in Russia. Its former chairperson was Svetlana Mironyuk, who modernised the agency after being appointed in 2003.<ref>", IPR Strategic Business Information Database, 4 February 2003. Retrieved 29 March 2010.</ref><ref>. Retrieved 29 March 2010.</ref><ref>Peter Finn, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516175848/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030503539_pf.html |date=16 May 2008 }} ''The Washington Post'', 6 March 2008.</ref> | |||
In 2007, RT established offices in the same building as RIA Novosti, after the Russian Union of Journalists was forced to vacate them.<ref>, ], via ], 19 May 2007.</ref> In 2012, Anna Kachkayeva, Dean of Media Communications at Moscow's ], stated that the two organizations "share the same roof" because they are located in the same building, but in "funding, editorial policy, management and staff, they are two independent organisations whose daily operations are not interconnected in any way".<ref name="RN-2012">, RIA Novosti, 6 February 2012.</ref> In 2008, Simonyan noted that more than 50 young RT journalists had gone on to take positions in large Western media outlets.<ref name="Zagorodnov" /> By 2010, RT's staff had grown to 2,000.<ref name="vonTwickel" /> | |||
In December 2012 on the eve of RT's seventh anniversary of broadcast, RT moved its production studios and headquarters to a new state-of-the-art eight-story, {{convert|28,000|sqm|sqft}} facility in Moscow, which houses six studios. The move also marked RT's upgrade of all of its English-language news programming to ].<ref name="Bullough"/><ref>, RT website, December 17, 2012.</ref><ref>, RT website, ''accessed July 6, 2013.''</ref> | |||
] | |||
In 2013, a presidential decree issued by Vladimir Putin dissolved RIA Novosti and subsumed it into a new information agency called ] (directly translated as ''Russia Today'').<ref name=RT>{{cite news|title=Putin orders overhaul of top state news agency|url=http://rt.com/news/ria-novosti-overhaul-putin-960/|accessdate=10 December 2013|newspaper=RT|date=9 December 2013}}</ref> According to a report on the RT website, the new news agency is "in no way related" to the news channel RT despite the similarity to RT's original name.<ref name="RT"/> However, on December 31, 2013, Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the RT news channel, was also appointed as editor-in-chief of the new news agency while maintaining her duties for the television network.<ref>{{cite news|title=RT editor Simonyan to head Kremlin-backed news agency|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25560434|accessdate=31 December 2013|newspaper=BBC News|date=31 December 2013}}</ref> | |||
In December 2012, RT moved its production studios and headquarters to a new facility in Moscow. The move coincided with RT's upgrade of all of its English-language news programming to ].<ref name="Bullough" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rt.com/about-us/press-releases/rt-begins-broadcasting-in-hd-worldwide-from-new-state-of-the-art-studio/|title=RT Begins Broadcasting in HD Worldwide from New State of the Art Studio|work=RT International|access-date=14 April 2017|language=en-EN|archive-date=14 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414162803/https://www.rt.com/about-us/press-releases/rt-begins-broadcasting-in-hd-worldwide-from-new-state-of-the-art-studio/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rt.com/about-us/history/|title=History|website=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-date=15 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415011501/https://www.rt.com/about-us/history/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
In 2013, a presidential decree issued by Vladimir Putin dissolved RIA Novosti, replacing it with a new information agency called ] (directly translated as ''Russia Today'').<ref name=RT>{{Cite news|title=Putin orders overhaul of top state news agency|url=https://www.rt.com/news/ria-novosti-overhaul-putin-960/|access-date=10 December 2013|publisher=RT|date=9 December 2013|archive-date=10 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210083944/http://rt.com/news/ria-novosti-overhaul-putin-960/|url-status=live}}</ref> On 31 December 2013, Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the RT news channel, was also appointed editor-in-chief of the new news agency while maintaining her duties for the television network.<ref>{{cite news|title=RT editor Simonyan to head Kremlin-backed news agency|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25560434|access-date=31 December 2013|newspaper=BBC News|date=31 December 2013|archive-date=20 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320130823/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25560434|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
On 30 October 2014 ] bulletins launched weekday nights at 6pm, 8pm, 9pm and 10pm with host Bill Dod. On Fridays the news will also be broadcast at 7pm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/uk/200411-rt-uk-channel-launch/|title=RT launches dedicated UK news channel – RT UK|publisher=}}</ref> | |||
From 18 August 2020 to 18 August 2021, ANO TV Novosti was owned by the federal state ] RAMI RIA Novosti ({{Langx|ru|ФГУП "РАМИ "РИА Новости"}}) and the Association for the Development of International Journalism (ADIJ; {{Langx|ru|Ассоциация развития международной журналистики (АРМЖ)}}), which was founded by Margarita Simonyan and few other RT associates. On 18 August 2021, RAMI RIA Novosti was liquidated and the ownership of ANO TV Novosti was transferred to ADIJ.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kolesnikov|first=Aleksandr|date=2020-08-28|title=Маргарита Симоньян приватизирует Russia Today|trans-title=Margarita Simonyan privatizes Russia Today|url=https://octagon.media/ekonomika/margarita_simonyan_privatiziruet_russia_today_.html|access-date=2022-02-10|website=octagon.media|language=ru|archive-date=10 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210105510/https://octagon.media/ekonomika/margarita_simonyan_privatiziruet_russia_today_.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=РАМИ "РИА Новости", ФГУП, ИНН 7704005030|trans-title=RAMI "RIA Novosti", Federal State Unitary Enterprise, TIN 7704005030|url=https://sbis.ru/7704005030/770401001|access-date=2022-02-10|website=sbis.ru|language=ru|archive-date=31 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153950/https://sbis.ru/contragents/7704005030/770401001|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2022|title=GEC Special Report. Kremlin-Funded Media: RT and Sputnik's role in Russia's Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem|url=https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kremlin-Funded-Media_January_update-19.pdf|access-date=2022-02-10|website=]|archive-date=21 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321224400/https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kremlin-Funded-Media_January_update-19.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
RT cooperates with a number of media sources in Russia and abroad, including private media like ], ], ], ], ], ] and the non-Russian ], ] and ].<ref name="RT About page">See {{dead link|date=April 2015}} and {{dead link|date=April 2015}}.</ref> | |||
===Budget=== | ===Budget=== | ||
When it was established in 2005, ANO TV-Novosti invested $30 |
When it was established in 2005, ANO TV-Novosti invested $30 million in start-up costs to establish RT,<ref name="Knobel">Beth Knobel {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924155805/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-news-english-accent-11-12-2005/ |date=24 September 2015 }}, '']'', 12 December 2005</ref> with a budget of $30 million for its first year of operation. Half of the network's budget came from the Russian government; the other half came from pro-Kremlin commercial banks at the government's request.<ref name="Painter" /> Its annual budget increased from approximately $80 million in 2007 to $380 million in 2011, but was reduced to $300 million in 2012.<ref name="Maczka">Marcin Maczka, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007040059/http://www.neweasterneurope.eu/interviews/320-the-propaganda-machine |date=7 October 2014 }}, New Eastern Europe website, 9 July 2012, originally published in New Eastern Europe: New Europe, Old Problems No. 3 (IV), 2012.</ref>{{ref|a}}<ref>Lenizadt estimates the 2012 Russian Federal Budget at 11 billion rubles to RT's parent company ANO TV-Novosti. Darya Fazletdinova, , Lenizdat, 2 July 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012, </ref> President Putin prohibited the reduction of funding for RT on 30 October 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.gazeta.ru/news/2012/10/29/a_4828917.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102072350/http://en.gazeta.ru/news/2012/10/29/a_4828917.shtml|archive-date=2 November 2012|title=Putin forbids funding cuts to state-run media outlets – Gazeta. Ru – English news blog|work=Gazeta.Ru}}</ref> | ||
About 80 percent of RT's costs are incurred outside Russia, paying partner networks around $260 million for the distribution of its channels in 2014.<ref name=Orttung/><ref name=BbTV415>{{cite news |author=Chris Dziadul |title=RT tightens its belt |url=http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2015/04/08/rt-tightens-its-belt |date=8 April 2015 |publisher=Broadband TV News |access-date=30 January 2016 |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424011314/https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2015/04/08/rt-tightens-its-belt/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, RT received 11.87 billion ] ($310 million) in government funding and was expected to receive 15.38 billion rubles ($400 million) in 2015.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tétrault-Farber|first=Gabrielle|date=23 September 2014|title=Looking West, Russia Beefs Up Spending on Global Media Giants|newspaper=]|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2014/09/23/looking-west-russia-beefs-up-spending-on-global-media-giants-a39708|access-date=13 May 2018|archive-date=11 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311054849/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2014/09/23/looking-west-russia-beefs-up-spending-on-global-media-giants-a39708|url-status=live}}</ref> (For comparison, the bigger ] Group had a $376 million budget in 2014–15.)<ref name=Time2015>{{cite magazine |last=Shuster |first=Simon |url=https://time.com/rt-putin/ |title=Inside Putin's on-air machine |magazine=Time |date=16 March 2015 |pages=44–51 |access-date=12 April 2015 |archive-date=21 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321182653/http://time.com/rt-putin/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At the start of 2015, as the ruble's value plummeted and a ten percent reduction in media subsidies was imposed, it was thought that RT's budget for the year would fall to about $236 million.<ref name=Orttung/><ref name=BbTV415/> Instead, government funding was increased to 20.8 billion rubles (around $300 million) in September.<ref name=BBC915>{{cite news |author=Stephen Ennis |title=Russia in 'information war' with West to win hearts and minds |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34248178 |date=16 September 2015 |publisher=BBC |access-date=19 January 2016 |archive-date=6 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506104851/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34248178 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015, RT was expected to receive 19 billion rubles ($307 million) from the Russian government the following year.<ref>{{cite news|date=11 October 2015|title=Russia Cuts State Spending on RT News Network|work=]|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2015/10/11/russia-cuts-state-spending-on-rt-news-network-a50194|access-date=30 January 2016|archive-date=18 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218215430/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2015/10/11/russia-cuts-state-spending-on-rt-news-network-a50194|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2022, RT is the leader in terms of state funding among all Russian media. Between 2022 and 2024, RT will receive 82 billion rubles.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-22|title=Госфинансирование RT и МИА «Россия сегодня» будет увеличено на 1,4 и 1,7 млрд рублей в 2022 году|trans-title=State funding of RT and MIA ] will be increased by 1.4 and 1.7 billion rubles in 2022|url=https://rtvi.com/news/gosfinansirovanie-rt-i-mia-rossiya-segodnya-budet-uvelicheno-na-1-4-i-1-7-mlrd-rubley-v-2022-godu/|access-date=2022-02-04|website=]|language=ru|archive-date=4 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204171910/https://rtvi.com/news/gosfinansirovanie-rt-i-mia-rossiya-segodnya-budet-uvelicheno-na-1-4-i-1-7-mlrd-rubley-v-2022-godu/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-23|title=RT остался лидером по объемам госфинансирования среди СМИ. В 2022 году канал получит почти 29 миллиардов рублей|trans-title=RT remained the leader in terms of state funding among the media. In 2022, the channel will receive almost 29 billion rubles|url=https://meduza.io/news/2021/12/23/rt-ostalsya-liderom-po-ob-emam-gosfinansirovaniya-sredi-smi-v-2022-godu-kanal-poluchit-pochti-29-milliardov-rubley|access-date=2022-02-04|website=]|language=ru|archive-date=4 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204204744/https://meduza.io/news/2021/12/23/rt-ostalsya-liderom-po-ob-emam-gosfinansirovaniya-sredi-smi-v-2022-godu-kanal-poluchit-pochti-29-milliardov-rubley|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Network=== | ===Network=== | ||
According to RT, the network's feed is carried by 22 satellites and over 230 operators, |
According to RT as of March 2022, the network's feed is carried by 22 satellites and over 230 operators, providing a distribution reach to about 700 million households in more than 100 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rt.com/about-us/distribution/|title=Distribution|website=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=13 March 2022|archive-date=7 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607134305/https://www.rt.com/about-us/distribution/|url-status=live}}</ref> RT also stated that RT America was available to 85 million households throughout the United States, as of 2012.<ref name="CSM2012">Fred Weir, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419221003/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2012/0125/Russia-gives-WikiLeaks-Julian-Assange-a-TV-platform |date=19 April 2023 }}, '']'', 25 January 2012.</ref> | ||
In addition to its main |
In addition to its main English language channel RT International, RT UK and RT America, RT also runs Arabic-language channel Rusiya Al-Yaum, Spanish language channel Actualidad RT, as well as the RTDoc documentary channel. RT maintains 21 bureaus in 16 countries, including those in Washington, D.C., New York City; London, England; Paris, France; Delhi, India; ] and ].<ref name="RTCorporate">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rt.com/about-us/|title=About RT (formerly corporate profile)|website=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-date=24 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224095056/https://www.rt.com/about-us/|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
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| RT |
| RT International || RT's main news channel, covering international and regional news from a Russian perspective. It also includes commentary and documentary programs. Based in Moscow with a presence in Washington, New York, London, Paris, Delhi, Cairo and Baghdad and other cities.<ref name="RTCorporate" /> || English || 2005 | ||
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| ] || Based in Moscow and broadcast 24/7. Programmes include news, feature programming and documentaries. || Arabic || 2007 | |||
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| ] || Based in Moscow and broadcast 24/7. Programmes include news, feature programming and documentaries.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://arabic.rt.com/prg/|script-title=ar:برامج القناة|work=RT Arabic|access-date=14 April 2017|language=ar-AR|archive-date=17 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517193935/https://arabic.rt.com/prg/|url-status=live}}</ref> || Arabic || 2007 | |||
| ] || Based in Moscow with bureaus in ], Los Angeles, ] and ]. Covers headline news, politics, sports and broadcast specials.<ref name="About Actualidad RT"> (Spanish) RT</ref> || Spanish || 2009 | |||
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| ] || Based in Moscow with bureaus in Miami, Los Angeles, ] and ]. Covers headline news, politics, sports and broadcast specials.<ref name="About Actualidad RT">{{Cite web|url=https://actualidad.rt.com/acerca/quienes_somos|title=Quiénes somos|website=RT en Español|language=es|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-date=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119083817/https://actualidad.rt.com/acerca/quienes_somos|url-status=live}}</ref> || Spanish || 2009 | |||
| ] || RT America is based in RT's Washington, D.C. bureau, it includes programs hosted by American journalists. The channel maintains a separate schedule of programs each weekday from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. ], and simulcasts RT International at all other times. || English || 2010 | |||
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| ] || RT America was based in RT's Washington, D.C. bureau, it included programs hosted by American journalists. The channel maintained a separate schedule of programs each weekday from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. ], and simulcasted RT International at all other times. ] was compelled to register as a foreign agent with the ] National Security Division under the ].<ref name="Stubbs-2017">{{Cite news|last1=Stubbs|first1=Jack|last2=Gibson|first2=Ginger|others=Lisa Shumaker (ed.)|date=13 November 2017|title=Russia's RT America registers as 'foreign agent' in U.S.|work=]|editor-last=McCool|editor-first=Grant|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa-media-restrictions-rt/russias-rt-registers-as-foreign-agent-in-usa-editor-idUSKBN1DD25B|access-date=13 November 2017|archive-date=13 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113210402/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa-media-restrictions-rt/russias-rt-registers-as-foreign-agent-in-usa-editor-idUSKBN1DD25B|url-status=live}}</ref>|| English || 2010<br />''(closed 3 March 2022)'' | |||
| ] ||RT UK is based in RT's London bureau at ]. Includes programs hosted by British journalists. The channel offers five hours of programming per day, Monday to Thursday UK News at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm and 10pm and simulcasts RT International at all other times. On Fridays there is No 10pm UK News bulletin.|| English || 2014 | |||
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| ] ||RT UK was based at RT's London bureau at ]. Includes programs hosted by British journalists. The channel offered five hours of programming per day, Monday to Thursday UK News at 6 pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm and 10 pm and simulcasted RT International at all other times. On Fridays there was no 10 pm UK News bulletin.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rt.com/uk/200411-rt-uk-channel-launch/|title=RT launches dedicated UK news channel – RT UK|work=RT International|access-date=14 April 2017|language=en-EN|archive-date=7 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507021820/https://www.rt.com/uk/200411-rt-uk-channel-launch/|url-status=live}}</ref> || English || 2014<br />''(closed 2 March 2022)'' | |||
| ] || A brand-new German part of RT network based in RT's Berlin bureau. Covers local German as well as world news topics.<ref name="About RT Deutsch"> (German)</ref> || German || 2014 | |||
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| RT Documentary || A 24-hour documentary channel. The bulk of its programming consists of RT-produced documentaries related to Russia.<ref name="About RT doc">{{Cite news|url=https://www.rt.com/news/rt-documentary-channel-new/|title=RTД – your guide to the depths of Russia|work=RT International|access-date=14 April 2017|language=en-EN|archive-date=11 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011094753/https://www.rt.com/news/rt-documentary-channel-new/|url-status=live}}</ref> || English, Russian || 2011 | |||
| ] || A new French part of RT network based in RT's Paris bureau. Covers local French as well as world news topics.<ref name="About RT Français">http://francais.rt.com/ RT Français] (French)</ref> || French || 2014 | |||
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| ] || A 24-hour documentary channel. The bulk of its programming consists of RT-produced documentaries related to Russia.<ref name="About RT doc">. Rt.com. Retrieved on 2011-12-07.</ref> || English, Russian || 2011 | |||
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| ] || A video ] ran by RT based in Berlin, Germany and Washington, D.C.|| English || 2013 | |||
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The sharp decline in the ruble at the end of 2014 forced RT to postpone German- and French-language channels.<ref name=Time2015/> | |||
The RT website offers a live stream available online for viewing on computers and mobile devices. It provides many of its newscasts and featured shows via ]. In September 2012, RT signed a contract with ]i-based ] to distribute high definition feeds of the channel in the United States, ] and Asia.<ref>, RRSat Global Communications Network Ltd press release, September 7, 2012.</ref> In October 2012, RT's Rusiya Al-Yaum and RT joined the high definition network ] ("YahLive').<ref name="AMEinfo">, ], ].</ref> | |||
In addition to ] ], RT also operates the following websites: ''RT на русском'' (in Russian),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://russian.rt.com/|title=RT на русском последние новости онлайн в России и в Мире|website=RT на русском|access-date=14 January 2016|archive-date=28 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028051840/https://russian.rt.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> '']'' (French),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://francais.rt.com/|title=RT en Français|website=RT en Français|access-date=25 February 2022|archive-date=26 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626113120/http://francais.rt.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> ] (German).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fakecheck-rt.de/|title=Fakecheck – RT|website=fakecheck-rt.de|access-date=25 February 2022|archive-date=28 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228081845/https://fakecheck-rt.de/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Ratings=== | |||
In 2011, RT was the second most-watched foreign news channel in the United States (after ]),<ref>. Ipsnews.net. Retrieved on 2011-12-07.</ref> and the number one foreign network in five major U.S. urban areas in 2012.<ref name="russia-briefing.com">, Russia Briefing News, June 7, 2012.</ref> It also rates well among younger Americans under 35 and among inner city areas.<ref name="russia-briefing.com"/> According to the ] between approximately 2.5 million Britons watched RT during the third quarter of 2012, making it the third most-watched ] channel in Britain, behind ] and ] (not including ]).<ref name="Bullough">Oliver Bullough , ''New Statesman'', May 10, 2013.</ref><ref name="BARBQ32012">BARB Q3 2012 viewing figures , BARB, retrieved June 6, 2014</ref><ref name="Laughlin">Laughlin, Andrew, Jan 14, 2013 , ] , retrieved December 13, 2013.</ref> However RT was soon overtaken by ],<ref name="BARBQ42012">BARB Q4 2012 viewing figures , BARB, retrieved June 6, 2014</ref> and viewing figures had dropped to about 2.1 million by the end of 2013.<ref name="BARBQ42013">BARB Q4 2013 viewing figures , BARB, retrieved April 9, 2014</ref> For comparison it has marginally fewer viewers than ], the state-funded ] broadcaster,<ref name=BuzzFeedPSmith>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Patrick|title=Everything You Need To Know About Russia Today UK|url=http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/everything-you-need-to-know-about-russia-today-uk|work=BuzzFeed|date=17 November 2014}}</ref> or minor channels such as ], ] and ].<ref name=BBCMonitoring2>{{cite news|last=Ennis|first=Stephen|title=Kremlin's UK TV fails to match ambitions|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/monitoring/kremlins-uk-tv-fails-to-match-ambitions|work=]|date=4 November 2014}}</ref> | |||
In 2015, RT's YouTube news channels were: RT (the main channel), RT America, RT Arabic, RT en Español, RT Deutsch, RT French, RT UK, RT на русском and the newly launched RT Chinese.<ref name=Orttung/> | |||
Latin America is the second most significant area of influence for internet RT (rt.com). In 2013, RT ascended to the ranks of the 100 most watched websites in seven Latin American countries.<ref> Sagarra Ángel, Josep María de; Soler Herreros, Chimo "El español en la Federación de Rusia: factor determinante en las relaciones con los países hispanohablantes". En: Iberoamérica, trimestral desde Moscú, n. 2 (2014)</ref> | |||
The German service (RT DE) was removed from YouTube in September 2021 for breaking the websites rules on ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/29/youtube-deletes-rts-german-channels-over-covid-misinformation|title=YouTube deletes RT's German channels over Covid misinformation|work=The Guardian|date=29 September 2021|access-date=29 September 2021|archive-date=28 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928234136/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/29/youtube-deletes-rts-german-channels-over-covid-misinformation|url-status=live}}</ref> The ]'s Digital Forensic Research Lab and '']'' wrote that the Russian edition of RT "aggressively" promoted COVID-19 vaccination in Russia, calling anti-vaccination activists "imbeciles", while foreign RT channels were simultaneously promoting the same anti-vaccination misinformation that it criticized in Russia.<ref name=@DFRLab>{{Cite web|last=@DFRLab|date=2021-11-24|title=How RT DE spread COVID misinformation on YouTube|url=https://medium.com/dfrlab/how-rt-de-spread-covid-misinformation-on-youtube-137ceeb70c7e|access-date=2021-12-07|website=DFRLab|language=en|archive-date=7 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207202952/https://medium.com/dfrlab/how-rt-de-spread-covid-misinformation-on-youtube-137ceeb70c7e|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="meduza.io-two-faces">{{Cite web |last1=Kovalev |first1=Alexey |author-link=Alexey Kovalev (journalist) |last2=Vachedin |first2=Dmitry |last3=Zelenin |first3=Sasha |date=2021-11-11 |others=Translated by Kevin Rothrock |title=The two faces of RT's coronavirus propaganda When it comes to Russia Today and the pandemic, coverage at home and abroad is worlds apart |url=https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/11/11/the-two-faces-of-rt-s-coronavirus-propaganda |website=] |language=en |access-date=3 March 2022 |archive-date=23 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223102644/https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/11/11/the-two-faces-of-rt-s-coronavirus-propaganda |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
In 2012, ] found RT to be the most popular news channel on YouTube, with ] coming in second.<ref name="Martinez">Jennifer Martinez, , ], July 16, 2012; quote: "Russia Today, a news network backed by the Russian government, was the top source for the most viewed news videos on the online video platform. Video clips produced by the young news network accounted for 22 of the nearly 260 news videos tracked in the study."</ref> In 2013, RT became the first television news channel to reach 1 billion views on YouTube.<ref name=SpiegelKriegDerBilder/> In 2014 its English YouTube channel was reported have 1.4 million subscribers.<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Sullivan |first=John |author-link=John O'Sullivan (columnist) |url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9390782/the-truth-about-russia-today-is-that-it-is-putins-mouthpiece/ |title=The difference between real journalism and Russia Today |publisher=] |date=6 December 2014 |accessdate=18 March 2015}}</ref> | |||
In September 2012, RT signed a contract with Israeli-based ] to distribute high-definition feeds of the channel in the United States, Latin America and Asia.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rrsat-signs-contract-with-russia-today-for-global-distribution-of-rt-hd-channels-168896986.html|title=RRsat Signs Contract With Russia Today For Global Distribution Of RT HD Channels|agency=PR Newswire|date=7 September 2012|access-date=25 September 2015|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925184920/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rrsat-signs-contract-with-russia-today-for-global-distribution-of-rt-hd-channels-168896986.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2012, RT's Rusiya Al-Yaum and RT joined the high-definition network ] ("YahLive").<ref name="AMEinfo">, ], ].</ref> On 12 July 2014, during his visit to ], Putin announced that Actualidad RT would broadcast ] in the country, the first foreign television channel to do so there.<ref>{{cite news|title=Putin: RT en español emitirá su señal en abierto en Argentina 24 al día|url=http://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/view/133759-rt-espanol-senal-argentina-abierto|access-date=12 July 2014|publisher=Actualidad RT|date=12 July 2014|language=es|archive-date=12 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712220340/http://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/view/133759-rt-espanol-senal-argentina-abierto|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://omnifeed.com/article/www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/russia-today-argentina-tomorrow.html|title=Russia Today, Argentina Tomorrow|last=Bosoer|first=Fabián|author2=Finchelstein, Federico|date=21 October 2014|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 October 2014|author2-link=Federico Finchelstein|archive-date=16 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216025604/http://omnifeed.com/article/www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/russia-today-argentina-tomorrow.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to ], Argentina's State Media Authorities decided to suspend RT on 11 June 2016, along with Venezuelan television channel ], which had both been authorized by the previous left-leaning government of ]. Officially, Argentina wanted to devote RT's frequency to domestic broadcasts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Argentina Announces Suspension Of Russia's RT TV Broadcasts|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/argentina-announces-suspension-russian-state-rt-news-broadcasts/27791747.html|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=11 June 2016|access-date=12 June 2016|archive-date=12 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612100401/http://www.rferl.org/content/argentina-announces-suspension-russian-state-rt-news-broadcasts/27791747.html|url-status=live}}</ref> RT was made available on the dominant Australian subscription television platform ] on 17 February 2015.<ref>{{cite web|website=]|first=David|last=Knox|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/02/foxtel-adds-russia-today-channel.html|title=Foxtel adds Russia Today channel|date=16 February 2015|access-date=16 February 2015|archive-date=16 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216051107/http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/02/foxtel-adds-russia-today-channel.html/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Ratings/impact=== | |||
;Audience ratings | |||
The RT website (as of March 2022), maintains that "since June 2012", RT has "consistently and significantly outperforms other foreign channels including Euronews and Fox News. RT's quarterly audience in the UK is 2.5 million viewers".<ref name="RT-ratings">{{cite web |title=RT. About Us. Distribution |url=https://www.rt.com/about-us/distribution/ |website=RT |access-date=14 March 2022 |archive-date=7 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607134305/https://www.rt.com/about-us/distribution/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, according to '']'', citing leaked documents from "Vasily Gatov, a former RIA Novosti employee" (as of 2015) RT "hugely exaggerates its viewership,";<ref name="Niemanlab-2022"/> and its most-watched segments were on apolitical subjects.<ref>{{cite news|title=Putin's Propaganda TV Lies About Its Popularity|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/17/putin-s-propaganda-tv-lies-about-ratings.html|website=The Daily Beast|date=17 September 2015|access-date=6 August 2016|last1=Zavadski|first1=Katie|archive-date=20 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920002756/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/17/putin-s-propaganda-tv-lies-about-ratings.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Between 2013 and 2015, over 80% of RT's viewership was for videos of accidents, crime, disasters, and natural phenomena, such as the 2013 ] event, with less than 1% of viewership for political videos.<ref name=Zavaski17Sept/> In late 2015, all of the 20 most-watched videos on its main channel, totaling 300 million views, were described as "disaster/novelty". Of the top 100, only a small number could be categorized as political, with only one covering Ukraine.<ref name=BBC915/> The most popular video of Russian president Putin shows him singing "]" at a 2010 St. Petersburg charity event.<ref name="Zavaski17Sept"/> In 2017, '']'' analysed RT's popularity and concluded that "it's not very good at its job" as "Moscow's propaganda arm" due to its relative unpopularity.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/12/if-russia-today-is-moscows-propaganda-arm-its-not-very-good-at-its-job/|title=If Russia Today is Moscow's propaganda arm, it's not very good at its job|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=13 April 2017|archive-date=12 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112205116/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/12/if-russia-today-is-moscows-propaganda-arm-its-not-very-good-at-its-job/|url-status=live}}</ref> RT has disputed both ''The Daily Beast'' and ''The Washington Post'' assessments, saying their analyses used outdated viewership data.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rt.com/op-edge/315778-exposing-daily-beast-propaganda/|title=Exposing Daily Beast propaganda: 10 RT political virals the YouTube MSM can only dream of|website=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=13 April 2017|archive-date=14 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414162029/https://www.rt.com/op-edge/315778-exposing-daily-beast-propaganda/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rt.com/op-edge/373527-fact-checking-washington-post-rt-report/|title=Fact check for dummies: Teaching Washington Post & Co how to do journalism one last time|website=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=13 April 2017|archive-date=14 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414080820/https://www.rt.com/op-edge/373527-fact-checking-washington-post-rt-report/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
A study by Professor Robert Orttung at George Washington University stated that RT uses human interest stories without ideological content to attract viewers to its channels. Between January and May 2015, the Russian-language channel had the most viewers, with approximately double the number of the main channel, despite only having around one-third the number of subscribers.<ref name="Orttung">{{cite book |last1=Orttung |first1=Robert |last2=Nelson |first2=Elizabeth |last3=Livshen |first3=Anthony |section=Measuring RT's impact on YouTube |title=Information Warfare |series=Russian Analytical Digest |date=8 December 2015 |volume=177 |issue=8 |url=http://www.css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/pdfs/RussianAnalyticalDigest177.pdf |access-date=21 March 2021 |publisher=] |location=] |via=] |archive-date=9 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409122210/https://css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/pdfs/RussianAnalyticalDigest177.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
According to data compiled by Oxford's Rasmus Kleis Nielsen prior to the invasion of Ukraine, RT's "online reach in the U.K., France, and Germany" was "not great on the web, but surprisingly strong on social media, at least in spots".<ref name="Niemanlab-2022"/> For example, in Germany, RT was "the No. 1 news source in terms of engagements on Facebook" December 2021-January 2022, (according to this CrowdTangle data).<ref name="Niemanlab-2022">{{cite web |last1=Benton |first1=Joshua |title=How many people really watch or read RT, anyway? It's hard to tell, but some of their social numbers are eye-popping |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2022/03/how-many-people-really-watch-or-read-rt-anyway-its-hard-to-tell-but-some-of-their-social-numbers-are-eye-popping/ |website=Niemanlab |access-date=14 March 2022 |date=2 March 2022 |archive-date=11 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311162040/https://www.niemanlab.org/2022/03/how-many-people-really-watch-or-read-rt-anyway-its-hard-to-tell-but-some-of-their-social-numbers-are-eye-popping/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Reliable figures for RT's worldwide audience were not available as of 2015.<ref name=BBC915/> In the United States, RT typically pays cable and satellite services to carry its channel in subscriber packages.<ref name=Zavaski17Sept>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/17/putin-s-propaganda-tv-lies-about-ratings.html|title=Putin's Propaganda TV Lies About its Popularity|date=17 September 2015|access-date=17 September 2015|first=Katie|last=Zavaski|archive-date=20 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920002756/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/17/putin-s-propaganda-tv-lies-about-ratings.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, RT was the second most-watched foreign news channel in the United States (after ]),<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407023920/https://www.ipsnews.net/2010/01/media-foreign-news-channels-drawing-us-viewers/ |date=7 April 2023 }}. Ipsnews.net. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref> and the number one foreign network in five major U.S. urban areas in 2012.<ref name="russia-briefing.com"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419163918/https://www.russia-briefing.com/news/russia-today-to-double-its-u-s-audience.html/ |date=19 April 2023 }}, Russia Briefing News, 7 June 2012.</ref> It also rated well among younger Americans under 35 and in ] areas.<ref name="russia-briefing.com"/> | |||
In the UK, the ] (BARB) has included RT in the viewer data it publishes since 2012.<ref name=BBC915/> According to their data, approximately 2.5 million Britons watched RT during the third quarter of 2012, making it the third most-watched ] channel in Britain, behind ] and ] (not including ]).<ref name="Bullough">Oliver Bullough {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629231708/http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/world-affairs/2013/05/inside-russia-today-counterweight-mainstream-media-or-putins-mou |date=29 June 2013 }}, ''New Statesman'', 10 May 2013.</ref><ref name="BARBQ32012">BARB Q3 2012 viewing figures , BARB. Retrieved 6 June 2014</ref><ref name="Laughlin">Laughlin, Andrew, 14 January 2013 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924051924/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a450812/rt-russian-news-channel-goes-hd-on-sky.html |date=24 September 2015 }}, ]. Retrieved 13 December 2013.</ref> RT was soon overtaken by ],<ref name="BARBQ42012">BARB Q4 2012 viewing figures , BARB. Retrieved 6 June 2014</ref> and viewing figures dropped to about 2.1 million by the end of 2013.<ref name="BARBQ42013">BARB Q4 2013 viewing figures , BARB. Retrieved 9 April 2014</ref> For comparison, it had marginally fewer viewers than ], the state-funded ] broadcaster,<ref name=BuzzFeedPSmith>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Patrick|title=Everything You Need To Know About Russia Today UK|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/everything-you-need-to-know-about-russia-today-uk|work=BuzzFeed|date=17 November 2014|access-date=10 September 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042359/https://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/everything-you-need-to-know-about-russia-today-uk|url-status=live}}</ref> or minor channels such as ], ] and ].<ref name=BBCMonitoring2>{{cite news|last=Ennis|first=Stephen|title=Kremlin's UK TV fails to match ambitions|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/monitoring/kremlins-uk-tv-fails-to-match-ambitions|work=]|date=4 November 2014|access-date=25 December 2019|archive-date=21 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321181425/http://www.bbc.co.uk/monitoring/kremlins-uk-tv-fails-to-match-ambitions|url-status=live}}</ref> According to internal documents submitted for Kremlin review, RT's viewership amounted to less than 0.1 percent of Europe's television audience, except in Britain, where 2013 viewership was estimated at 120,000 persons per day.<ref name=Zavaski17Sept/> According to the leaked documents, RT was ranked 175th out of 278 channels in Great Britain in May 2013, or fifth out of eight cable news channels.<ref name=Zavaski17Sept/> In August 2015, RT's average weekly viewing figure had fallen to around 450,000 (0.8 percent of the total UK audience), 100,000 fewer than in June 2012 and less than half that of Al Jazeera English.<ref name=BBC915/><ref>BARB Q3 2015 viewing figures {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129072449/http://www.barb.co.uk/file/download/trendspotting-data/quarterly-channel-reach/BARB+Quarterly+Reach+Report+-+Quarter+3+2015+-+weeks+2449-2461.pdf |date=29 January 2016 }}, BARB. Retrieved 23 January 2016</ref> In March 2016, the monthly viewing was figure 0.04%.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/monthly-viewing-summary |title=Monthly viewing summary |website=barb.co.uk |access-date=24 April 2016 |archive-date=15 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415002240/http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/monthly-viewing-summary/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Latin America is the second most significant area of influence for internet RT (rt.com). In 2013, RT ascended to the ranks of the 100 most watched websites in seven Latin American countries.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cervantes.es/imagenes/el_espa%C3%B1ol_federaci%C3%B3n_rusa.pdf |title=Sagarra Ángel, Josep María de; Soler Herreros, Chimo "El español en la Federación de Rusia: factor determinante en las relaciones con los países hispanohablantes". En: Iberoamérica, trimestral desde Moscú, n. 2 (2014) |access-date=21 July 2014 |archive-date=21 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321182250/http://www.cervantes.es/imagenes/el_espa%C3%B1ol_federaci%C3%B3n_rusa.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
A ] survey of the most popular news videos on YouTube in 2011–12 found RT to be the top source with 8.5 percent of posts, 68 percent of which consisted of first-person video accounts of dramatic worldwide events, likely acquired by the network rather than created by it.<ref>{{cite web |title=YouTube Video Creation–A Shared Process |url=http://www.journalism.org/2012/07/16/youtube-video-creationa-shared-process/ |website=journalism.org |publisher=Pew Research Center |date=16 July 2012 |access-date=23 January 2016 |archive-date=31 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231055631/http://www.journalism.org/2012/07/16/youtube-video-creationa-shared-process/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Jennifer Martinez, , ], 16 July 2012</ref> In 2013, RT became the first television news channel to reach 1 billion views on YouTube.<ref name="SpiegelBidder"/> In 2014, its main (English) channel was reported have 1.4 million subscribers.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=O'Sullivan |first=John |author-link=John O'Sullivan (columnist) |url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9390782/the-truth-about-russia-today-is-that-it-is-putins-mouthpiece/ |title=The difference between real journalism and Russia Today |magazine=] |date=6 December 2014 |access-date=18 March 2015 |archive-date=17 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317033553/http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9390782/the-truth-about-russia-today-is-that-it-is-putins-mouthpiece/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
====Followers==== | |||
In 2013, RT became "the first news network to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube".<ref name="wapo-muffle-2022"/> As of shortly after the invasion of Ukraine and blocking of RT by tech companies, RT's "main Facebook channel has more than 7 million followers" (some of which are located in Europe where the channel is blocked). RT's YouTube account had "roughly 4.65 million followers in English and 5.94 million in Spanish".<ref name="wapo-muffle-2022"/> | |||
====Impact==== | |||
RT has some effect on viewers' political opinions, according to a 2021 study in the journal '']''. Viewers exposed to RT became more likely "to support the withdrawal of the United States "from its role as a cooperative global leader" than those who did not watch RT by 10–20%. "This effect is robust across measures, obtains across party lines, and persists even when we disclose that RT is financed by the Russian government." However, exposure to RT had no measurable "effect on Americans' views of domestic politics or the Russian government."<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Carter|first1=Erin Baggott|last2=Carter|first2=Brett L.|date=2021|title=Questioning More: RT, Outward-Facing Propaganda, and the Post-West World Order|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09636412.2021.1885730|journal=]|volume=30|pages=49–78|doi=10.1080/09636412.2021.1885730|s2cid=232411445|issn=0963-6412|access-date=28 February 2021|archive-date=31 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153951/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09636412.2021.1885730|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> | |||
According to author ], a large audience rating is not RT's principal goal. Their campaigns are "for financial, political and media influence."<ref name="Erlanger-NYT-8-3-17"/> RT (and ]) "create the fodder" used by "thousands of fake news propagators" and provide an outlet for material hacked from targets it wishes to harm in the service of Russian (government) interests. RT also serves to make friends with people "useful" to the Russian state, such as ] (retired ] ] and dismissed director of the ] and ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-national-security-advisers-of-the-United-States-1788874|title=List of national security advisors of the United States|last=Tikkanen|first=Amy|date=September 10, 2019|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|access-date=July 12, 2020|archive-date=14 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214123429/https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-national-security-advisers-of-the-United-States-1788874|url-status=live}}</ref> in the early days of the ]) who was paid "a reported $40,000 to come to RT's anniversary celebration in Moscow and sit near Mr. Putin."<ref name="Erlanger-NYT-8-3-17"/> | |||
==Programming== | ==Programming== | ||
In 2008, Heidi Brown wrote in '']'' that "the Kremlin is using charm, good photography and a healthy dose of sex appeal to appeal to a diverse, skeptical audience. The result is entertaining – and ineffably Russian." She added that Russia Today has managed to "get foreigners to at least consider the Russian viewpoint – however eccentric it may be..."<ref>Heidi Brown, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419151153/https://www.forbes.com/2008/02/26/putin-russia-today-vote-oped-cz_hb_0227putin.html |date=19 April 2023 }}, ], 27 February 2008.</ref> Matt Field in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists described RT as "applying high-quality graphics and production values to its stories", often focusing "on polarizing issues that aren't necessarily top-of-mind for viewers" and sometimes "strikingly at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin's own views".<ref name="Field-BAS-15-May-2019">{{cite news |last1=Field |first1=Matt |title=The Russian government-funded TV network's hyperbolic campaign against US 5G |url=https://thebulletin.org/2019/05/the-russian-government-funded-tv-networks-hyperbolic-campaign-against-us-5g/ |access-date=16 May 2019 |agency=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |date=15 May 2019 |archive-date=16 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516103419/https://thebulletin.org/2019/05/the-russian-government-funded-tv-networks-hyperbolic-campaign-against-us-5g/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
] Abby Martin.]] | |||
The English language RT International, RT America and RT UK channels carry similar programming, with the latter channels focusing more on news from the United States and the United Kingdom. RT Arabic and Actualidad RT in Spanish feature their own news presenters, as well as translated versions of RT's English programming. | |||
According to ], writing in '']'', "Fringe opinion takes center stage" on RT. "Reporting is routinely bolstered by testimony from experts you have never heard of, representing institutions you have never heard of."<ref name="Dowling-29-11-2017">{{cite news|last1=Dowling|first1=Tim|author-link=Tim Dowling|date=29 November 2017|title=24-hour Putin people: my week watching Kremlin 'propaganda channel' RT|work=]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/nov/29/24-hour-putin-people-my-week-watching-kremlin-propaganda-channel-rt-russia-today|access-date=16 May 2019|archive-date=16 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516003039/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/nov/29/24-hour-putin-people-my-week-watching-kremlin-propaganda-channel-rt-russia-today|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Marcin Maczka writes that RT's ample financing has allowed RT to attract experienced journalists and use the latest technology.<ref name="Maczka" /> RT anchors and correspondents tend to concentrate on controversial world issues such as the financial and banking scandals, corporate impact on the global economy, and western demonstrations. News from Russia is of secondary importance and such reports emphasize Russian modernisation and economic achievements, as well as Russian culture and natural landscapes, while downplaying Russia's social problems or corruption.<ref name="Heyman" /><ref name="Maczka" /> | |||
RT's current feature programs include (with presenters parenthesised):<ref name="Talent">, accessed September 26, 2012.</ref> | |||
* '']'' (]) from RT America<ref> page at RT.com.</ref> | |||
* '']'' and ''On the Money'' (])<ref> page at RT.com.</ref> | |||
* '']'' (])<ref> page at RT.com.</ref> | |||
* '']'' (] with ]) from RT UK<ref> page at Rt.com.</ref> | |||
* '']'' (])<ref> page at RT.com.</ref> | |||
* '']'' (])<ref> page at RT.com.</ref> | |||
* '']''<ref> page at RT.com.</ref> | |||
* '']'' (Brandon Rice)<ref> page at RT.com.</ref> | |||
* '']'' (]) from RT America<ref> page at RT.com.</ref> | |||
* '']'' (Daniel Bushell)<ref>{{dead link|date=April 2015}} page at RT.com.</ref> | |||
* '']'' (])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/shows/worlds-apart-oksana-boyko/|title=Worlds Apart|work=rt.com}}</ref> | |||
* '']'' (])<ref></ref> | |||
* '']'' (Erin Ade) from RT America<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/shows/boom-bust/|title=Boom Bust|work=rt.com}}</ref> | |||
* '']'' (]) from RT UK<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/shows/sputnik/|title=Sputnik|work=rt.com}}</ref> | |||
* '']'' (]) from RT UK<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/shows/going-underground/|title=Going Underground|work=rt.com}}</ref> | |||
* '']'' (]) from RT America<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/shows/redacted-tonight-summery/|archiveurl=http://wayback.archive.org/web/20140601035414/http://rt.com/shows/redacted-tonight-summery/|archivedate=2014-06-01|title=RT|work=rt.com}}</ref> | |||
* ''The Resident'' (Lori Harfenist)<ref>{{Dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> | |||
=== ''The Alyona Show'' === | |||
==Notable on-air staff== | |||
] | |||
'']'', hosted by ], ran from 2009 to 2012 (when Minkovski left RT to join '']''). ''Daily Beast'' writer ] described ''The Alyona Show'' as "one of RT's most popular vehicles".<ref>{{cite web |author=Tracy Quan |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/03/i-love-the-julian-assange-show.html |title=I Love the Julian Assange Show! |website=The Daily Beast |date=3 July 2012 |access-date=1 November 2012 |archive-date=23 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023180606/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/03/i-love-the-julian-assange-show.html |url-status=live }}</ref> '']'' columnist Jesse Zwick wrote that one journalist told him that Minkovski is "probably the best interviewer on cable news".<ref name="Zwick" /> Benjamin R. Freed wrote in the avant-garde culture magazine ''SOMA'' that "The Alyona Show does political talk with razor-sharp wit."<ref name="soma">{{cite journal |title=Alyona Minkovski: She's Got It! |url=http://www.somamagazine.com/alyona-minkovski/ |journal=SOMA Magazine |volume=25 |issue=4 |first=Benjamin R. |last=Freed |access-date=15 December 2011 |archive-date=3 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203044018/http://www.somamagazine.com/alyona-minkovski/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ] called the show "an in-house attempt at a newsy cult hit" and noted that "her meatiest segments were about government spying, and the Federal Reserve, and America's undeclared wars".<ref name="Weigel" /> Minkovski had complained about being characterized as if she was "Putin's girl in Washington" or as being "anti-American".<ref name="soma" /> After Minkovski argued that ] was "not on the side of America. And the fact that my channel is more honest with the American people is something you should be ashamed of", '']'' writer ] asked: "since when does Russia Today defend the policies of any American president? Or the informational needs of the American public, for that matter?"<ref name="Ioffe"/> | |||
===Current=== | |||
;News anchors and presenters | |||
=== ''Adam vs. the Man'' === | |||
{{div col|2|colwidth=30em}} | |||
* ] | |||
From April to August 2011, RT ran a half-hour primetime show ''Adam vs. the Man'',<ref>, press release on web site, 4 April 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adamvstheman.com/blog/episodes/final-episode-east-coast-quake-libya-rebellion-you-the-viewer-teachers-social-media-net-neutrality-media-blackout-on-ron-paul/|title=Final Episode: East Coast Quake, Libya Rebellion, You The Viewer, Teachers & Social Media, Net Neutrality, Media Blackout on Ron Paul?|date=25 August 2011|publisher=RT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924074939/http://www.adamvstheman.com/blog/episodes/final-episode-east-coast-quake-libya-rebellion-you-the-viewer-teachers-social-media-net-neutrality-media-blackout-on-ron-paul|archive-date=24 September 2011}}</ref><ref name="Politico">{{Cite news|title=Ron Paul booster's show cancelled after FEC complaint|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0811/Ron_Paul_boosters_show_cancelled_after_FEC_complaint.html|newspaper=Politico|date=25 August 2011|access-date=27 September 2012|archive-date=25 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025214003/http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0811/Ron_Paul_boosters_show_cancelled_after_FEC_complaint.html|url-status=live}}</ref> hosted by former ] Marine veteran and high-profile anti-war activist ]. David Weigel writes that Kokesh defended RT's "propaganda" function, saying "We're putting out the truth that no one else wants to say. I mean, if you want to put it in the worst possible abstract, it's the Russian government, which is a competing protection racket against the other governments of the world, going against the United States and calling them on their bullshit."<ref name="Weigel" /> | |||
* ] - UK bureau | |||
* ] - host of ''Breaking the Set'', Washington D.C. bureau | |||
=== ''World Tomorrow'' === | |||
* ] | |||
{{div col end}} | |||
Reviewing the first episode of Julian Assange's show ''World Tomorrow'', '']'' noted that Assange, who was under ], was "largely deferential" in asking some questions of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who himself was in hiding. However, he also asked tough questions such as why Nasrallah had not supported Arab revolts against Syrian leaders, when he had supported them in Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt, and other countries.<ref name="Taylor" /> ''The New York Times'' journalist Allesandra Stanley wrote that "practically speaking, Mr. Assange is in bed with the Kremlin, but on Tuesday's show he didn't put out" and that he "behaved surprisingly like a standard network interviewer".<ref name="Stanley" /> Douglas Lucas in ] wrote that the RT deal "may just be a profitable way for him to get a gigantic retweet".<ref name="Lucas" /> ] wrote that RT presenting the Julian Assange show led to "a predictable wave of snide, smug attacks from American media figures".<ref name="Greenwald">], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906115129/http://www.salon.com/2012/04/18/attacks_on_rt_and_assange_reveal_much_about_the_critics/ |date=6 September 2012 }}, ''Salon'', 18 April 2012.</ref> | |||
] ]]] | |||
=== Other shows === | |||
Marcin Maczka writes that RT's ample financing has allowed RT to attract experienced journalists and use the latest technology.<ref name="Maczka" /> RT anchors and correspondents tend to concentrate on controversial world issues such as the financial and banking scandals, corporate impact on the global economy, and western demonstrations. It has also aired views by various ], including ]s, ], and ] (presented as "human rights activists").<ref name="Scherr">{{cite web|author=Sonia Scherr|url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2010/russian-tv-channel-pushes-patriot-conspiracy-theories|title=Russian TV Channel Pushes 'Patriot' Conspiracy Theories|work=Intelligence Report, Southern Poverty Law Center|date=1 August 2010|access-date=25 September 2015|archive-date=9 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809065125/https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2010/russian-tv-channel-pushes-patriot-conspiracy-theories|url-status=live}}</ref> News from Russia is of secondary importance and such reports emphasize Russian modernisation and economic achievements, as well as Russian culture and natural landscapes, while downplaying Russia's social problems or corruption.<ref name="Heyman" /><ref name="Maczka" /> | |||
=== #1917LIVE === | |||
] | |||
In 2017, RT ran a mock ] program under the ] "#1917LIVE" to mark the 100th anniversary of the ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Crilley |first1=Rhys |last2=Gillespie |first2=Marie |last3=Willis |first3=Alistair |title=Tweeting the Russian revolution: RT's #1917LIVE and social media re-enactments as public diplomacy |journal=European Journal of Cultural Studies |date=5 October 2019 |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=354–373 |doi=10.1177/1367549419871353 |s2cid=210586923 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
The #1917Live project had multimedia social plug-ins, such as Periscope live streaming, as well as virtual reality panoramic videos.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Chatterje-Doody|first1=Precious N|last2=Tolz|first2=Vera|date=14 October 2019|title=Regime legitimation, not nation-building: Media commemoration of the 1917 revolutions in Russia's neo-authoritarian state|journal=European Journal of Cultural Studies|volume=23|issue=3|language=en|pages=335–353|doi=10.1177/1367549419871346|s2cid=201330166|issn=1367-5494|url=http://oro.open.ac.uk/67474/1/67474.pdf|access-date=16 January 2020|archive-date=6 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306091003/http://oro.open.ac.uk/67474/1/67474.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Programs=== | |||
RT's feature programs include (with presenters parenthesised):<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rt.com/shows/|title=Shows – RT|website=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-date=4 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404202747/https://www.rt.com/shows/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.rt.com/about-us/history/ |website=RT |access-date=21 March 2021 |language=en |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308145813/https://www.rt.com/about-us/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
==== Current ==== | |||
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}} | |||
* ''Starbound'' (Egor Piskunov) | |||
* ''Perspective with ]'' | |||
* ''Let's Talk Bharat with ]'' | |||
* ''Moscow Mules'' (]) | |||
* ''Interview'' (various presenters) | |||
* ''Going Underground'' (]) | |||
* '']'' with ] | |||
* ''The 360 View with ]'' | |||
{{anchor|WorldsApart}} | |||
* ''On the Touchline with ]'' | |||
* ''Direct Impact with ]'' | |||
* ''Worlds Apart with ]''<ref name=Sky-worldsApart-01a>{{cite news|url=https://www.sky.com/watch/title/series/cdccb16c-6b36-4191-b4f1-9b26cccc812b/worlds-apart-with-oksana-boyko-cdccb16c-6b36-4191-b4f1-9b26cccc812b/episodes/season-0/episode-1|title=Worlds Apart with Oksana Boyko|publisher=]|access-date=3 January 2021|archive-date=29 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729061509/https://www.sky.com/watch/title/series/cdccb16c-6b36-4191-b4f1-9b26cccc812b/worlds-apart-with-oksana-boyko-cdccb16c-6b36-4191-b4f1-9b26cccc812b/episodes/season-0/episode-1|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
* ''Modus Operandi with Manila Chan'' | |||
* ''The Cost of Everything'' (Christy Ai) | |||
* ''The Whistleblowers'' (John Kiriakou) | |||
* ''Inland Visions'' (Sean Thomas) | |||
* ''Africa Now with Paula Slier''{{div col end}} | |||
==== Former ==== | |||
RT's former on-air staff included 25 people from RT America.<ref name="RT International" /> | |||
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}} | |||
* ''On Contact'' (]) | |||
* ''Renegade Inc.'' (]) | |||
* '']'' (] with ]) from RT UK | |||
* ''America's Lawyer'' (]) | |||
* ''Off the grid'' (]) | |||
* ''Capital Account'' (]) from RT America | |||
* ''Why you should care!'' (]) | |||
* ''Breaking the Set'' (]) | |||
* ''In Context'' (]) | |||
* ''Spotlight'' (]) | |||
* ''On the Money'' (Peter Lavelle) | |||
* '']'' (]) | |||
* ''Moscow Out'' (]) | |||
* Adam vs. the Man (]) | |||
* '']'' (]) | |||
* '']'' (]) from RT America | |||
* '']'' (]) | |||
* '']'' (]) from RT America | |||
* ''How to Watch the News with ]'' | |||
* '']'' (]){{div col end}} | |||
* '']'' (]) | |||
* '']'' (], ], and ]) | |||
* '']'' (]) | |||
* '']'' (]) from RT UK | |||
* '']'' (Larry King) | |||
* ''News Views ]'' | |||
* ''On the Touchline with ]'' | |||
* ''In Question'' | |||
* ''Raw Take'' | |||
* '']'' (], resigned)<ref name="Taddeï quit" /> from RT France | |||
===On-air staff=== | |||
RT's current on-air staff includes 25 people from RT News, and eight from RT UK.<ref name="RT International">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rt.com/onair-talent/|title=On-Air Talent – RT|website=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-date=5 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205084953/https://www.rt.com/onair-talent/|url-status=live}} {{Cite web |url=https://www.rt.com/onair-talent/ |title=RT - Breaking News, Russia News, World News and Video |access-date=14 April 2017 |archive-date=5 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205084953/https://www.rt.com/onair-talent/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> Notable members of RT's current and former staff include: | |||
{{col-begin}} | |||
{{col-break}} | |||
;Current | |||
;News Presenters | |||
* ] | |||
;Correspondents | ;Correspondents | ||
* ] |
* ] – Middle East bureau | ||
* ] - Moscow | |||
;Other presenters | |||
* ] – RT UK bureau | |||
;Business presenters | ;Business presenters | ||
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;Documentary presenters | ;Documentary presenters | ||
* |
* James Brown – ''Discovering Russia'' (formerly news presenter and host of ''Close-Up Russia'') | ||
{{col-break}} | |||
* ] - ''Discovering Russia'' (formerly news presenter and host of ''Close-Up Russia'') | |||
;Former | |||
* ] – host of '']'' | |||
===Former=== | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] |
* ] – host of ''Adam vs. the Man'' | ||
* ] | |||
* ] - host of '']'' | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] – host of '']'' | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | * ] – RT America | ||
* ] |
* ] – Washington, D.C. bureau | ||
{{col-break}} | |||
* ] | |||
] | |||
{{col-end}} | |||
== |
==Guests== | ||
] RT interview, 6 September 2012 |
] RT interview, 6 September 2012]] | ||
According to Jesse Zwick, RT persuades "legitimate experts and journalists" to appear as guests by allowing them to speak at length on issues ignored by larger news outlets. It frequently interviews ] and ] academics, intellectuals and writers from organisations like '']'', '']'', ], ]<ref name="Zwick" /> and the ]<ref name="Weigel"/> who are critical of |
According to Jesse Zwick, RT persuades "legitimate experts and journalists" to appear as guests by allowing them to speak at length on issues ignored by larger news outlets. It frequently interviews ] and ] academics, intellectuals and writers from organisations like '']'', '']'', ], ]<ref name="Zwick" /> and the ]<ref name="Weigel"/> who are critical of United States foreign and civil liberties policies.<ref name="Zwick" /> Julian Assange of WikiLeaks and ], the leftist critic of Western policies are "favorites".<ref name="Erlanger-NYT-8-3-17"/> RT also features little-known commentators including anarchists, anti-globalists and left-wing activists.<ref name="Maczka" /> Journalist ] holds that a primary reason for RT's success in the United States is that RT is "a force for diversity" which gives voice to people "who rarely get heard in current mainstream US media".<ref name="Walker" /> Examples of this include "a twelve-minute interview" in March 2010 "with Hank Albarelli, a self-described American 'historian' who claims that the CIA is testing dangerous drugs on unwitting civilians", and RT's asking for commentary on the ] from "Carl Dix, a representative of the American Revolutionary Communist Party".<ref name="Ioffe"/> | ||
In 2010, journalist and blogger Julia Ioffe described RT as being "provocative just for the sake of being provocative" in its choice of guests and issue topics, featuring a Russian historian who predicted that the United States would soon be dissolved, showing speeches by Venezuelan President ], reporting on ] in America, and interviewing the chairman of the ]. She wrote that in attempting to offer "an alternate point of view, it is forced to talk to marginal, offensive, and often irrelevant figures".<ref name="Ioffe"/><ref name=economist-wobbly/> A 2010 ] report stated that RT extensively covered the "]" and the "]" conspiracy theories and interviewed militia organizer Jim Stachowiak and ] ].<ref name="Scherr"/> An ] article stated that RT has a penchant "for off-beat stories and conspiracy theories".<ref name="Sousa"/> RT Editor-in-Chief ] told Nikolaus von Twickel of '']'' that RT started to grow once it became provocative and that controversy was vital to the channel. She said that RT's task was not to polish Moscow's reputation.<ref name="vonTwickel"/> The news channel has also been criticized for its lack of objectivity in its coverage of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.<ref>{{cite web|title=Russia Today Continues its Anti-Israel Propaganda, Going Even Further Than Arab TV|url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/22/russia-today-continues-its-anti-israel-propaganda-going-even-further-than-arab-tv/|website=the algemeiner|access-date=26 May 2016|archive-date=16 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616160655/http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/22/russia-today-continues-its-anti-israel-propaganda-going-even-further-than-arab-tv/|url-status=live}}</ref> ], the Israeli peace activist who has called the peace process "a process of apartheid & colonization" is a frequent guest on RT. | |||
Notable guests have included think tank intellectuals like ],<ref name="Weigel" /> ] and ]; journalists and writers ], ],<ref name="Zwick" /> and ],<ref name="Quan" /> and heads of state, including Ecuador's ],<ref name="Quan">{{cite web|author=Tracy Quan |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/03/i-love-the-julian-assange-show.html |title=I Love the Julian Assange Show! |publisher=The Daily Beast |date=2012-07-03 |accessdate=2012-08-20}}</ref> and Syria's ].<ref>, ], November 9, 2012.</ref> ] leader ], an admirer of ], has appeared on RT seventeen times since 2010.<ref name=BuzzFeedPSmith/> | |||
].]] | |||
Notable guests have included ] intellectuals like ],<ref name="Weigel" /> ] and ]; journalists and writers ], ],<ref name="Zwick" /> and ],<ref name="Quan" /> and heads of state, including Ecuador's ],<ref name="Quan">{{cite news |author=Tracy Quan |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/03/i-love-the-julian-assange-show.html |title=I Love the Julian Assange Show! |website=The Daily Beast |date=3 July 2012 |access-date=20 August 2012 |archive-date=21 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821042056/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/03/i-love-the-julian-assange-show.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and Syria's ].<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111234232/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/11/syrias-assad-does-not-see-civil-war-blames-the-west.html |date=11 November 2012 }}, '']'', 9 November 2012.</ref> ], the leader of ] from 2010 to 2016, appeared on RT eighteen times from 2010 to 2014.<ref name="BuzzFeedPSmith" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/mar/31/farage-i-admire-putin|title=Nigel Farage: I admire Vladimir Putin|newspaper=The Guardian|date=31 March 2014|access-date=26 September 2015|archive-date=31 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331170810/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/mar/31/farage-i-admire-putin|url-status=live}}</ref> ] has stated that he has appeared on RT "probably 100 times or more".<ref name="Stone_Gordon_3/20/2017">{{cite web|last1=Stone|first1=Peter|last2=Gordon|first2=Greg|title=FBI's Russian-influence probe includes a look at Breitbart, InfoWars news sites|website=]|date=20 March 2017|url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article139695453.html|access-date=28 September 2018|archive-date=24 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124022611/https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article139695453.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Manuel Ochsenreiter, a ], has repeatedly appeared on RT to represent the German point of view.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/rts-regular-air-german-host-manuel-ochsenreiter-exposed-neo-nazi-editor-1441605|title=RT Host Manuel Ochsenreiter Exposed as Neo-Nazi Editor|last=Mezzofiore|first=Gianluca|date=24 March 2014|newspaper=]|access-date=30 November 2014|archive-date=6 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106231225/http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/rts-regular-air-german-host-manuel-ochsenreiter-exposed-neo-nazi-editor-1441605|url-status=live}}</ref> RT News has also frequently hosted ], an American ] airing his opinions in support of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/leaders-charlottesvilles-alt-right-protest-all-have-ties-russian-fascist-651384|title=Charlottesville's Alt-Right Leaders Have a Passion for Vladimir Putin|magazine=]|date=16 August 2017|author=Tom Porter|access-date=17 August 2017|archive-date=16 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816233212/https://www.newsweek.com/leaders-charlottesvilles-alt-right-protest-all-have-ties-russian-fascist-651384|url-status=live}}</ref> and has hosted ] ], presenting him as a ].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CTiCCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA73|title=Putin's Propaganda Machine: Soft Power and Russian Foreign Policy|first=Marcel H.|last=Van Herpen|isbn=978-1442253612|publisher=]|date=1 October 2015|page=73|access-date=13 September 2017|archive-date=31 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153948/https://books.google.com/books?id=CTiCCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA73#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Such figures as ], ], ], and ] have appeared on RT to advance conspiracy theories about topics such as the ], the ], and the "New World Order".{{r|Yablokov 2015|p=308|quote=Apart from theories that are well-grounded in historical facts, RT gives a voice to American conspiracy theorists. An example is its active coverage of the Bilderberg Club conference As Alex Jones, one of the proponents of this theory, claimed on RT, the Bilderberg group builds a 'one world corporate fascist government' to exercise global control.}}<ref name="Byford 2011" /> | |||
{{Clear}} | |||
== |
== Content == | ||
] | |||
RT has presented itself as a global network "like the BBC or France 24", differing from them in offering "alternative views" ignored by the "Western-dominated news media". Many Western countries, in contrast, regard RT not just as a propaganda organ, but as "the slickly produced heart of a broad, often covert disinformation campaign designed to sow doubt about democratic institutions and destabilize the West".<ref name="Erlanger-NYT-8-3-17">{{cite news |last1=Erlanger |first1=Steven |title=Russia's RT Network: Is It More BBC or K.G.B.? |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/world/europe/russias-rt-network-is-it-more-bbc-or-kgb.html |access-date=14 March 2022 |agency=The New York Times |date=8 March 2017 |archive-date=26 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171126005158/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/world/europe/russias-rt-network-is-it-more-bbc-or-kgb.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
===Programming=== | |||
According to Steven Erlanger, RT provides "hard news and top-notch graphics" and a "mix with interviews from all sorts of people: well known and obscure, left and right. if there is any unifying character to RT, it is a deep skepticism of Western and American narratives of the world and a fundamental defensiveness about Russia and Mr. Putin."<ref name="Erlanger-NYT-8-3-17"/> | |||
In 2008, Heidi Brown wrote in '']'' that "the Kremlin is using charm, good photography and a healthy dose of sex appeal to appeal to a diverse, skeptical audience. The result is entertaining – and ineffably Russian." She added that Russia Today has managed to "get foreigners to at least consider the Russian viewpoint – however eccentric it may be..."<ref>Heidi Brown, , ], February 27, 2008.</ref> In 2012, Tracy Quan wrote that RT is "a far more interesting network than some care to admit."<ref name="Quan"/> Mark Adomanis, who has appeared on RT, wrote "I generally find RT as a station to be tabloidy, a bit over-hyped, and basically harmless."<ref name="Adomanis" /> | |||
RT formerly hosted the leaders of populist European parties such as UKIP's leader Nigel Farage and Marie Le Pen, leader of the French Populist National Rally Party.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ecfr.eu/article/commentary_putins_friends_in_europe7153/ |title=Putin's friends in Europe |last=Wesslau |first=Fredrik |date=19 October 2016 |website=European Council on Foreign Relations |access-date=11 March 2021 |archive-date=1 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301190624/https://ecfr.eu/article/commentary_putins_friends_in_europe7153/ |url-status=live }}</ref> British politician, broadcaster, and writer George Galloway formerly hosted his own TV news programme on RT named "Sputnik: Orbiting the World with George Galloway".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/kremlin-state-television-station-has-its-british-bank-accounts-closed-82pkcz0ll |title=Kremlin television station has its British bank accounts closed |last1=Kennedy |first1=Dominic |last2=Parfitt |first2=Tom |date=17 October 2016 |website=The Sunday Times |access-date=17 February 2024 |archive-date=25 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240825001435/https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/kremlin-state-television-station-has-its-british-bank-accounts-closed-82pkcz0ll |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
'']'', hosted by ], ran from 2009 to 2012 (when Minkovsky left RT to join '']''). '']'' writer ] described ''The Alyona Show'' as "one of RT's most popular vehicles".<ref>{{cite web|author=Tracy Quan |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/03/i-love-the-julian-assange-show.html |title=I Love the Julian Assange Show! |publisher=The Daily Beast |date=2012-07-03 |accessdate=2012-11-01}}</ref> '']'' columnist Jesse Zwick wrote that one journalist told him that Minkovski is "probably the best interviewer on cable news."<ref name="Zwick" /> Benjamin R. Freed wrote in the avant-garde culture magazine ''SOMA'' that "The Alyona Show does political talk with razor-sharp wit."<ref name="soma">{{cite journal |title=Alyona Minkovski: She's Got It! |url=http://somamagazine.com/alyona-minkovski/ |work=SOMA Magazine |volume=25 |issue=4 |first=Benjamin R. |last=Freed |accessdate=2011-12-15}}</ref> ] called the show "an in-house attempt at a newsy cult hit" and noted that "her meatiest segments were about government spying, and the Federal Reserve, and America's undeclared wars".<ref name="Weigel" /> Minkovski had complained about being characterized as if she was "Putin's girl in Washington" or as being "anti-American".<ref name="soma" /> After Minkovski argued that ] was "not on the side of America. And the fact that my channel is more honest with the American people is something you should be ashamed of.", '']'' writer ] asked "since when does Russia Today defend the policies of any American president? Or the informational needs of the American public, for that matter?"<ref name="Ioffe"/> | |||
=== Propaganda and related issues === | |||
From April to August 2011, RT ran a half-hour primetime show ''Adam vs. the Man'',<ref>, press release on web site, April 4, 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adamvstheman.com/blog/episodes/final-episode-east-coast-quake-libya-rebellion-you-the-viewer-teachers-social-media-net-neutrality-media-blackout-on-ron-paul/|title=FINAL EPISODE: East Coast Quake, Libya Rebellion, You The Viewer, Teachers & Social Media, Net Neutrality, Media Blackout on Ron Paul?|date=2011-08-25|publisher=RT|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110924074939/http://www.adamvstheman.com/blog/episodes/final-episode-east-coast-quake-libya-rebellion-you-the-viewer-teachers-social-media-net-neutrality-media-blackout-on-ron-paul|archivedate=2011-09-24}}</ref><ref name="Politico">{{Cite news|title=Ron Paul booster's show cancelled after FEC complaint|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0811/Ron_Paul_boosters_show_cancelled_after_FEC_complaint.html|newspaper=Politico|date=August 25, 2011}}</ref> hosted by former ] Marine veteran and high profile anti-war activist ]. David Weigel writes that Kokesh defended RT's "propaganda" function, saying "We're putting out the truth that no one else wants to say. I mean, if you want to put it in the worst possible abstract, it's the Russian government, which is a competing protection racket against the other governments of the world, going against the United States and calling them on their bullshit."<ref name="Weigel" /> The conservative media watchdog ] criticized Kokesh's appearance on RT, writing RT uses Americans like Kokesh to make propaganda points.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aim.org/aim-column/kgb-tv-to-air-show-hosted-by-anti-war-marine-vet/|title=KGB TV to Air Show Hosted by Anti-war Marine Vet|date=2011-04-05|publisher=Accuracy in Media}}</ref> | |||
RT's editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan, has described RT as giving Russia "]", and being the same kind of "tool" for Russia that the "BBC or ]" are "for the UK and USA". In 2012, she stated that RT waged "an information war ... with the entire Western world" during the ].<ref name="kommersant070412"/><ref name="eu150118"/><ref name="Nimmo" /> | |||
Observers have criticized the state-supported/controlled nature of RT as an instrument of propaganda. | |||
Reviewing Julian Assange's show ''World Tomorrow'', '']'' noted that Assange, who was under ], was "largely deferential" in asking some questions of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who himself was in hiding. However, he also asked tough questions such as why Nasrallah had not supported Arab revolts against Syrian leaders, when he had supported them in Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt, and other countries.<ref name="Taylor" /> ''The New York Times'' journalist Allesandra Stanley wrote that "practically speaking, Mr. Assange is in bed with the Kremlin, but on Tuesday's show he didn't put out" and that he "behaved surprisingly like a standard network interviewer."<ref name="Stanley" /> Douglas Lucas in ] wrote that the RT deal "may just be a profitable way for him to get a gigantic retweet."<ref name="Lucas" /> Glenn Greenwald, who has been a guest on RT,<ref> interview on RT website.</ref> wrote that RT presenting the Julian Assange show led to "a predictable wave of snide, smug attacks from American media figures".<ref name="Greenwald" /> Mark Adomanis rebuts some of the "fevered denunciations" against RT and Julian Assange in an article in '']''.<ref name="Adomanis" /> A '']'' writer noted that RT has received "considerable" criticism in general.<ref name="Zagorodnov" /> | |||
In 2005, Pascal Bonnamour, the head of the European department of ], called the newly announced network "another step of the state to control information".<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Prokunin|first1=Nikita|last2=Kozenko|first2=Andrey|date=21 October 2005|title=Reporters Without Borders Don't Fancy Russia Today|url=http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=530&id=619775|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207060723/http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=530&id=619775|archive-date=7 December 2010|access-date=11 March 2021|website=]}}</ref> In a 2005 interview with U.S. government-owned external broadcaster Voice of America, Russian-Israeli blogger ] said the creation of RT "smacks of ] campaigns".<ref name="VOANew">{{Cite news|url=http://www.voanews.com/content/a-13-2005-07-06-voa33-66930727/377326.html|title=New Global TV Venture to Promote Russia|date=6 July 2005|publisher=Voice of America|access-date=30 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115030222/http://www.voanews.com/content/a-13-2005-07-06-voa33-66930727/377326.html|archive-date=15 November 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2009, ] (then Moscow correspondent for ''The Guardian'') described RT's advertising campaign in the United Kingdom as an "ambitious attempt to create a new post-Soviet global propaganda empire".<ref name="Guardian_Harding_RT" /> In Russia, ], former advisor to Vladimir Putin, has called the channel "the best Russian propaganda machine targeted at the outside world".<ref name="Heyman" /><ref name="Maczka" /> Chess grandmaster ], speaking after the launch of RT America, said: "Russia Today is an extension of the methods and approach of the state-controlled media inside Russia, applied in a bid to influence the American cable audience".<ref name="Kramer"/> | |||
Others have commended its promotion and discussion of issues ignored or just not given enough time by the mainstream news media. In '']'', researcher Precious N Chatterje-Doody stated that RT viewers tend to recognize RT's state-controlled status, and that they choose to watch RT for its "non-mainstream" story selection and its use of technology. She asserted that if RT broadcast only "blatant propaganda", it would not retain its audience.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chatterje-Doody |first1=Precious N |last2=Sanchez-Salas |first2=Patricia |title=How RT Navigates 'Us' and 'Them' |url=https://www.e-ir.info/2018/10/03/how-rt-russia-today-navigates-us-and-them/ |website=] |date=3 October 2018 |publisher=E-International Relations |access-date=22 February 2022 |archive-date=22 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222233752/https://www.e-ir.info/2018/10/03/how-rt-russia-today-navigates-us-and-them/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
===Criticism=== | |||
According to Adam Johnson in ''The Nation'' magazine, "while Russia Today toes the Kremlin's line on foreign policy, it also provides an outlet to marginalized issues and voices stateside. RT, for example, has covered the recent prison strikes—the largest in American history—twice. So far CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and Rutenberg's employer, ''The New York Times'', haven't covered them at all. RT aggressively covered Occupy Wall Street early on while the rest of corporate US media were marginalizing from afar (for this effort, RT was nominated for an ])."<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/whos-afraid-of-russia-today/|title=Who's Afraid of 'Russia Today'?|magazine=The Nation|last=Johnson|first=Adam H.|date=23 September 2016|access-date=15 January 2020|language=en-US|issn=0027-8378|archive-date=15 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115200302/https://www.thenation.com/article/whos-afraid-of-russia-today/|url-status=live}}</ref> John Feffer, co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus says he appears on RT as well as the U.S.-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, commented "I've been given the opportunity to talk about military expenditures in a way I haven't been given in U.S. outlets". On the fairness issue, he said: "You're going to find blind spots in the coverage for any news organization".<ref name="Zwick"/> | |||
====Propaganda and related issues==== | |||
=====Mouthpiece of the Kremlin===== | |||
Since its foundation in 2005, RT has been widely accused as being a mouthpiece of the Kremlin. In an interview with U.S government-owned external broadcaster Voice of America, the Russian-Israeli blogger Anton Nosik (]) said the creation of RT "smacks of ] campaigns."<ref name="VOANew">{{Cite news|title=New Global TV Venture to Promote Russia|url=http://www.voanews.com/content/a-13-2005-07-06-voa33-66930727/377326.html|newspaper=VOANews|date=2005-07-06}}</ref> Pascal Bonnamour, the head of the European department of ], called the newly announced network "another step of the state to control information."<ref name="kommersant.com"> '']'' 21 October 2005</ref> In 2009, ] (then the Moscow-based, Russia correspondent of '']'') described RT's advertising campaign in the United Kingdom as an "ambitious attempt to create a new post-Soviet global propaganda empire."<ref name="Guardian_Harding_RT" /> An article in the Christian Science Monitor wrote that RT reported on the good job Putin was doing in the world and next to nothing on things like the conflict in Chechnya or the murder of government critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0308/p07s02-woeu.html|title=Russian bid to counter Western criticism|author=The Christian Science Monitor|work=The Christian Science Monitor}}</ref> | |||
Among the complaints of RT are the quality of its journalism and general production of "propaganda and disinformation". Graduate students at ] monitored RT's (US) output for much of 2015, and found "RT ignores the inherent traits of journalism—checking sources, relaying facts, attempting honest reportage" and "you'll find 'experts' lacking in expertise, conspiracy theories without backing, and, from time to time, outright fabrication for the sake of pushing a pro-Kremlin line", according to Casey Michel, who worked on the project.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/putin-rt-soviet-propaganda-121734|title=Putin's Magnificent Messaging Machine|last=Michel|first=Casey|date=25 August 2015|work=Politico|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028024841/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/putin-rt-soviet-propaganda-121734|access-date=25 September 2020|archive-date=28 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/rt-propaganda-columbia-journalism-students-blog-coverage/26869048.html|title='Propaganda Bullhorn' Or 'Alternative Perspective'? U.S. Students Put Kremlin-Funded RT Under Microscope|last=Schreck|first=Carl|date=25 February 2015|access-date=23 January 2016|publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|archive-date=30 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230060103/http://www.rferl.org/content/rt-propaganda-columbia-journalism-students-blog-coverage/26869048.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The results were compiled in a ] blog.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rtwatchcuj.tumblr.com/|title=RT Watch Blog|year=2015|access-date=23 January 2016|archive-date=30 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130074904/http://rtwatchcuj.tumblr.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> Media analyst Vasily Gatov wrote in a 2014 '']'' article that sharp ethical and reporting skills are not required for Russian media employees, including RT.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gatov|first=Vasily|date=30 June 2014|title=Russian Journalism is Crippled by Its Cynicism|work=]|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2014/06/30/russian-journalism-is-crippled-by-its-cynicism-a36884|access-date=30 January 2016|archive-date=19 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619100236/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2014/06/30/russian-journalism-is-crippled-by-its-cynicism-a36884|url-status=live}}</ref> RT has been ] by the ] as an unreliable source of information, with consensus being that it is "a mouthpiece of the Russian government that engages in propaganda and disinformation."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harrison |first1=Stephen |title=How the Russian Invasion of Ukraine Is Playing Out on English, Ukrainian, and Russian Misplaced Pages |url=https://slate.com/technology/2022/03/wikipedia-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-edits-kyiv-kiev.html |website=] |access-date=2 March 2022 |language=en |date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=2 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302001436/https://slate.com/technology/2022/03/wikipedia-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-edits-kyiv-kiev.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Former ] officer turned ], ], criticized RT as "a part of the Russian industry of misinformation and manipulation".<ref name="Preobraz"/> | |||
In a 2022 research paper comparing RT and ]'s coverage of the ], Martin Moore and Thomas Colley of ] conceptualized RT as operating using a "partisan parasite" propaganda model, noting that it "often covers topics and people that would mainly be familiar to US audiences, but which are of little international salience or relevance", and that it rarely covers Russia except through the lens of U.S. politics. They also noted: "Its content selection, partisan framing and vernacular style is similar to right-wing US outlets like ], ] and ]."<ref name="Moore-2022">{{Cite journal |last1=Moore |first1=Martin |last2=Colley |first2=Thomas |date=2022-06-13 |title=Two International Propaganda Models: Comparing RT and CGTN's 2020 US Election Coverage |journal=] |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=1306–1328 |doi=10.1080/17512786.2022.2086157 |issn=1751-2786 |s2cid=249696725 |doi-access=free |url=https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/176161192/Two_International_Propaganda_Models_MOORE_Accepted30May2022_GREEN_AAM.pdf |access-date=16 March 2024 |archive-date=16 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616063627/https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/176161192/Two_International_Propaganda_Models_MOORE_Accepted30May2022_GREEN_AAM.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
], Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, posted on Twitter on March 9, 2014 amid the ], "Russia Today propaganda machine is no less destructive than military marching in Crimea".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/LinkeviciusL/status/442607548303425536|title=Linas Linkevicius on Twitter|work=Twitter}}</ref> | |||
RT has been accused of different approaches to disinformation: | |||
] ] referred to RT as a state-sponsored "propaganda bullhorn" and he continued by saying, "Russia Today | |||
* Focusing on "presenting a negative picture of the United States and 'the West'", rather than extolling "Russia's virtues directly", publishing conspiracy theories about the West, criticizing U.S. influence abroad, and presenting Russia as "a 'global underdog'" to U.S. hegemony. (Michael Dukalskis in his 2021 book on tactics used by authoritarian regimes to construct a positive image of their regimes).<ref name=Dukalskis-dictatorship/> | |||
network has deployed to promote president Putin's fantasy about what is playing out on the ground. They almost spend full-time devoted to this effort, to | |||
* Normally giving reporters and presenters considerable latitude, and saving straight-up pro-Russian government "message control" (propaganda), for "highly sensitive issues", such as the ] or ], (Julia Ioffe).<ref name="Ioffe"/> | |||
propagandize, and to distort what is happening or not happening in Ukraine."<ref name="JKerry">{{cite press release|title=Secretary Kerry on Ukraine| | |||
* Functioning in some circumstances, (like the 2016 U.S. presidential election), as a part of a larger Russian disinformation apparatus with the goal of undermining "public faith in the U.S. democratic process," and damaging enemies (like Hillary Clinton). RT and other state-funded Russian media, publicize "real information, some open and some hacked" (i.e. stolen), along with "false reports" they've created. These are "amplified on social media, sometimes by computer bots that send out thousands of Facebook and Twitter messages." (Steven Erlanger, quoting U.S. agencies).<ref name="Erlanger-NYT-8-3-17"/> | |||
url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?319014-1/secretary-kerry-ukraine|publisher=CSPAN|date=April 24, 2014}}</ref> RT responded that they wanted "an | |||
* Only rarely taking a "single, anti-Western media line on any given story", which would be "too obvious". Instead, presenting "gaggles of competing and contradicting narratives which together create the impression that the truth is indecipherable". (Lithuania's STRATCOM Colonel).<ref>{{cite web|title=Meet the Colonel in Charge of Countering Russian Propaganda in Lithuania|url=https://news.vice.com/article/meet-the-colonel-in-charge-of-countering-russian-propaganda-in-lithuania|website=Vice News|date=24 May 2015|access-date=5 July 2016|archive-date=19 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919083116/https://news.vice.com/article/meet-the-colonel-in-charge-of-countering-russian-propaganda-in-lithuania|url-status=live}}</ref> RT's "main message is that you cannot trust the western media". It seems "dedicated to the proposition that after the notion of objectivity has evaporated, all stories are equally true." (Peter Pomerantsev, writing in ''The Guardian'' in 2015)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/apr/09/kremlin-hall-of-mirrors-military-information-psychology|title=Inside the Kremlin's hall of mirrors|last=Pomerantsev|first=Peter|date=9 April 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=15 April 2015|archive-date=2 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102122506/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/apr/09/kremlin-hall-of-mirrors-military-information-psychology|url-status=live}}</ref> Using a strategy of distributing fake stories in "high-volume and multichannel, rapid, continuous, and repetitive" manner, with no regard to consistency. This "]" makes propaganda difficult to counter. (Christopher Paul, Miriam Matthews of ]).<ref>{{cite web|year=2016|others=Paul, Christopher, Matthews, Miriam|title=Russia's "Firehose of Falsehood" Propaganda Model|url=https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html|publisher=]|language=en|access-date=24 May 2018|archive-date=13 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813221858/https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Though viewers may still oppose Russian policy and dislike Putin, RT's goal is for "a bit" of disinformation mud to "stick" to viewers and their doubts about Western institutions to grow. (Robert Pszczel, who ran NATO's information office in Moscow and watches Russia and the western Balkans for NATO.)<ref name="Erlanger-NYT-8-3-17"/> | |||
official response from the U.S. Department of State substantiating Mr. Kerry's claims."<ref name="BI RTupset">{{citation|title=RT Is Very Upset With John Kerry For Blasting Them As Putin's 'Propaganda Bullhorn'|url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/john-kerry-rt-propaganda-bullhorn-russia-today-2014-4| | |||
* Pushing different themes in different countries, which are often contradictory but all serve the Russian government's interests: | |||
publisher=Business Insider|date=April 26, 2014|author=Logiurato, Brett}}</ref> ] from the U.S. ] responded.<ref | |||
** presenting itself as a liberal alternative in the United States, but as the flagship of resurgent ] parties in Europe. (Patrick Hilsman)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.seattleglobalist.com/2015/05/06/russia-today-rt-putin-holocaust-ultra-right/35844|title=Have you been watching Russian government propaganda?|last=Hilsman|first=Patrick|website=The Seattle Globalist|date=6 May 2015|access-date=8 December 2015|archive-date=9 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151209002945/http://www.seattleglobalist.com/2015/05/06/russia-today-rt-putin-holocaust-ultra-right/35844|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
name="BI State Department">{{citation|title=Russia's Propaganda Channel Just Got A Journalism Lesson From The US State Department| | |||
** warning domestic Russian audiences of the dangers of COVID-19 and the need for preventive measures, while saturating English, German, French, Spanish, and Arabic-language platforms with ] and conspiracy theories.<ref name=@DFRLab/><ref name=meduza.io-two-faces/><ref name="RFE/RT-27-10-21"/> | |||
url=http://www.businessinsider.com/state-department-responds-rt-russia-today-john-kerry-2014-4#!HDahV|publisher=Business Insider|date=April 29, 2014| | |||
** RT (and other Russian propaganda media) may broadcast different "themes or messages", different accounts of "contested events", and may change their account (their "falsehood or misrepresentation") if it is "exposed or ... not well received", moving "on to a new (though not necessarily more plausible) explanation".<ref name=RAND/> An example being Russian media explanations for killing of 283 passengers and 15 crew from the downing of ] on 17 July 2014 while the plane was flying over pro-Russian ] in Ukraine. The ] (DSB) and the Dutch-led ] (JIT), concluded that the airliner was downed by a Russian ] ] launched from the separatist-controlled territory,<ref name="DSB_Final_Report">{{cite report |url=https://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/en/media/attachment/2018/7/10/debcd724fe7breport_mh17_crash.pdf |title=Crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Hrabove, Ukraine, 17 July 2014 |publisher=] |date=13 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013141325/http://cdn.onderzoeksraad.nl/documents/report-mh17-crash-en.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/oct/13/mh17-crash-report-ukraine-live-updates |title=MH17 crash report: Dutch investigators confirm Buk missile hit plane – live updates |last=Weaver |first=Matthew |date=13 October 2015 |newspaper=] |access-date=13 October 2015 |archive-date=4 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161004044709/https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/oct/13/mh17-crash-report-ukraine-live-updates |url-status=live }}</ref> and American, German, Dutch and Australia investigations held Russia responsible. Russian media (]) first reported separatists had shot down a "Ukrainian Air Force ] transport plane" with a missile, calling it "a new victory for the Donetsk militia".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/russian/features-37496581 |title=Катастрофа MH17: как менялись версии российских СМИ |trans-title=Disaster of MH17: how the versions of the Russian media changed |last=Bugorkova |first=Olga |date=28 September 2016 |newspaper=] |language=ru |access-date=29 September 2016 |archive-date=29 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160929180842/http://www.bbc.com/russian/features-37496581 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/when-russia-backed-forces-boasted-they-shot-down-a-ukrainian-military-plane-that-was-actually-mh17/30056279.html |title='Birdie' Down: The First, Damning Hours After MH17 Was Shot Out Of The Sky |last=Schreck |first=Carl |date=15 July 2019 |website=] |access-date=6 December 2020 |archive-date=17 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217180929/https://www.rferl.org/a/when-russia-backed-forces-boasted-they-shot-down-a-ukrainian-military-plane-that-was-actually-mh17/30056279.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="lifenews 136801">{{cite web |url=http://lifenews.ru/news/136801 |script-title=ru:Ополченцы сообщили о сбитом Ан-26 на востоке Украины |date=17 July 2014 |website=LifeNews |language=ru |quote=On July 17 near the village of Rassypnoye over the Torez city in Donetsk region an An-26 transport plane of Ukrainian Air Force was taken down, said the militia. According to them, the plane crashed somewhere near the "Progress" mine, away from residential areas. According to one of the militias, at about 17:30 local time an An-26 flew over the city. It was hit by a rocket, there was an explosion and the plane went to the ground, leaving a black smoke. Debris fell from the sky |access-date=17 July 2014 |archive-date=14 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314090204/http://lifenews.ru/news/136801 |url-status=live }}</ref> Later, after it was clear the plane was civilian, offering a variety of theories of how the Ukrainian military was responsible.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Rietjens|first=Sebastiaan|date=2019-09-02|title=Unraveling Disinformation: The Case of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23800992.2019.1695666|journal=The International Journal of Intelligence, Security, and Public Affairs|volume=21|issue=3|pages=203|doi=10.1080/23800992.2019.1695666|s2cid=214368984|issn=2380-0992|via=]|access-date=15 March 2022|archive-date=31 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153949/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23800992.2019.1695666|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> One theory offered and later discarded by RT was that the airliner may have been shot down by Ukraine in a failed attempt to assassinate Vladimir Putin, in a plot which was organised by Ukraine's "Western backers". (However Putin's flight route was hundreds of kilometres north of Ukraine.)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://wyborcza.pl/1,75477,16347795,Moskwa_obwinia_Ukraine.html?piano_t=1 |title='Zamach na Putina', 'Ile odszkodowań zapłacą Ukraińcy' i zmiany w Wikipedii. Ofensywa propagandowa Moskwy |trans-title="The attempt on Putin", "How much compensation will pay Ukrainians" and changes in Misplaced Pages. Moscow's propaganda offensive |first=Wacław |last=Radziwinowicz |date=18 July 2014 |newspaper=Gazeta Wyborcza |language=pl |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=27 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727092141/http://wyborcza.pl/1,75477,16347795,Moskwa_obwinia_Ukraine.html?piano_t=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.co.id/rt-malaysia-airlines-ukraine-2014-7/ |title=Here's The Ridiculous Way Russia's Propaganda Channel Is Covering The Malaysia Airlines Crash |last1=Szoldra |first1=Paul |website=Business Insider |date=18 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720054152/http://www.businessinsider.co.id/rt-malaysia-airlines-ukraine-2014-7/ |archive-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> | |||
author=Logiurato}}</ref> Stengel stated in his response, "RT is a distortion machine, not a news organization," although he supports RT's right to broadcast in the | |||
United States. Concluding that "the network and its editors should not pretend that RT is anything other than another player in Russia's global disinformation campaign against the people of Ukraine and their supporters".<ref name="Stengel">{{citation|title=Russia Today’s Disinformation Campaign|url=http://blogs.state.gov/stories/2014/04/29/russia-today-s-disinformation-campaign|publisher=U.S. Department of State|date=April 29, 2014|author=Stengel, Richard}}</ref> | |||
=== Disinformation and conspiracy theories === | |||
In Russia, ], former advisor to Vladimir Putin, has labeled the channel as "the best Russian propaganda machine targeted at the outside world".<ref name="Heyman"/><ref name="Maczka"/> Media analyst Vasily Gatov wrote in a 2014 '']'' article that sharp ethical and reporting skills are not required for RT employees.<ref>{{cite news|title=Russian Journalism is Crippled by Its Cynicism|last=Gatov|first=Vasily|date=July 1, 2014|work=]|page=10|accessdate=2 July 2014}}</ref> | |||
Academics, fact-checkers, and news reporters (including some current and former RT reporters) have identified RT as a purveyor of ]<ref name="disinformation" /> and ].<ref name="conspiracy theories" /> | |||
Cliff Kincaid, the director of ]'s Center for Investigative Journalism, called RT "the well-known disinformation outlet for Russian propaganda".<ref>{{cite news|last=Kincaid|first=Cliff|title=Why Won’t Putin Help Middle East Christians?|url=http://www.aim.org/aim-column/why-wont-putin-help-middle-east-christians/|work=]|date=22 August 2014}}</ref> | |||
In 2010, '']'' magazine observed that RT's programming, while sometimes interesting and unobjectionable, and sometimes "hard-edged", also presents "wild conspiracy theories" that can be regarded as "kooky".<ref name="economist-wobbly">{{cite news |date=6 July 2010 |title=Airwaves wobbly |url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2010/07/russia_today_goes_mad |newspaper=] |access-date=13 July 2017 |archive-date=13 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613004512/http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2010/07/russia_today_goes_mad |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
=====Putin and Medvedev off-limits===== | |||
In 2010, ''The Independent'' reported that RT journalists had revealed that coverage of sensitive issues in Russia is allowed, but direct criticism of Vladimir Putin or then-President ] is not.<ref name="Walker" /> Masha Karp wrote in '']'' magazine that contemporary Russian issues "such as the suppression of free speech and peaceful demonstrations, or the economic inefficiency and corrupt judiciary, are either ignored or their significance played down".<ref>Masha Karp , ''Standpoint'', March 2010</ref> In 2008, Stephen Heyman wrote in ''The New York Times'' that in RT's Russia, "corruption is not quite a scourge but a symptom of a developing economy."<ref name="Heyman" /> Speaking after the launch of RT America, ] said "Russia Today is an extension of the methods and approach of the state-controlled media inside Russia, applied in a bid to influence the American cable audience".<ref name="Kramer"/> | |||
A 2013 article in '']'' said that RT "uses a chaotic mixture of conspiracy theories and crude propaganda", pointing to a program that "mutated" the ] into a U.S. government conspiracy.<ref name="SpiegelBidder">{{cite news|author=Benjamin Bidder|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/putin-fights-war-of-images-and-propaganda-with-russia-today-channel-a-916162.html|title=Putin's Weapon in the War of Images|work=Der Spiegel|date=13 August 2013|access-date=14 August 2013|archive-date=22 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222001148/http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/putin-fights-war-of-images-and-propaganda-with-russia-today-channel-a-916162.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
=====Anti-Americanism, anti-Westernism===== | |||
'']'' writer ] accused the network of "often virulent ], worshipful portrayal of Russian leaders."<ref name="Kirchick">{{Cite news|last=Kirchick|first=James|title=Pravda on the Potomac (page 2)|url=http://www.newrepublic.com/article/pravda-the-potomac|newspaper=The New Republic|date=18 February 2009}}</ref> ] wrote in '']'' (quoted in ]) that the core of RT was "anti-Westernism."<ref name="Sousa">{{cite news|last=Sousa|first=Ann De|title=News channel or propaganda tool?|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2011/03/201132714649315858.html|newspaper=Al-Jazeera|date=26 Jan 2012}}</ref> Julia Ioffe wrote "Often, it seemed that Russia Today was just a way to stick it to the U.S. from behind the façade of legitimate newsgathering."<ref name="Ioffe" /> Shaun Walker wrote in '']'' that RT "has made a name for itself as a strident critic of US policy."<ref name="independent.co.uk">{{Cite news|last=Walker|first=Shaun|title=Assange takes chat-show job with state-funded Russian TV|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/assange-takes-chatshow-job-with-statefunded-russian-tv-6294553.html|newspaper=The Independent|date=January 26, 2012}}</ref> Allesandra Stanley wrote in ''The New York Times'' that RT is "like the Voice of America, only with more money and a zesty anti-American slant."<ref name="Stanley" /> ] writes that RT goes further than merely creating distrust of the United States government, to saying, in effect: "You can trust the Russians more than you can trust those bastards."<ref name="Weigel" /> | |||
The launch of ] was the subject of much comment in the British press in late 2014.<ref name=BBCMonitoring>{{cite news|last=Ennis|first=Stephen|title=Russia's global media operation under the spotlight|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30040363|work=]|date=16 November 2014|access-date=20 June 2018|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421080945/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30040363|url-status=live}}</ref> In '']'', ] accused the channel of consciously spreading conspiracy theories and of being a "prostitution of journalism".<ref>{{cite news|last=Cohen|first=Nick|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/08/russia-today-western-cynics-lap-up-putins-tv-poison|title=Russia Today: why western cynics lap up Putin's TV poison|work=The Observer|date=8 November 2014|access-date=10 August 2021|quote=Russia Today's second mission is to spread conspiracy theories that help Russian power and provide sensational audience-grabbing stories – in every sense of the word.|archive-date=10 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810092459/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/08/russia-today-western-cynics-lap-up-putins-tv-poison|url-status=live}}</ref> ], a columnist for '']'', called on British broadcasting regulator ] to act against this "den of deceivers".<ref>{{cite news|last=Kamm|first=Oliver|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/we-cannot-allow-russia-today-to-get-away-with-its-lies-lk6t8tq6f69|title=We cannot allow Russia Today to get away with its lies|work=The Times|date=31 October 2014|access-date=10 August 2021|quote=Ofcom should rigorously apply its own code to this den of deceivers.|archive-date=10 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810093636/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/we-cannot-allow-russia-today-to-get-away-with-its-lies-lk6t8tq6f69|url-status=live}}{{subscription required}}</ref> | |||
Russian studies professor ] stated in 2012 that RT does a lot of stories that "reflect badly" on the United States and that they are "particularly aggrieved by American sermonizing abroad." Citing that RT compares stories about Russia allowing mass protests of the ] with those of U.S. authorities nationwide arresting members of the ]. Cohen states that despite the pro-Kremlin slant, "any intelligent viewer can sort this out. I doubt that many idiots find their way to RT."<ref name="Zwick">Jesse Zwick, , ], March 14, 2012.</ref> | |||
Journalists at '']'' and '']'' have observed that RT employs Tony Gosling, an exponent of long-discredited conspiracy theories concerning the alleged control of the world by ] and the Czarist ] forgery '']''.<ref name=Holland>{{cite news|last1=Holland|first1=Adam|title=Russia Today Has an Illuminati Correspondent. Really.|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/08/russia-today-has-an-illuminati-correspondent-really.html?via=mobile&source=twitter|access-date=9 July 2015|website=Daily Beast|date=8 July 2015|archive-date=10 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710231506/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/08/russia-today-has-an-illuminati-correspondent-really.html?via=mobile&source=twitter|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Drezner>{{cite news|first=Daniel W.|last=Drezner|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/07/09/confessions-of-an-american-illuminati/?hpid=z3|title=Confessions of an American Illuminati|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=13 March 2015|access-date=25 September 2015|archive-date=13 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713024920/http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/07/09/confessions-of-an-american-illuminati/?hpid=z3|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
], co-director of ] says he appears on RT as well as the U.S.-funded Voice of America and ], commenting "You're going to find blind spots in the coverage for any news organization."<ref name="Zwick" /> American journalist ] listed the corporate and government owners of prominent Western media like ], BBC, Voice of America, '']'', Fox News, ] and '']'' and asked why it was "an intrinsic violation of journalistic integrity to work for a media outlet owned by the Russian government." He also wrote that the real cause of American media hostility toward RT is that "the reporting it does reflects poorly on the U.S. Government, the ultimate sin in the eyes of our 'adversarial' press corps."<ref name="Greenwald">], , ''Salon'', April 18, 2012.</ref> | |||
RT has broadcast stories about microchips being implanted into office workers in the EU to make them more "submissive"; about the "majority" of Europeans supporting ]; the EU preparing "a form of genocide" against Russians; in Germany it ]; that "NATO planned to store nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe"; that Hillary Clinton fell ill; it has also on many occasions misrepresented or invented statements from European leaders.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://euvsdisinfo.eu/inside-rts-world-of-alternative-news/|title=Inside RT's world of alternative news|date=13 April 2017|work=EU vs Disinformation|access-date=23 May 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=10 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510193015/https://euvsdisinfo.eu/inside-rts-world-of-alternative-news/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://euvsdisinfo.eu/everyone-against-russia-conspiracy-theories-on-the-rise-in-russian-media/|title=Everyone Against Russia: Conspiracy Theories on the Rise In Russian Media|date=22 May 2018|work=EU vs Disinformation|access-date=23 May 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=15 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915141148/https://euvsdisinfo.eu/everyone-against-russia-conspiracy-theories-on-the-rise-in-russian-media/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/europe/russia-sweden-disinformation.html|title=A Powerful Russian Weapon: The Spread of False Stories|date=28 August 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 May 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618150336/https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/europe/russia-sweden-disinformation.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Timberg|first=Craig|date=24 November 2016|title=Russian propaganda effort helped spread 'fake news' during election, experts say|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/2016/11/24/793903b6-8a40-4ca9-b712-716af66098fe_story.html|access-date=24 May 2018|issn=0190-8286|quote=Some of these stories originated with RT and Sputnik, state-funded Russian information services that mimic the style and tone of independent news organizations yet sometimes include false and misleading stories in their reports, the researchers say. On other occasions, RT, Sputnik and other Russian sites used social-media accounts to amplify misleading stories already circulating online, causing news algorithms to identify them as "trending" topics that sometimes prompted coverage from mainstream American news organizations.|archive-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116162008/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/2016/11/24/793903b6-8a40-4ca9-b712-716af66098fe_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
=====Airing conspiracy theories===== | |||
An 2013 article in '']'' noted that RT is the most successful foreign broadcaster in many American cities and that RT "uses a chaotic mixture of conspiracy theories and crude propaganda", referring to a program which linked the ] to a U.S. government conspiracy.<ref name=SpiegelKriegDerBilder>{{Cite news| title = Putin Fights War of Images and Propaganda with Russia Today Channel| work = Spiegel Online| accessdate = 2013-08-14 | |||
| date = 2013-08-13| url = http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/putin-fights-war-of-images-and-propaganda-with-russia-today-channel-a-916162.html}}</ref> | |||
In 2017, RT started its own ] project, FakeCheck, in response to accusations of spreading fake news.<ref name="Oremus-2017" /><ref name="Poynter-2017" /> The ] conducted a content analysis of FakeCheck and concluded it "mixes some legitimate debunks with other scantily sourced or dubiously framed 'fact checks.'"<ref name="Poynter-2017">{{Cite web|url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2017/is-russia-today-a-legitimate-fact-checker-we-did-the-math/|title=Is Russia Today a legitimate fact-checker? We did the math.|website=Poynter|date=27 July 2017|language=en|access-date=24 May 2018|archive-date=15 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215223946/https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2017/is-russia-today-a-legitimate-fact-checker-we-did-the-math/|url-status=live}}</ref> Ben Nimmo of the ]'s Digital Forensic Research Lab found that four out of nine articles published in its first two weeks contained "inaccuracies and possible bias with irrelevant or insufficient evidence."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Romero |first=Luiz |date=August 8, 2022 |title=How 'War on Fakes' uses fact-checking to spread pro-Russia propaganda |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/aug/08/how-war-fakes-uses-fact-checking-spread-pro-russia/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=] |language=en-US |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610035826/https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/aug/08/how-war-fakes-uses-fact-checking-spread-pro-russia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
The launch of RT UK was greeted with a barrage of criticism in the British press. In '']'', ] accused the channel of spreading conspiracy theories and being a "prostitution of journalism" and in '']'', ] called on broadcast regulator ] to act against this "den of deceivers".<ref name=BBCMonitoring>{{cite news|last=Ennis|first=Stephen|title=Russia's global media operation under the spotlight|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30040363|work=]|date=16 November 2014}}</ref> | |||
From the time of the ] RT has repeatedly been exposed for producing ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://khpg.org/en/1405478412|title=Russia Today's "Genocide in Eastern Ukraine": Sick, distorted and deleted|date=15 July 2014|access-date=25 August 2022|archive-date=19 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819053348/https://khpg.org/en/1405478412|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, the channel was involved in a fake news scandal about a 'Putin burger' it claimed was on the menu in a New York diner, to celebrate the birthday of the Russian president ]. The 'Putin burger' story was quickly exposed as a fabrication, and RT removed it from their site.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bennetts |first=Marc |date=9 October 2017 |title=High steaks: the Vladimir Putin birthday burger that never existed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/08/high-steaks-the-vladimir-putin-birthday-burger-that-never-existed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921231937/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/08/high-steaks-the-vladimir-putin-birthday-burger-that-never-existed |archive-date=21 September 2022 |access-date=25 August 2022 |work=]}}</ref> | |||
In 2015, ] in ] accused RT in disinformation and spreading conspiracy theories.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/apr/09/kremlin-hall-of-mirrors-military-information-psychology|title=Inside the Kremlin’s hall of mirrors|last=Pomerantsev|first=Peter|date=9 April 2015|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=15 April 2015}}</ref> | |||
When caught publishing false information, RT has frequently deleted the material from their site and made no further comment.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://khpg.org/en/1405478412|title=Russia Today's "Genocide in Eastern Ukraine": Sick, distorted and deleted|date=16 July 2014|access-date=28 August 2022|archive-date=19 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819053348/https://khpg.org/en/1405478412|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
=====Anti-Israel===== | |||
RT has been accused of being anti-Israel by Jewish and ]i sources, describing its reporting as being unbalanced. Israeli foreign minister ] made a complaint to Putin at their official meeting in 2012.<ref name=rt-anti-israel-complaint>{{cite news|last=Barak Ravid|title=Lieberman complained to Putin over Russian TV's 'anti-Israel' reporting|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lieberman-complained-to-putin-over-russian-tv-s-anti-israel-reporting-1.454787|accessdate=8 October 2013|newspaper=]|date=July 31, 2012}}</ref><ref name=israel-methods>{{cite news|last=Rachel Hirshfeld|title=Russia Today Accuses Israel of Using 'Hitler Methods'|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/164876#.UlRqpHZS2pg|accessdate=8 October 2013|date=February 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bizarre: Russia Today Host Abby Martin Lashes Out at The Algemeiner|url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/25/bizarre-russia-today-host-abby-martin-lashes-out-at-the-algemeiner-video/|accessdate=8 October 2013|date=November 25, 2012}}</ref><ref name=rt-anti-israel>{{cite news|last=Lakkana Nanayakkara|title=Russia Today Continues its Anti-Israel Propaganda, Going Even Further Than Arab TV|url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/22/russia-today-continues-its-anti-israel-propaganda-going-even-further-than-arab-tv/|accessdate=8 October 2013|newspaper=]|date=November 22, 2012}}</ref> | |||
In 2022, the Centre for Democratic Integrity (CDI) published a comprehensive report "RT in Europe and beyond" which in detail describes disinformation and divisive activities of RT against European audience with focus on regional editions (French, Spanish, German, British), documenting specific disinformation campaigns.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RT in Europe and beyond |url=https://democratic-integrity.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/RT_in_Europe_and_beyond-CDI_Report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914115733/https://democratic-integrity.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/RT_in_Europe_and_beyond-CDI_Report.pdf |archive-date=2022-09-14 |access-date=2022-09-14}}</ref> | |||
====Response to critics==== | |||
In response to the impartially accusation, Sergey Frolov, CEO of RT's parent organization ANO TV-Novosti, stated in 2006 that their "responsibility is not to be someone's lawyer or prosecutor. It is too stupid to hold information, because then you have to repeat it from others. We do our best to respond swiftly and impartially. Present the facts and not speculate or theorize. Actually, the problem is very simple: If we start to filter news or silent something - people will switch to CNN or BBC."<ref name="translate.google.com"/> | |||
In 2022, Martin Moore and Thomas Colley of ] noted that RT's coverage of the ] was anti-] and pro-Trump, with RT promoting the ]'s unfounded claims that Biden was the head of a "crime family", as well as allegations that Biden's son ] ] and possessed pictures of underage girls. RT also questioned Joe Biden's fitness for office and promoted unfounded rumors that he could only debate effectively with the use of headpieces and/or performance-enhancing drugs. Following the election, RT uncritically promoted Trump's ], and Moore and Colley noted that in its coverage of the electoral process, RT claimed that the process was "dysfunctional, fraudulent or futile".<ref name="Moore-2022" /> | |||
In response to the propaganda accusation editor in chief Margarita Simonyan stated in 2014 "The charges of propaganda tend to pop up every time a news outlet, particularly RT, dares to show the side of events that does not fit the mainstream narrative, regardless of the realities on the ground. This happened in Georgia, this is happening in Ukraine..."<ref>http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/rt-defends-host-abby-martin-responds-to-accusations-of-pro-putin-propaganda-20140304</ref> | |||
=== Treatment of Putin and Medvedev === | |||
In response to the dismissive accusation that rt is state funded, RT published a response in 2011 | |||
Stating that it is state-funded in the same sense as the UK’s BBC, France 24, Germany’s Deutsche Welle, and the American Corporation for Public Broadcasting are funded.<ref>http://rt.com/usa/rt-government-broadcasting-radio/</ref> | |||
A 2007 article in ''The Christian Science Monitor'' stated that RT reported on the good job Putin was doing in the world and next to nothing on things like the conflict in Chechnya or the murder of government critics.<ref>{{cite web|last=Weir|first=Fred|date=2007-03-08|title=Russian bid to counter Western criticism|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0308/p07s02-woeu.html|work=]|publication-place=Moscow|access-date=29 January 2014|archive-date=1 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201193903/http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0308/p07s02-woeu.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to a 2010 report by ''The Independent'', RT journalists have said that coverage of sensitive issues in Russia is allowed, but direct criticism of Vladimir Putin or President ] was not.<ref name="Walker" /> Masha Karp wrote in '']'' magazine that contemporary Russian issues "such as the suppression of free speech and peaceful demonstrations, or the economic inefficiency and corrupt judiciary, are either ignored or their significance played down".<ref>Masha Karp {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525143432/http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2709 |date=25 May 2012 }}, ''Standpoint'', March 2010</ref> In 2008, Stephen Heyman wrote in ''The New York Times'' that in RT's Russia, "corruption is not quite a scourge but a symptom of a developing economy".<ref name="Heyman" /> | |||
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responding to john kerry accusation of propaganda, dismissed him stating "Russia will actively support these independent views of RT, which are an alternative to what Western propaganda tells the world."<ref>http://rt.com/news/154800-lavrov-kerry-rt-comment/</ref> Margarita Simonyan published a rebuttal to the american under secretary blog post on the matter concluding "Mr. Stengel make a valiant attempt at propagandizing, because anyone would be hard-pressed to cram more falsehoods into a hundred words".<ref>http://rt.com/op-edge/155960-presenting-lies-facts-propaganda-exposure/</ref> | |||
], a former RT anchor who quit over MH17 coverage, said she had editorial independence during her time there, except for disagreements over RT's coverage of the Syrian conflict.<ref name="sarafirth"/> | |||
=== Anti-Americanism and anti-Westernism === | |||
RT journalists ] and ], in an interview with ] have denied having ever been told what to say or do. In addition, Martin said: {{Cquote|I think the image of RT is just people who are scared to address the facts because it's an easy way to blanketly dismiss an entire network and generalize an entire body of work... And that's why you see the smear campaign from the people who are too scared to debate what you are actually talking about.''<ref>{{cite interview |last=Martin |first=Abby |interviewer=Larry King |title=Politicking: RT’s Thom Hartmann, Abby Martin and Erin Ade Face Off with Larry King |url=http://rt.com/shows/politicking-larry-king/170964-thom-abby-erin-face-off/ |date=3 July 2014 |program=Politicking with Larry King |access-date=22 February 2015}}</ref>}} | |||
] in Iran in June 2020]] | |||
'']'' writer ] accused the network of "often virulent ], worshipful portrayal of Russian leaders".<ref name="Kirchick">{{cite news|last=Kirchick|first=James|title=Pravda on the Potomac (page 2)|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/pravda-the-potomac|newspaper=The New Republic|date=18 February 2009|access-date=11 March 2017|archive-date=16 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016155148/http://www.newrepublic.com/article/pravda-the-potomac|url-status=live}}</ref> ] wrote in '']'' (quoted in ]) that the core of RT was "anti-Westernism".<ref name="Sousa">{{cite news|last=Sousa|first=Ann De|title=News channel or propaganda tool?|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2011/03/201132714649315858.html|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=26 January 2012|access-date=31 October 2012|archive-date=2 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202121702/http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2011/03/201132714649315858.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Julia Ioffe wrote: "Often, it seemed that Russia Today was just a way to stick it to the U.S. from behind the façade of legitimate newsgathering."<ref name="Ioffe"/> Shaun Walker wrote in '']'' that RT "has made a name for itself as a strident critic of US policy".<ref name="independent.co.uk">{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Shaun|title=Assange takes chat-show job with state-funded Russian TV|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/assange-takes-chatshow-job-with-statefunded-russian-tv-6294553.html|newspaper=The Independent|date=26 January 2012|access-date=10 September 2017|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925185629/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/assange-takes-chatshow-job-with-statefunded-russian-tv-6294553.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ] wrote in ''The New York Times'' that RT is "like the Voice of America, only with more money and a zesty anti-American slant".<ref name="Stanley"/> ] writes that RT goes further than merely creating distrust of the United States government, to saying, in effect: "You can trust the Russians more than you can trust those bastards."<ref name="Weigel"/> | |||
Russian studies professor ] stated in 2012 that RT does a lot of stories that "reflect badly" on the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and much of Western Europe and that they are "particularly aggrieved by American sermonizing abroad". Citing that RT compares stories about Russia allowing mass protests of the ] with those of U.S. authorities nationwide arresting members of the ]. Cohen states that despite the pro-Kremlin slant, "any intelligent viewer can sort this out. I doubt that many idiots find their way to RT".<ref name="Zwick">{{cite magazine|last=Zwick|first=Jesse|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/world/magazine/101703/russia-tv-rtv-cohen-alyona|title=Pravda Lite|magazine=]|date=14 March 2012|access-date=14 February 2017|archive-date=31 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131153831/https://newrepublic.com/article/101703/russia-tv-rtv-cohen-alyona|url-status=live}}.</ref> | |||
====Choice of guests==== | |||
In 2010 journalist and blogger Julia Ioffe described RT as being "provocative just for the sake of being provocative" in its choice of guests and issue topics, featuring a Russian historian who predicted that the United States would soon be dissolved, showing speeches by ]n President ], reporting on ] in America, and interviewing the chairman of the ]. She wrote that in attempting to offer "an alternate point of view, it is forced to talk to marginal, offensive, and often irrelevant figures".<ref name="Ioffe" /> '']'' magazine noted that RT's programming, while sometimes interesting and unobjectionable, and sometimes "hard-edged", also presents "wild conspiracy theories" that can be regarded as "kooky".<ref>, ], July 6, 2010</ref> A 2010 ] report stated that RT extensively covered the "]" and the "]" conspiracy theories and interviewed militia organizer Jim Stachowiak and ] ].<ref name="Scherr">Sonia Scherr , ''Intelligence Report'', #139, Fall 2010, Southern Poverty Law Center</ref> An ] article stated that RT has a penchant "for off-beat stories and conspiracy theories."<ref name="Sousa" /> | |||
RT America has described journalists as "Russiagate conspiracy theorists" for covering Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/26/youtube-recommended-russian-media-site-above-all-others-analysis-mueller-report-watchdog-group-says/|title=YouTube recommended a Russian media site thousands of times for analysis of Mueller's report, a watchdog group says|year=2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=26 April 2019|archive-date=26 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426161050/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/26/youtube-recommended-russian-media-site-above-all-others-analysis-mueller-report-watchdog-group-says/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Margarita Simonyan told Nikolaus von Twickel of ''The Moscow Times'' that RT started to grow once it became provocative and that controversy was vital to the channel. She said that RT's task was not to polish Moscow's reputation.<ref name="vonTwickel" /> | |||
Russian journalist, former press secretary of the head of the UN Mission in South Africa, Yuri Sigov, wrote that when covering Canada, Russia Today presents information selectively. This is almost always negative information aimed at fulfilling political orders.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sigov|first=Yuri|date=2020|title=Канада в Российских Сми: Мифы и Реалии|trans-title=Canada in the Russian Media: Myths and Realities|url=https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=44263533|journal=Россия и Канада: Возможности для сотрудничества|language=ru|location=Saint Petersburg|publisher=]|pages=110|via=eLibrary.Ru}}</ref> | |||
RT has made Manuel Ochsenreiter, a neo-Nazi, its primary on-air spokesman for the German point of view.<ref>{{cite news|last=Holland|first=Adam|title=RT’s Manuel Ochsenreiter |url=http://www.interpretermag.com/rts-manuel-ochsenreiter/|work=The Interpreter|date=21 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/rts-regular-air-german-host-manuel-ochsenreiter-exposed-neo-nazi-editor-1441605|title=RT Host Manuel Ochsenreiter Exposed as Neo-Nazi Editor|last=Mezzofiore|first=Gianluca|date=24 March 2014|publisher=]|accessdate=30 November 2014}}</ref> It also features Holocaust denier Ryan Dawson, presenting him as a geopolitical analyst, human rights activist and Asian affairs expert.<ref>{{cite news|last=Holland|first=Adam|title=Ryan Dawson, RT’s "Human Rights Activist," A Holocaust Denier Who’s Friends With Hate Criminals |url=http://www.interpretermag.com/ryan-dawson-rts-human-rights-activist-a-holocaust-denier-whos-friends-with-hate-criminals/|work=The Interpreter|date=10 April 2014}}</ref> | |||
=== Israeli–Palestinian conflict === | |||
====Responses to RT's news coverage==== | |||
RT, particularly the former RT presenter ], has been accused of being anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian by '']'' and ].<ref name="israel-methods">{{cite news|last=Rachel Hirshfeld|title=Russia Today Accuses Israel of Using 'Hitler Methods'|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/164876|access-date=8 October 2013|date=4 February 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006125458/https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/164876|archive-date=October 6, 2014|work=Israel National News}}</ref><ref name="rt-anti-israel">{{cite news|last=Lakkana Nanayakkara|title=Russia Today Continues its Anti-Israel Propaganda, Going Even Further Than Arab TV|url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/22/russia-today-continues-its-anti-israel-propaganda-going-even-further-than-arab-tv/|access-date=8 October 2013|newspaper=]|date=22 November 2012}}</ref> Israeli foreign minister ] made a complaint{{clarify|date=April 2021}} to Putin at their official meeting in 2012.<ref name=rt-anti-israel-complaint>{{cite news|last=Barak Ravid|title=Lieberman complained to Putin over Russian TV's 'anti-Israel' reporting|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lieberman-complained-to-putin-over-russian-tv-s-anti-israel-reporting-1.454787|access-date=8 October 2013|newspaper=]|date=31 July 2012}}</ref> | |||
Carson Scott, a business presenter who left the network in 2007, suggested that he'd been involved in countless heated debates with his editor and stated that "You are understandably walking a very fine line of being full and frank and biting the hand that feeds". However Peter Lavelle (who is still with the network) countered "No one is telling me what to say," while admitting "Part of our mission is public relations".<ref name="Heyman"/> | |||
=== Climate change denial === | |||
During the ] Russia Today correspondent William Dunbar resigned because he was not allowed to report on Russian airstrikes on civilian targets and stated "any issue where there is a Kremlin line, RT is sure to toe it."<ref>William Dunbar, , ], September 20, 2010.</ref> ] said that the RT claim of 2,000 South Ossetian casualties was exaggerated.<ref> ''Russia Today'' 10 August 2008</ref><ref>Tom Parfitt ''The Guardian'' 13 August 2008</ref> Shaun Walker, the Moscow correspondent for ''The Independent'' said that Russia Today had "instructed reporters not to report from Georgian villages within South Ossetia that had been ethnically cleansed", also showed that "RT blasted "GENOCIDE" across its screens for most of the war’s duration".<ref name=Burrell/> Julia Ioffe wrote that an RT journalist whose reporting deviated from "the Kremlin line that Georgians were slaughtering unarmed Ossetians" was reprimanded.<ref name="Ioffe" /> According to '']'', sources at RT confirmed that Dunbar had resigned, but rejected that it was over bias. One senior RT journalist told the magazine, "the Russian coverage I have seen has been much better than much of the Western coverage... When you look at the Western media, there is a lot of genuflection towards the powers that be. Russian news coverage is largely pro-Russia, but that is to be expected."<ref>Nick Holdsworth, , '']'', August 12, 2008.</ref> | |||
In November 2021, a study by the ] described RT as being among "ten fringe publishers" that together were responsible for nearly 70 percent of Facebook user interactions with content that denied climate change. Facebook disputed the study's methodology.<ref name="Porterfield_11/2/2021">{{cite web|last=Porterfield|first=Carlie|date=November 2, 2021|title=Breitbart Leads Climate Change Misinformation On Facebook, Study Says|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/11/02/breitbart-leads-climate-change-misinformation-on-facebook-study-says/|access-date=November 3, 2021|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Zakrzewski |first=Cat |date=2 November 2021 |title=Breitbart has outsize influence over climate change denial on Facebook, report says |language=en-US |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/02/facebook-climate-change-misinformation-breitbart/ |access-date=2022-03-24 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name="Toxic_Ten_11/2/2021">{{cite web | date=November 2, 2021 | title=The Toxic Ten: How ten fringe publishers fuel 69% of digital climate change denial | publisher=] | url=https://www.counterhate.com/toxicten | access-date=November 3, 2021 }}</ref> | |||
=== COVID-19 misinformation === | |||
In June 2011, RT broadcast a programme called "War on RT?", in which it highlighted that ] (then with Fox News), had called it "the Pravda of today" and ] had warned RT viewers against thinking it was a normal news network. According to Oliver Bullough, RT responded, "not by saying it was unbiased, but by insisting that everyone else, too, was biased. The programme’s host suggested that, in sum, objectivity is a myth".<ref name="Bullough"/> | |||
Compared to RT's coverage of the ] for its viewers in Russia, RT's coverage of the pandemic for its international viewers was saturated with ] and conspiracy theories. RT urged domestic Russian audiences to vaccinate and wear ] to prevent COVID-19, while advocating against virus-prevention measures on its English, German, French, Spanish, and Arabic-language platforms.<ref name=@DFRLab/><ref name=meduza.io-two-faces/><ref name="RFE/RT-27-10-21">{{cite news |last1=Current Time |title=The Two Faces Of RT: Russia's Competing COVID Narratives |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/opposing-rt-narratives-covid/31530613.html |access-date=12 March 2022 |agency=RFE/RT |date=27 October 2021}}</ref><ref name="SIO-9-6-20">{{cite web |last1=Bush |first1=Daniel |title=Virality Project (Russia): Penguins and Protests |url=https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/io/news/penguins-and-protests-rt-and-coronavirus-pandemic |website=Stanford Internet Observatory |access-date=12 March 2022 |date=9 June 2020}}</ref> | |||
== Responses == | |||
In September 2012, ] broadcast regulator ] found that two Libyan dispatches broadcast by ] on RT in August 2011 were in breach of its code on accuracy and impartiality. One stated that Libyan rebels had little popular support and another criticized Western media as lying about the NATO operations. It held that broadcasters should note that "when items in their news programmes criticise the policies and actions of individuals, organisations, governments or states, they must not only be presented with due impartiality but also reported with due accuracy."<ref>, 10 September 2012, pp 19-35</ref> The following November, RT was again found in breach of impartiality rules in relation to its coverage of the Syrian conflict – particularly involving a news bulletin that was broadcast on July 12, 2012 that featured an interview with the Editor of Pan-African News Wire, Abayomi Azikiwe who was supportive of the Syrian Government position, followed by a report criticizing a boycott of Syrian television and film production by certain Arab countries.<ref>, 5 November 2012, pp 15-27.</ref> | |||
=== States === | |||
{{Flag|European Union}} – Sanctions against ], the head of Russia's state-controlled ] and RT television presenter, have been in place since the ] of Ukraine's Crimea. The ] cites Kiselyov to be a "central figure of the government propaganda supporting the deployment of Russian forces in Ukraine". Initially, Russian state-owned media outlets were not banned and continued to be available in the EU, with the exception of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hille|first=Kathrin|date=21 March 2014|title=Dmitry Kiselyov: Russian TV presenter draws EU sanctions wrath|work=]|url=https://www.ft.com/content/3af01860-b111-11e3-9f6f-00144feab7de|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190918083422/https://www.ft.com/content/3af01860-b111-11e3-9f6f-00144feab7de|archive-date=18 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=21 March 2014|title=Concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R0284&from=PL|journal=]|volume=|pages=|via=EUR-Lex}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=EU restrictive measures in response to the crisis in Ukraine|url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/sanctions/ukraine-crisis/|access-date=14 January 2020|website=]|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829045412/https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/sanctions/ukraine-crisis/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ] Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation (INGE) described RT as "actively engaging in disinformation activities" and highlighted that RT and ] are pushing local broadcasters in Europe off from the market thanks to massive funding from Russian Federation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=INGE Consolidated Draft Report {{!}} Highlights {{!}} Home {{!}} INGE {{!}} Committees {{!}} European Parliament|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/inge-consolidated-draft-report/product-details/20220210CAN64946|access-date=2022-02-14|website=www.europarl.europa.eu|language=en}}</ref> Editor-in-chief ] was sanctioned by the European Union on 23 February 2022 when Russia recognized the ] and ] breakaway states.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stevis-Gridneff |first1=Matina |title=European Sanctions Target Putin's Inner Circle |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/world/europe/eu-sanctions-putin-russia-ukraine.html |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |date=23 February 2022}}</ref> On 27 February 2022, the EU banned RT and Sputnik from broadcasting in its member countries, following the ].<ref name="CBS2022"/> | |||
{{flag|Australia}} – ] ] requested the partially Australian government funded ] ] suspend broadcasts of RT and ] news programming on its ] platform. Fletcher stated, "Given the current actions of the Russian government {{bracket|]}}, and the lack of genuinely independent Russian media, this is a responsible decision." SBS suspended the aforementioned broadcasts on 25 February 2022.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement from SBS regarding acquired Russian TV news programming|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/statement-from-sbs-regarding-acquired-russian-tv-news-programming|website=SBS Corporate|date=25 February 2022|publisher=Special Broadcasting Service|access-date=27 February 2022|archive-date=27 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227131821/https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/statement-from-sbs-regarding-acquired-russian-tv-news-programming|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7636290/sbs-suspends-russian-state-media-outlets/|title=SBS suspends Russian state media outlets|date=25 February 2022|website=The Canberra Times}}</ref> The RT channel was removed from Australian pay TV provider ]'s listings the next day due to concerns about the situation in Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/foxtel-strips-russia-today-from-its-platforms-over-concern-of-its-content-on-the-ukraine-invasion/news-story/4050256fefef93681b240314893fac8c|title=Foxtel strips Russia Today from its platforms over concern of its content on the Ukraine invasion|date=26 February 2022|website=The Australian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2022/02/foxtel-pulls-russia-today-channel-off-air.html|title=Foxtel pulls Russia Today channel off air|date=26 February 2022|website=TV Tonight}}</ref> | |||
] in Moscow on December 10, 2011]] | |||
According to ''The Independent'', RT covered all the ] that started in December 2011 and lead up to the ]. However, Margarita Simonyan tweeted that protesters should "burn in hell" and RT accused opposition leader Alexei Navalny of having strong and even bigoted ] views.<ref name="Walker2011">{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Shaun|title=Why the Russian revolution is being televised at last|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/why-the-russian-revolution-is-being-televised-at-last-6276518.html|date=14 December 2011}}</ref><ref>, ], February 05, 2012; note "Frozen fury" also was RT's name for a story about a February 2012 protest.</ref> | |||
{{flag|Canada}} – On 16 March 2022, the ] banned RT and RT France from broadcasting in Canada.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-russia-today-broadcasting-decision-1.6386929|title=CRTC bans Russian state-controlled TV channels RT, RT France from Canadian airwaves|last=Zimonjic|first=Peter|work=CBC News|date=2022-03-16|access-date=2022-03-21}}</ref> | |||
After a May 2012 protest broke into violence between police and protesters, Simonyan tweeted "You were warned that all your starry-eyed idealism would end in fanatical carnage."<ref>{{cite news|last=Barry and Schwirtz|first=Ellen and Michael|title=Arrests and Violence at Overflowing Rally in Moscow|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/07/world/europe/at-moscow-rally-arrests-and-violence.html|newspaper=NYT|date=May 6, 2012}}</ref> RT blamed the clashes on "a number of radical protesters."<ref>, RT.com, 07 May 2012; edited: 07 May 2012.</ref> Navalny, who exposed massive corruption and theft in Kremlin-connected companies, frequently has been covered in a negative fashion on RT,<ref name="independent.co.uk" /> including coverage of the search of his home and office during an investigation of the May clashes.<ref>. RT.com. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.</ref> Putin chose RT for his first televised interview after the election and stated that new laws against ], street rally disorders or ] only had to do with "crime and legal procedure, not politics."<ref name="Weir">Fred Weir, , '']'', September 7, 2012.</ref> | |||
{{flag|Germany}} – After failing to obtain a broadcast license compliant with the {{ill|State Media Treaty|de|Medienstaatsvertrag}}, ] was banned in Germany by the {{ill|Commission for Licensing and Supervision|de|Kommission für Zulassung und Aufsicht}} (ZAK) on 2 February 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russia to target German media in response to German ban on RT TV |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/russia-target-german-media-response-german-ban-rt-tv-2022-02-02/ |website=] |access-date=23 February 2022 |language=en |date=2 February 2022}}</ref> The Russian ] responded with "retaliatory measures" to remove German broadcaster ] from Russia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roth |first1=Andrew |title=Russia to expel German broadcaster after RT blocked in Germany |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/03/russia-to-expel-german-broadcaster-after-rt-banned-in-germany |website=] |access-date=23 February 2022 |language=en |date=3 February 2022}}</ref> | |||
In 2012 Jesse Zwick in '']'' criticized RT, stating it held that "civilian casualties in Syria are minimal, foreign intervention would be disastrous, and any humanitarian appeals from Western nations are a thin veil for a NATO-backed move to isolate Iran, China, and Russia." He wrote that RT wants to "make the United States look out of line for lecturing Russia." Zwick also noted that Stephen F. Cohen has criticized western coverage of the Syrian conflict, saying he was suspicious of CNN coverage and that "It seems to be the flip side of RT. It's too black and white, too virtuous and simple. Each side sounds like one hand clapping."<ref name="Zwick" /> | |||
{{flag|Gibraltar}} – Chief Minister ] requested a nationwide ban of RT on 25 February 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, describing RT as "a dangerous source of disinformation that Gibraltar cannot accept on its networks". Television providers in Gibraltar agreed to suspend broadcasts of RT.<ref>{{cite web |title=RT broadcasts suspended on Rock as Govt tightens visa rules for Russians |url=https://www.chronicle.gi/rt-broadcasts-suspended-on-rock-as-govt-tightens-visa-rules-for-russians/ |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |language=en |date=25 February 2022}}</ref> | |||
Zwick also wrote that RT provided a "disproportionate amount of time" to covering ] ] ] during ].<ref name="Zwick" /> Paul also has been interviewed on RT.<ref>, May 5, 2011.</ref> Writing after her 2014 on-air resignation, ] suggested the reason for this "wasn't his message of freedom and liberty but his non-interventionist stance and consistent criticism of U.S. foreign policy. His message fit RT's narrative that the United States is a huge bully."<ref name=Wahl/> In a June 2011 broadcast of ''Adam vs. the Man'', host Adam Kokesh endorsed support and fundraising for Paul, leading to a complaint to the ] charging a political contribution had been made by a foreign corporation. Kokesh denied his cancellation in August was related to the complaint, but said it did involve Paul's aide ].<ref name="Politico" /> | |||
{{flag|Latvia}} – At the end of June 2020, after new amendments to the Law on Electronic Media were made, seven RT channels were banned in Latvia for being under the control of ] who had been sanctioned by the European Union since 2014. Chairperson of the National Electronic Mass Media Council Ivars Āboliņš said they will be asking all EU state regulators to follow their example and restrict RT in their territory.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.neplpadome.lv/en/home/news/news1/neplp-restricts-most-influential-kremlins-propaganda-channel-in-latvia.html|title=NEPLP restricts most influential Kremlin's propaganda channel in Latvia|publisher=The National Electronic Mass Media Council|date=30 June 2020|access-date=30 June 2020|archive-date=1 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701155301/https://www.neplpadome.lv/en/home/news/news1/neplp-restricts-most-influential-kremlins-propaganda-channel-in-latvia.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Latvia ban">{{cite news |last=Anstrate |first=Vita |date=30 June 2020 |title=Kremlin propaganda channel "RT" banned in Latvia |publisher=] |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/kremlin-propaganda-channel-rt-banned-in-latvia.a365523/ |access-date=30 June 2020}}</ref> Kiselyov called the decision "an indicator of the level of stupidity and ignorance of the Latvian authorities, blinded by Russophobia".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gelzis|first1=Gederts|last2=Marrow|first2=Alexander|last3=Devitt|first3=Polina|others=Alexandra Hudson (ed.)|date=30 June 2020|title=Latvia bans Russian broadcaster RT over ties to Kremlin media mogul|work=]|editor-last=Fulton|editor-first=Colm|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-latvia-russia-rt/latvia-bans-russian-broadcaster-rt-over-ties-to-kremlin-media-mogul-idUSKBN24133K|access-date=30 June 2020}}</ref> | |||
An August 2013 news story concerning unverified reports of the killing of 450 Kurdish civilians near the Turkey-Syria border again breached UK broadcast regulator Ofcom's rules. This complaint centred on mobile phone footage of three men being apparently being burnt alive.<ref>, 4 November 2013, pp 14-17.</ref> That December, Ofcom again found RT in breach of its standards in relation to the impartiality of a documentary entitled "Syrian Diary" broadcast the previous March.<ref>, 16 December 2013, pp 6-25.</ref> | |||
{{flag|Lithuania}} – ], Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, posted on Twitter on 9 March 2014 amid the ], "Russia Today propaganda machine is no less destructive than military marching in Crimea".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/LinkeviciusL/status/442607548303425536|title=Linas Linkevicius on Twitter|via=Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Veebel|first=Viljar|title=Estonia Confronts Propaganda: Russia Manipulates Media in Pursuit of Psychological Warfare|url=https://www.etis.ee/Portal/Publications/Display/4bd57718-948d-4413-bddf-2c3c817a5df7?lang=ENG#|journal=Per Concordiam|volume=7|pages=35|issn=2166-322X|via=Estonian Research Information System}}</ref> It was banned by the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania on 8 July 2020.<ref name="Lithuania ban">{{Cite web|date=8 July 2020|title=Radijo ir televizijos komisija uždraudė Lietuvoje retransliuoti RT programas|url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/1195699/radijo-ir-televizijos-komisija-uzdraude-lietuvoje-retransliuoti-rt-programas|access-date=8 July 2020|website=lrt.lt|language=lt}}</ref> The decision of both Latvian and Lithuanian authorities was criticised by ] as "misuse of the EU sanctions policy".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rsf.org/en/news/baltic-countries-misusing-eu-sanctions-ban-russian-tv-channels-not-legitimate-tool-promoting|title=Baltic countries: Misusing EU sanctions to ban Russian TV channels is not a legitimate tool for promoting reliable information|publisher=]|date=10 July 2020|access-date=13 July 2020}}</ref> | |||
On March 4, 2014, ''Breaking The Set'' host ], speaking directly to her viewing audience during the show's closing statement, said that even though she works for RT, she is against Russia's intervention in Ukraine. She said that "what Russia did is wrong", as she is against intervention by any nation into other countries' affairs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/04/world/europe/russia-news-anchor-ukraine/|title=State-funded news anchor Abby Martin: 'What Russia did is wrong' - CNN.com|author=Greg Botelho, CNN|date=5 March 2014|work=CNN}}</ref> Later, Martin asserted that RT still supports her despite her differences of opinion with the Russian government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/shows/breaking-set-summary/ukraine-conflict-perspectives-usa-885/|title=Ukraine conflict perspectives and Washington’s shadow lobbyists|publisher=}}</ref> RTs press office suggested that Martin would be sent to ] and responded to accusations of propaganda, stating "the charges of propaganda tend to pop up every time a news outlet, particularly RT, dares to show the side of events that does not fit the mainstream narrative, regardless of the realities on the ground. This happened in ], this is happening in ]".<ref>Graves, Lucia (March 4, 2014) , ] retrieved April 11, 2014</ref> ] said that American media elites love to mock Russian media, especially RT, as being a source of shameless pro-Putin propaganda, where free expression is strictly barred. Agreeing the "network has a strong pro-Russian bias", he suggested that Martin's action "remarkably demonstrated what 'journalistic independence' means".<ref>Greenwald, Glenn (March 4, 2014) ] retrieved march 21, 2014</ref> | |||
{{flag|Poland}} – The ] banned RT in Poland on 24 February 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<ref name="Poland ban">{{cite web |title=Rosyjskie programy wykreślone z rejestru programów rozprowadzanych |url=https://www.gov.pl/web/krrit/rosyjskie-programy-wykreslone-z-rejestru-programow-rozprowadzanych |publisher=] |language=pl-PL |trans-title=Russian programs removed from the distributed program registry }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kayali |first1=Laura |last2=Goujard |first2=Clothilde |title=Europe increases pressure on Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/western-europe-increases-pressure-on-kremlin-backed-broadcaster-rt/ |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |date=24 February 2022}}</ref> | |||
On March 5, 2014, RT Washington, D.C. bureau anchor Liz Wahl resigned on air, blaming RT for propaganda. Wahl stated that what "broke" her was that RT censored a question from her interview with Ron Paul about "Russia's ''intervention'' in Ukraine". In response, RT released a statement: "When a journalist disagrees with the editorial position of his or her organization, the usual course of action is to address those grievances with the editor, and, if they cannot be resolved, to quit like a professional. But when someone makes a big public show of a personal decision, it is nothing more than a self-promotional stunt. We wish Liz the best of luck on her chosen path".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rt.com/usa/rt-reacts-liz-wahl-042/|title=RT reacts to anchor Liz Wahl quitting on air|publisher=}}</ref> In a March 2014 ''Politico'' article, Wahl stated “For about two and a half years. I’d looked the other way as the network smeared America for the sake of making the Kremlin look better by comparison, while it sugarcoated atrocities by one brutal dictator after another.”<ref name=Wahl>Liz Wahl, , Politico magazine, March 21, 2014.</ref> | |||
{{flag|Ukraine}} – RT has been banned in Ukraine by the ] since August 2014, following the ] of Ukrainian territory.<ref name="Ukraine ban">{{Cite news|last1=Zinets|first1=Natalia|last2=Prentice|first2=Alessandra|others=Robin Pomeroy (ed.)|date=19 August 2014|title=Ukraine bans Russian TV channels for airing war 'propaganda'|work=]|editor-last=Balmforth|editor-first=Richard|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-television-idUSKBN0GJ1QM20140819|access-date=12 December 2020}}</ref> | |||
].]] | |||
{{flag|United Kingdom}} – On 18 March 2022, ANO TV Novosti's broadcasting license was revoked by ], effectively banning RT from being broadcast. This was taken in the wake of RT UK being funded by the Russian government, which, when combined with their promotion of Russian state narratives with regard to sanctions and its invasion of Ukraine, was deemed a violation of neutrality standards.<ref name="UK licence revoke">{{Cite news|date=18 March 2022|title=Ofcom revokes RT's broadcast licence|work=]|url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/ofcom-revokes-rt-broadcast-licence|access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref> This came after an investigation was launched on 2 March 2022 in these matters, also involving the invasion.<ref name="UK investigation">{{Cite news|date=2 March 2022|title=Ofcom launches further investigations into RT|work=]|url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/ofcom-revokes-rt-broadcast-licence|access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref> | |||
{{flag|United States}} – In September 2017, the ] compelled RT to file paperwork under the ] in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in/|title=Russian network RT must register as foreign agent in US|last=Balluck|first=Kyle|date=12 September 2017|work=The Hill|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref> Previously, the ] ] had referred to RT as a state-sponsored "propaganda bullhorn" and he continued by saying, "{{sic|Russia Today}} network has deployed to promote president Putin's fantasy about what is playing out on the ground. They almost spend full-time devoted to this effort, to propagandize, and to distort what is happening or not happening in Ukraine."<ref name="JKerry">{{cite press release|title=Secretary Kerry on Ukraine|url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?319014-1/secretary-kerry-ukraine|publisher=]|date=24 April 2014}}</ref> RT responded that they wanted "an official response from the U.S. Department of State substantiating Mr. Kerry's claims".<ref name="BI RTupset">{{citation|title=RT Is Very Upset With John Kerry For Blasting Them As Putin's 'Propaganda Bullhorn'|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/john-kerry-rt-propaganda-bullhorn-russia-today-2014-4|work=Business Insider|date=26 April 2014|author=Logiurato, Brett|access-date=4 May 2014|archive-date=4 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504085954/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/john-kerry-rt-propaganda-bullhorn-russia-today-2014-4|url-status=live}}</ref> ] from the U.S. ] responded.<ref name="BI State Department">{{citation|title=Russia's Propaganda Channel Just Got A Journalism Lesson From The US State Department|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/state-department-responds-rt-russia-today-john-kerry-2014-4#!HDahV|work=Business Insider|date=29 April 2014|author=Logiurato}}</ref> Stengel stated in his response, "RT is a distortion machine, not a news organization", concluding that "the network and its editors should not pretend that RT is anything other than another player in Russia's global disinformation campaign against the people of Ukraine and their supporters". However, Stengel supports RT's right to broadcast in the United States.<ref name="Stengel">{{citation|title=Russia Today's Disinformation Campaign|url=http://2007-2017-blogs.state.gov/stories/2014/04/29/russia-today-s-disinformation-campaign2679.html?page=1|publisher=U.S. Department of State|date=29 April 2014|author=Stengel, Richard|access-date=27 June 2018|archive-date=21 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921183442/http://2007-2017-blogs.state.gov/stories/2014/04/29/russia-today-s-disinformation-campaign2679.html?page=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
=== Political involvement === | |||
In April 2017, during his successful run for President of France, ]'s ] banned both RT and the ] from campaign events. A Macron spokesperson said the two outlets showed a "systematic desire to issue fake news and false information".<ref name="Emmanuel Macron's campaign team bans Russian news outlets from events">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/27/russia-emmanuel-macron-banned-news-outlets-discrimination|title=Emmanuel Macron's campaign team bans Russian news outlets from events|date=27 April 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=9 May 2017|agency=Reuters}}</ref> Macron later said during a press conference that RT and Sputnik were "agencies of influence and propaganda, lying propaganda—no more, no less".<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Bodner|first1=Matthew|last2=Kupfer|first2=Matthew|last3=Jardine|first3=Bradley|date=2017-06-01|title=Welcome to The Machine: Inside the Secretive World of RT|work=]|url=https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/welcome-to-the-machine-inside-the-secretive-world-of-rt-58132|access-date=26 June 2017}}</ref> RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan characterized Macron's remarks on RT as an attack on freedom of speech.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Osborn |first1=Andrew |last2=Balmforth |first2=Richard |title=Macron camp bars Russian news outlets, angers Moscow |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-election-macron-russia-idUSKBN17T2GB |website=] |access-date=21 March 2021 |language=en |date=27 April 2017}}</ref> | |||
In October 2017, Twitter banned both RT and Sputnik from advertising on their social networking service amid accusations of ], sparking an angry response from the ].<ref name="Twitter bans RT and Sputnik ads amid election interference fears">{{citation|title = Twitter bans RT and Sputnik ads amid election interference fears|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41766991|work = BBC News|date = 26 October 2017|access-date = 4 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Confessore|first=Nicholas|date=2017-10-26|title=Twitter Bans Two Kremlin-Backed News Outlets From Advertising|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/technology/twitter-russia-today-sputnik.html|access-date=2021-12-14|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Twitter in August 2020 began to identify RT, along with other Russian and Chinese media outlets, as "state-affiliated media" in a prominent place at the top of their accounts on the social media platform.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Culliford|first1=Elizabeth|last2=Nichols|first2=Michelle|others=Dan Grebler (ed.)|date=6 August 2020|title=Twitter labels state media, government officials' accounts|work=]|editor-last=Zieminski|editor-first=Nick|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-labels-media-idUSKCN2522G9|access-date=12 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/08/06/technology/06reuters-twitter-labels-media.html|title=Twitter Labels State Media, Government Officials' Accounts|work=The New York Times|agency=Reuters|date=6 August 2020|access-date=7 August 2020}}</ref> | |||
In November 2017, ] chairman ] announced that Google will be "deranking" stories from RT and Sputnik in response to allegations about election meddling by President Putin's government, provoking an accusation of censorship from both outlets.<ref name="Google to 'derank' Russia Today and Sputnik">{{citation|title = Google to 'derank' Russia Today and Sputnik|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-42065644|work = BBC News|date = 21 November 2017|access-date = 22 November 2017}}</ref> | |||
In March 2018, ], the ] of the ], advised fellow Labour MPs to boycott RT and said he would no longer appear on the channel. He said: "We tried to be fair with them and as long as they abide by journalistic standards that are objective that's fine but it looks as if they have gone beyond that line". A party representative said: "We are keeping the issue under review".<ref>{{cite news|title=John McDonnell urges Labour MPs to stop appearing on Russia Today|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43363165|work = BBC News|date = 11 March 2018|access-date = 11 March 2018}}</ref> | |||
In July 2019, the ] banned both RT and Sputnik from attending the Global Conference for Media Freedom in London for "their active role in spreading disinformation". The Russian Embassy called the decision "direct politically motivated discrimination", while RT responded in a statement: "It takes a particular brand of hypocrisy to advocate for freedom of press while banning inconvenient voices and slandering ]."<ref name="Russia's RT banned from UK media freedom conference">{{citation|title = Russia's RT banned from UK media freedom conference|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48919085|work = BBC News|date = 9 July 2019|access-date = 26 August 2019}}</ref> | |||
=== Other responses === | |||
====2008–2012==== | |||
During the ], RT correspondent William Dunbar resigned after the network refused to let him report on Russian airstrikes of civilian targets, stating, "any issue where there is a Kremlin line, RT is sure to toe it".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/william-dunbar-they-forced-me-out-for-telling-the-truth-about-georgia-2083870.html|title=They forced me out for telling the truth about Georgia|newspaper=]|date=20 September 2010|author=William Dunbar}}</ref> According to '']'', sources at RT confirmed that Dunbar had resigned, saying that it was not over bias. One senior RT journalist told the magazine, "the Russian coverage I have seen has been much better than much of the Western coverage... Russian news coverage is largely pro-Russia, but that is to be expected."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/russia-claims-media-bias-1117990468/|title=Russia claims media bias; Foreign minister blasts coverage of conflict|magazine=]|date=12 August 2008|author=Nick Holdsworth}}</ref> | |||
Shaun Walker, the Moscow correspondent for '']'', said that RT had "instructed reporters not to report from Georgian villages within ] that had been ]".<ref name=Burrell/> Julia Ioffe wrote that an RT journalist whose reporting deviated from "the Kremlin line that Georgians were slaughtering unarmed Ossetians" was reprimanded.<ref name="Ioffe"/> ] said that RT's claim of 2,000 South Ossetian casualties was exaggerated.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rt.com/Top_News/2008-08-10/Death_toll_in_South_Ossetia_reaches_2000.html|title=Death toll in South Ossetia reaches 2,000|publisher=RT|location=Russia|date=10 August 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202163115/http://rt.com/Top_News/2008-08-10/Death_toll_in_South_Ossetia_reaches_2000.html|archive-date=2 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/aug/13/georgia|title=Russia exaggerating South Ossetian death toll, says human rights group|newspaper=The Guardian|date=13 August 2008|author=Tom Parfitt}}</ref> | |||
] in Moscow on 10 December 2011]] | |||
In 2012, Jesse Zwick of '']'' criticized RT, stating it held that "civilian casualties in Syria are minimal, foreign intervention would be disastrous, and any humanitarian appeals from Western nations are a thin veil for a NATO-backed move to isolate Iran, China, and Russia". He wrote that RT wants to "make the United States look out of line for lecturing Russia".<ref name="Zwick" /> Zwick also wrote that RT provided a "disproportionate amount of time" to covering ] Republican ] during ]. Writing after her 2014 on-air resignation, ] suggested the reason for this "wasn't his message of freedom and liberty but his non-interventionist stance and consistent criticism of U.S. foreign policy. His message fit RT's narrative that the United States is a huge bully."<ref name="Wahl-2014">{{Cite web|last=Wahl|first=Elizabeth|title=I Was Putin's Pawn|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/liz-wahl-quit-russia-today-putins-pawn-104888|access-date=2021-05-07|website=]|date=21 March 2014 |language=en}}</ref> In a June 2011 broadcast of ''Adam vs. the Man'', host ] endorsed fundraising for Paul, leading to a complaint to the ] charging a political contribution had been made by a foreign corporation. Kokesh said his cancellation in August was related to Paul's aide ] rather than the complaint.<ref name="Politico" /> | |||
In September 2012, UK broadcast regulator ] found that two Libyan dispatches broadcast by RT's ] in a year earlier were in breach of its code on accuracy and impartiality. The following November, RT was again found in breach of impartiality rules in relation to its coverage of the Syrian conflict.<ref>, 5 November 2012, pp 15–27.</ref> An August 2013 story concerning unverified reports of the killing of 450 ] civilians near the Turkey-Syria border was also found to have breached Ofcom's rules.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617020536/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/enforcement/broadcast-bulletins/obb2402/obb241.pdf |date=17 June 2016 }}, 4 November 2013, pp 14–17.</ref> That December, Ofcom found RT in breach of its standards in relation to the impartiality of a documentary entitled "Syrian Diary" broadcast the previous March.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617020526/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/enforcement/broadcast-bulletins/2431/obb244.pdf |date=17 June 2016 }}, 16 December 2013, pp 6–25.</ref> Speaking in 2014 former RT reporter Sara Firth said that there had previously been examples of senior editorial interference, and that she had been pulled out of Syria after some "very heated discussions" about the channel's coverage.<ref name=sarafirth/> | |||
====2014==== | |||
On 4 March 2014, ''Breaking The Set'' host ], speaking directly to her viewing audience during the show's closing statement, said that even though she works for RT, she is against Russia's intervention in Ukraine. She said that "what Russia did is wrong", as she is against intervention by any nation into other countries' affairs.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/04/world/europe/russia-news-anchor-ukraine/|title=State-funded news anchor Abby Martin: 'What Russia did is wrong' |author=Greg Botelho|date=5 March 2014|publisher=]}}</ref> Later, Martin asserted that RT still supports her despite her differences of opinion with the Russian government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rt.com/shows/breaking-set-summary/ukraine-conflict-perspectives-usa-885/|title=Ukraine conflict perspectives and Washington's shadow lobbyists|website=RT International|language=en-EN|access-date=14 April 2017}}</ref> RTs press office suggested that Martin would be sent to ] and responded to accusations of propaganda, stating "the charges of propaganda tend to pop up every time a news outlet, particularly RT, dares to show the side of events that does not fit the mainstream narrative, regardless of the realities on the ground. This happened in ], this is happening in ]".<ref>Graves, Lucia (4 March 2014) , ] retrieved 11 April 2014</ref> ] said that American media elites love to mock Russian media, especially RT, as being a source of shameless pro-Putin propaganda, where free expression is strictly barred. Agreeing the "network has a strong pro-Russian bias", he suggested that Martin's action "remarkably demonstrated what 'journalistic independence' means".<ref>Greenwald, Glenn (4 March 2014) ] retrieved 21 March 2014</ref> | |||
On 5 March 2014, RT Washington, D.C. bureau anchor Liz Wahl resigned on air, blaming RT for propaganda. Wahl stated that what "broke" her was that RT censored a question from her interview with Ron Paul about "Russia's ''intervention'' in Ukraine". In response, RT released a statement: "When a journalist disagrees with the editorial position of his or her organization, the usual course of action is to address those grievances with the editor, and, if they cannot be resolved, to quit like a professional. But when someone makes a big public show of a personal decision, it is nothing more than a self-promotional stunt. We wish Liz the best of luck on her chosen path".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Eversley |first1=Melanie |title=Russia-funded station decries on-air resignation |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/06/russia-today-liz-wahl-resignation/6108179/ |website=] |access-date=21 March 2021 |date=6 March 2014}}</ref> In a March 2014 ''Politico'' article, Wahl stated: "For about two and a half years. I'd looked the other way as the network smeared America for the sake of making the Kremlin look better by comparison, while it sugarcoated atrocities by one brutal dictator after another."<ref name="Wahl-2014" /> | |||
]]] | |||
When asked about a clip of her interviewing a guest on RT by ], host of CNN's '']'', Wahl responded, | When asked about a clip of her interviewing a guest on RT by ], host of CNN's '']'', Wahl responded, | ||
{{cquote|They get these extreme voices on that have this kind of hostile toward the West viewpoints towards the world, very extremist. These are the people that they have on. And when I was on the anchor desk, they would instruct you to egg on these guests and try to get them, you know, rallied up, to really fire off their anti-American talking points. Listen, I'm all about exposing government corruption. I'm all about being critical of the government. But this is different. This is promoting the foreign policy of somebody that has just invaded a country, has invaded the country and is then lying about it, is using the media as a tool to fulfill his foreign policy interests. And RT is part of Putin's propaganda network and it's very, very troubling in the wake of what is going on in Ukraine today.<ref name="Reliable Sources">{{cite news|title=Putin TV in Chaos|url=http://edition.cnn.com/videos/bestoftv/2014/03/23/rs-putin-tv-in-chaos.cnn |
{{cquote|They get these extreme voices on that have this kind of hostile toward the West viewpoints towards the world, very extremist. These are the people that they have on. And when I was on the anchor desk, they would instruct you to egg on these guests and try to get them, you know, rallied up, to really fire off their anti-American talking points. Listen, I'm all about exposing government corruption. I'm all about being critical of the government. But this is different. This is promoting the foreign policy of somebody that has just invaded a country, has invaded the country and is then lying about it, is using the media as a tool to fulfill his foreign policy interests. And RT is part of Putin's propaganda network and it's very, very troubling in the wake of what is going on in Ukraine today.<ref name="Reliable Sources">{{cite news|title=Putin TV in Chaos|url=http://edition.cnn.com/videos/bestoftv/2014/03/23/rs-putin-tv-in-chaos.cnn<!--|http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1403/23/rs.01.html-->|publisher=CNN|date=24 March 2014|author=Brian Stelter}}</ref>}} | ||
''New York Times'' ] columnist ] commented on CNN's '']'' about Wahl's and Martin's initial actions, "admire their outspokenness but, you know, at the end of the day, RT is a Russian propaganda arm, and I don't think |
''The New York Times'' ] columnist ] commented on CNN's '']'' about Wahl's and Martin's initial actions, saying that he "admire their outspokenness but, you know, at the end of the day, RT is a Russian propaganda arm, and I don't think it's going to matter very much to the geopolitical consequences here".<ref name="Piers">{{cite video|title=New Cold War?|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1403/05/pmt.01.html|publisher=CNN|author=Piers Morgan|date=5 March 2014}}</ref> | ||
Former RT Moscow anchor |
Former RT Moscow anchor Staci Bivens, and other former RT journalists speaking under anonymity according to ], said they regretted working for the network, citing their dislike of the network's use of propaganda. Bivens, for example, was explicitly asked to go to Germany and procure a story proving that "Germany is a ]". When she refused, other reporters were sent instead.<ref name="Bivens">{{cite news|title=How the Truth is Made at Russia Today|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/how-the-truth-is-made-at-russia-today|date=13 March 2014|publisher=BuzzFeed|author=Gray, Rosie}}</ref> | ||
Steve Bloomfield, the foreign editor of '']'' wrote that RT's "coverage of Ukraine could not have been kinder to Moscow if Vladimir Putin had chosen the running order himself. While Putin kept up the pretence that there were no Russian troops in Crimea, so too did RT. The storming of government buildings across eastern Ukraine has been portrayed as the understandable actions of peace-loving protesters who fear "chaos" in Kiev".<ref>{{cite news|title=Ofcom should be looking again at Putin's TV news channel|url= |
Steve Bloomfield, the foreign editor of '']'' wrote that RT's "coverage of Ukraine could not have been kinder to Moscow if Vladimir Putin had chosen the running order himself. While Putin kept up the pretence that there were no Russian troops in Crimea, so too did RT. The storming of government buildings across eastern Ukraine has been portrayed as the understandable actions of peace-loving protesters who fear "chaos" in Kiev".<ref>{{cite news|title=Ofcom should be looking again at Putin's TV news channel|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/24/ukraine-russia-putin-news-reporting|date=24 April 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|author=Bloomfield, Steve}}</ref> | ||
After the July 2014 crash of ], RT rushed to blame others for the plane's shoot-down in Ukraine amid accusations by Ukrainian fighters of Russian involvement in the crash.<ref name="mh17-biau">{{citation|title=Here's The Ridiculous Way Russia's Propaganda Channel Is Covering The Downed Malaysia Airliner|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/rt-malaysia-airlines-ukraine-2014-7|date=19 July 2014|author=Szoldra|access-date=19 July 2014|archive-date=20 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720034504/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/rt-malaysia-airlines-ukraine-2014-7/|url-status=live}}</ref> Speaking of RT's coverage, Sarah Oates, professor of journalism at the ] said: "But if you're going to engage in propaganda, you have to do it well. They have completely embarrassed themselves."<ref name=TIME2114>{{cite magazine |author=Alex Altman |title=Russian Television Under Spotlight After Malaysia Airlines Crash in Ukraine |url=https://time.com/3014822/malaysia-airlines-ukraine-crash-rt-russian-television/ |magazine=Time |date=21 July 2014 |access-date=23 January 2016}}</ref> | |||
In March 2014, a group of Ukraininan journalists started a website ''StopFake.org'' dedicated to debunking propaganda and false news published by Russian media, including RT, for example using footage from past military conflicts in ], ] or Syria and presenting them as current footage from Ukraine.<ref name="Ukraineback">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26546083 |title=Ukraine hits back at Russian TV onslaught|publisher=BBC|date=2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stopfake.org/en/|title=Struggle against fake information about events in Ukraine|publisher=StopFake.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dw.de/fake-news-can-ruin-lives-says-stopfakeorg-founder/a-17684358 |title=Fake news can ruin lives, says Stopfake.org founder |publisher=DW|date=2014}}</ref> | |||
Sara Firth, a London-based correspondent with RT resigned in protest over the network's coverage of the MH17 disaster. Shortly before resigning, she ], "RT style guide Rule 1: It is ALWAYS * Ukraine's fault (* add name as applicable)". She told ''The Guardian'': "I walked into the newsroom and there was an eyewitness account making allegations and analysis, if you can call it, from our correspondent in the studio. It was just appalling, in a situation like that where there are families waiting to be informed and a devastating loss of life." She also noted that "There is bias against Russia but you don't counter wrong by doing even more wrong" and stated "I have always said it's better to have RT than to not have that perspective, but actually with a story like this and the way they misreport it, it's quite dangerous, I don't want to be party to it."<ref name="sarafirth">{{cite news|last=Plunkett|first=John|date=18 July 2014|title=Russia Today reporter resigns in protest at MH17 coverage|newspaper=]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/18/mh17-russia-today-reporter-resigns-sara-firth-kremlin-malaysia|access-date=11 March 2021}}</ref> In follow-up interview she said: "In Ukraine, you're taking a very small part of a much wider story, totally omitted the context of the story, and so what you wind up with on air is outright misinformation." Calling RT "mass information manipulation", Firth said: "they have a very clear idea in their mind of what they're trying to prove". She also stated that "The worst-kept secret is that RT is blatant propaganda. I'm one in a very long line of people who have left for the same reason."<ref name=TIME2114/> | |||
The following November, RT was again found in breach of Ofcom's impartiality rules |
The following November, RT was again found in breach of Ofcom's impartiality rules, this time in relation to its coverage of the Ukraine crisis, specifically events leading up to the annexation by Russia of Crimea.<ref>, 10 November 2014, pp 5–44</ref> For repeated breaches of its ''due impartiality'' rules, Ofcom put RT management "on notice that any future breaches of the due impartiality rules may result in further regulatory action, including consideration of a ]".<ref name="GuardianOfcom">{{cite news |author=John Plunkett |title=Russia Today threatened with Ofcom sanctions due to bias |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/nov/10/russia-today-ofcom-sanctions-impartiality-ukraine-coverage |date=10 November 2014 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=23 January 2016}}</ref> | ||
====2015–2016==== | |||
In January 2015 Ofcom found RT not in breach of rules on generally accepted standards following a compliant centered on the use of graphic imagery of bodies at the MH17 crash site.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/05/bbc-news-rt-cleared-coverage-mh17 |title=BBC News and RT cleared over coverage of shooting down of flight MH17 |date=5 January 2015 |publisher=The Guardian |author=Kemp, Stuart |accessdate=14 February 2015}}</ref><ref>, 5 January 2015, p 48</ref> | |||
In January 2015, Ofcom found RT (and the BBC) not in breach of rules on generally accepted standards following a complaint about the use of graphic imagery of bodies at the MH17 crash site.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/05/bbc-news-rt-cleared-coverage-mh17 |title=BBC News and RT cleared over coverage of shooting down of flight MH17 |date=5 January 2015 |work=The Guardian |last=Kemp|first=Stuart |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214202047/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/enforcement/broadcast-bulletins/obb2691/obb270.pdf |date=14 February 2015 }}, 5 January 2015, p 48</ref> | |||
] | |||
==Professional awards== | |||
Following the March 2015 ] summit which concluded that action was needed to "challenge Russia's ongoing disinformation campaigns", the ] was tasked to respond.<ref name=Conversation>{{citation |last=David |first=Maxine |date=23 September 2016 |title=War of words: how Europe is fighting back against Russian disinformation |url=http://theconversation.com/war-of-words-how-europe-is-fighting-back-against-russian-disinformation-65444 |publisher=The Conversation |access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref> ] briefing notes on the situation called RT "Russia's main international media weapon".<ref>{{citation |last1=Bentzen |first1=Naja |last2=Russell |first2=Martin |year=2015 |title=Russia's manipulation of information on Ukraine and the EU's response | |||
] | |||
|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2015/571339/EPRS_BRI(2015)571339_EN.pdf |publisher=Members' Research Service – European Parliamentary Research Service}}</ref> The counter-propaganda strategy subsequently developed by the EastStratCom Task Force, a small group of eight officials, included launching the ''EU vs Disinformation'' website with a headline of "don't be deceived, question even more".<ref name=Conversation/><ref>{{citation |last=Gotev |first=Georgi |date=28 August 2015 |title=Tiny EU task force set up to counter Russian propaganda |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/tiny-eu-task-force-set-up-to-counter-russian-propaganda/ |publisher=Fondation Euractiv |access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=EU vs Disinformation website |url=https://euvsdisinfo.eu/ |access-date=3 March 2017 |archive-date=6 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206015254/https://euvsdisinfo.eu/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
* September 2006 – The 10th "Golden Tambourine" International Festival for Television programs and films<ref> Zolotoy Buben</ref> awarded RT's documentary ''People of the Bering Strait'' in the Ethnography and Travel category | |||
* June 2007 – The 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival<ref> 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival, 9 June 2007</ref> awarded its Grand Prix to RT's ''Meeting with Nature'' series. | |||
In September 2015, Ofcom found RT in breach of the impartiality rules in its coverage of the events in Ukraine and ]. It also upheld the complaint by the ] that allegations made in an episode of ''The Truthseeker'' that a BBC '']'' film, '']'', had faked a parts of a report on a chemical weapon attack in Syria were "materially misleading".<ref name=BBC-21Sept>{{cite news |title=UK regulator Ofcom backs BBC in Russian TV case |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34316047 |work=BBC News |date=21 September 2015 |access-date=23 January 2016}}</ref><ref name=Ofcom-21Sept>{{cite news |title=Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin |url=http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/enforcement/broadcast-bulletins/obb288/Issue_288.pdf |issue=288 |publisher=] |date=21 September 2015 |access-date=23 January 2016 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053136/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/enforcement/broadcast-bulletins/obb288/Issue_288.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Burrell 2015 RT misled">{{cite news| last=Burrell | first=Ian | title=Broadcaster RT misled viewers and breached broadcasting rules, says Ofcom | website=The Independent | date=21 September 2015 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/rt-breached-broadcasting-rules-over-claims-bbc-faked-pictures-of-syrian-chemical-attack-says-ofcom-10511515.html | access-date=27 November 2018}}</ref> | |||
* September 2007 – Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eatr.ru/|title=Евразийская Академия Телевидения и Радио. Официальный сайт|work=eatr.ru}}</ref> awarded RT with the Prize for Professional Skillfulness | |||
* November 2007 – RT's report on the anniversary of the ] received a special prize from the international 2007 AIB Media Excellence Awards<ref> Association for International Broadcasting, 8 October 2007</ref> | |||
In an episode of ''The Truthseeker'', named ''Genocide of Eastern Ukraine'', they stated that the Ukrainian government was deliberately bombing civilians and had murdered and tortured journalists, as well as ]. Ukrainian army forces were accused of "ethnic cleansing" and were compared to the Nazis in World War Two. The only response to the allegations in the broadcast was in the form of a caption saying "Kiev claims it is not committing genocide, denies casualty reports", which appeared on screen for six seconds. According to Ofcom the broadcast had "little or no counterbalance or objectivity".<ref name=BBC-21Sept/> | |||
* April 2008 – RT's daily studio show Entertainment Today hosted by ] and Anya Fedorova receives a special diploma from the board of the Russian Entertainment Awards<ref>, Russian Entertainment Awards Youtube page, April 2008</ref> | |||
* September 2008 – Russia's most prestigious broadcasting award ] to ] in ''Best News Anchor'' category<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lenta.ru/articles/2008/09/26/tefi/|title=А ТЭФИ здесь тихие|publisher=}}</ref> | |||
{{Main|Crucified Boy}} | |||
* November 2008 – Special Jury Award in the Best Creative Feature category for a ''Russian Glamour'' feature story at Media Excellence Awards in London<ref name="RTCorporate" /> | |||
* January 2009 – Silver World Medal from the New York Festivals, for Best News Documentary "A city of desolate mothers"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/res/pdf/2009TVWINNERS.pdf|title=2009 Television Programming and Promotion Awards|format=PDF|accessdate=18 March 2015}}</ref> | |||
A spokesperson for the media regulator said: "Ofcom found that RT broadcast content that was either materially misleading or not duly impartial. These are significant failings and we are therefore requiring RT to broadcast two clear statements on our decision which correct these failures."<ref>{{cite news|last=Jackson|first=Jasper|title=RT sanctioned by Ofcom over series of misleading and biased articles |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/sep/21/rt-sanctioned-over-series-of-misleading-articles-by-media-watchdog |date=21 September 2015 |work=The Guardian |access-date=23 January 2016}}</ref> | |||
* August 2010 – First nomination for an ] in News category for its coverage of president ]'s trip to Russia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=110 |title=2010 International Emmy® Awards News & Current Affairs Nominees Announced |publisher=International Emmy Awards |date=11 August 2010 |accessdate=5 November 2012}}</ref> | |||
* August 2012 – Second nomination for an International Emmy Award for its coverage of the international ] movement.<ref>, ] website.</ref> | |||
In October 2015, ], senior director for human rights and democracy at the ] for International Leadership, suggested that Western countries freeze RT's assets "not because of the odious things it spews" but as part of the ].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kramer|first1=David J.|title=The West should take on the Putin P.R. machine|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-west-should-take-on-the-putin-pr-machine/2015/10/23/16fdd26c-7442-11e5-8248-98e0f5a2e830_story.html|access-date=14 January 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=23 October 2015}}</ref> | |||
A report released by the US think-tank the ] in 2016 called RT part of "a wider Russian propaganda operation" named the "Firehose of Falsehood". The paper called "Russian faux-news propaganda channels, such as RT" insidious and that "they look like news programs, and the persons appearing on them are represented as journalists and experts, making audience members much more likely to ascribe credibility to the misinformation these sources are disseminating".<ref name=RAND>{{citation |last1=Paul |first1=Christopher |last2=Matthews |first2= Mirriam |year=2016 |title=The Russian 'Firehose of Falsehood' Propaganda Model |url=http://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html |publisher=The RAND Corporation}}</ref> | |||
In July 2016, Ofcom again found RT in breach of its impartiality rules, this time over coverage of the Turkish government's treatment of ]. Two episodes of ''Going Underground'' originally broadcast in March, included claims of attacks, atrocities and ] against the Kurds, and that "Turkey supports ISIS" without offering adequate counterbalance. RT's representatives stated the network "finds it especially difficult to obtain pro-Turkey views for its programming" because of "political tensions between Russia and Turkey following the downing of a Russian military aircraft by Turkish warplanes in November 2015".<ref>{{cite news |last=Plunkett|first=John |title=Russia-backed channel RT censured for lack of impartiality in Turkish coverage |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/04/russia-rt-impartiality-turkey-genocidal-war-kurds |date=4 July 2016 |work=The Guardian |access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/46621/issue_308.pdf |issue=308 |publisher=] |date=4 July 2016 |pages=5–30 |access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref> | |||
In November 2016, after the ], ''The Washington Post'' reported that RT and Sputnik were "state-funded Russian information services that mimic the style and tone of independent news organizations yet sometimes include false and misleading stories in their reports" and also that "RT, Sputnik and other Russian sites used social-media accounts to amplify misleading stories already circulating online".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/2016/11/24/793903b6-8a40-4ca9-b712-716af66098fe_story.html|title=Russian propaganda effort helped spread 'fake news' during election, experts say|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=14 April 2017}}</ref> The ''Post'' was criticized by '']'' and '']'' for relying in part on an analysis by ].<ref name="skeptic1">{{citation|title=Washington Post Disgracefully Promotes a McCarthyite Blacklist From a New, Hidden, and Very Shady Group|date=26 November 2016|url=https://theintercept.com/2016/11/26/washington-post-disgracefully-promotes-a-mccarthyite-blacklist-from-a-new-hidden-and-very-shady-group/|author1=Ben Norton|author2=Glenn Greenwald|work=]|access-date=27 November 2016|author-link2=Glenn Greenwald}}</ref><ref name="skeptic2">{{citation|last=Ingram|first=Matthew|title=No, Russian Agents Are Not Behind Every Piece of Fake News You See|date=25 November 2016|url=http://fortune.com/2016/11/25/russian-fake-news/|work=]|access-date=27 November 2016}}</ref> | |||
In December 2016, Ofcom found RT in breach of its impartiality rules for the 10th time since the English-language channel launched. A ''Crosstalk'' episode broadcast the previous July, contained a ] about the ] ] in which all members of the panel expressed critical views. RT's representatives again stated that they couldn't find anybody with alternative opinions willing to take part, and that captions with pro-NATO comments should have been added before broadcast, but the wrong text was accidentally used.<ref>{{cite news|last=Williams |first=Christopher |title=Media watchdog calls in Kremlin-backed news channel RT over impartiality breach on Nato |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/02/07/media-watchdog-calls-kremlin-backed-news-channel-rt-impartiality/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/02/07/media-watchdog-calls-kremlin-backed-news-channel-rt-impartiality/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=7 February 2017 |work=The Telegraph |access-date=1 March 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/96012/Issue-319-of-Ofcoms-Broadcast-and-On-Demand-Bulletin,-to-be-published-on-19-December-2016.pdf |issue=319 |publisher=] |date=19 December 2016 |pages=18–26 |access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref> | |||
====2017–2018==== | |||
On 12 January 2017, RT was accidentally broadcast for around 10 minutes on a web stream of U.S. public affairs service ]. RT stated that while it was testing its systems in preparation for the ], its signal was "mistakenly routed onto the primary encoder feeding C-SPAN1's signal to the internet, rather than to an unused backup".<ref name="variety-rtblockfb"/> | |||
On 19 January 2017, RT stated that it had been temporarily restricted from posting media on its Facebook page until 21 January, after the service said that RT had infringed on the copyrights of ]'s Current Now TV when broadcasting a live stream of ]'s final press conference as president of the United States. Current Time TV said that it had not sent any specific complaints to Facebook, and both RT and Current Now TV stated that they had obtained their feed from the ]. The restriction was removed after about 20 hours, and Facebook did not say officially if this was because of a technical error or a policy issue.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wong|first=Julia Carrie|author-link=Julia Carrie Wong|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/19/facebook-russia-rt-censorship-temporary-ban|title=Russia threatens retaliation over Facebook 'censorship' of RT|work=The Guardian|date=20 January 2017|access-date=20 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="variety-rtblockfb">{{cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|title=Facebook Restores Kremlin-Funded RT Posting Privileges After Temporary Block|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/facebook-blocks-rt-posting-trump-inauguration-1201963757/|work=Variety|date=19 January 2017|access-date=21 January 2017}}</ref> | |||
In September 2017, the ] informed RT America that it must register as a ] of the Russian government. Margarita Simonyan, RT's editor-in-chief, condemned the action as an assault on ]. A spokesperson for the ] threatened retaliatory measures against American journalists.<ref>{{cite web|title=Russia considering US media restrictions as retaliation|date=8 October 2017|url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/354450-russia-considering-us-media-restrictions-as-retaliation-report/|access-date=10 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Russian network RT must register as foreign agent in US|url=https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in/|website=The Hill|date=12 September 2017|access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref> | |||
On 13 November 2017, RT America officially registered as a "foreign agent" in the United States with the ] under the ]. Under the act, RT will be required to disclose financial information.<ref name="Stubbs-2017" /> This move was criticized by the ], which stated: "We're uncomfortable with governments deciding what constitutes journalism or propaganda".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cpj.org/2017/11/russias-rt-network-says-it-complied-with-us-order-.php|title=Russia's RT network says it complied with US order to register as foreign agent|website=cpj.org|date=13 November 2017|language=en|access-date=15 January 2020}}</ref> | |||
In December 2018, the British media regulator ] ruled that seven programmes broadcast by RT between 17 March and 26 April of that year, in the wake of the ], had breached the UK's impartiality rules; the BBC reported that RT was "extremely disappointed by Ofcom's conclusions".<ref name="BBC News 20 December 2018">{{cite web | title= Russian news channel RT broke TV impartiality rules, Ofcom says|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46633082 | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date= 20 December 2018| website= ] | access-date= 20 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ofcom Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/131159/Issue-369-Broadcast-and-On-Demand-Bulletin.pdf |issue=369 |publisher=] |date=20 December 2018 |access-date=8 June 2019}}</ref> RT was fined £200,000 but kept its licence to broadcast in the UK.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jul/26/rt-fined-breaching-impartiality-rules-ofcom |title=RT fined £200,000 for breaching impartiality rules |first= Jim |last=Waterson |date=26 July 2019 |work=The Guardian }}</ref> RT described Ofcom's actions against it as "inappropriate and disproportionate per Ofcom's own track record".<ref>{{cite web |title=Ofcom fines Russian news service £200,000 over impartiality |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49126466 |website=] |access-date=21 March 2021 |date=26 July 2019}}</ref> | |||
==== 2021 ==== | |||
German journalist Daniel Lange employed by RT DE left the station in protest against its operation to spy on ] while he was undergoing treatment in a hospital in Germany after ]. According to Lange, the assignment had nothing to do with journalism as he was instructed in the first place to test the security of the hospital, describe number of internal checkpoints and his RT leadership clearly indicated collected information will not be used for publication. Lange also described reporting bias in the RT where he was instructed by the editor to specifically select footage showing "all the filth of Germany".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former RT Reporter Says He Was Asked To 'Spy' On Navalny In German Hospital|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-rt-navalny-spy-germany-lange/31146983.html|access-date=2021-03-14|website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|language=en}}</ref> | |||
Russia threatened to ban YouTube in September for deleting the RT channels, RT DE and Der Fehlende Part. The platform had banned the RT channels for breaking its policies on spreading ] and for using the second channel to circumvent an initial week-long suspension.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 September 2021|title=Russia threatens YouTube ban for deleting RT channels |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58737433 |access-date=27 February 2022}}</ref> | |||
==== 2022 ==== | |||
In January, the ]'s ] (GEC) published a report titled "Kremlin-Funded Media: RT and Sputnik's Role in Russia's Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem." Its case studies included one on "false narratives" published by RT concerning the Russian military buildup on the Ukrainian border.<ref name="2022State">{{Cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kremlin-Funded-Media_January_update-19.pdf|title=Kremlin-Funded Media: RT and Sputnik's Role in Russia's Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem|publisher=]|quote=. Despite RT's attempts to market its shows as debates or discussions in which 'all things are considered,' pro-Kremlin statements are rarely questioned... RT listed false reasons justifying Russia's military buildup, including an alleged promise by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to General Secretary Gorbachev to not expand NATO, which Gorbachev said never happened, and the incorrect claim that Ukraine had outlawed the Russian language.|date=2022 |access-date=February 23, 2022}}</ref> | |||
Employees and associates of RT and its subsidiary ] in multiple countries, including the UK and Germany, resigned in response to the ], with some attributing their departures to the Russian government's prohibition of using the word "]" to describe the military offensive.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sauer |first1=Pjotr |title='Pure Orwell': how Russian state media spins invasion as liberation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/25/pure-orwell-how-russian-state-media-spins-ukraine-invasion-as-liberation |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |date=25 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kersley |first1=Andrew |title=Reporters quit RT and website hacked amid Ukraine invasion coverage |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/rt-ukraine-coverage/ |website=] |access-date=2 March 2022 |date=25 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Escritt |first1=Thomas |title=Exclusive: Russian news agency in Berlin faces staff exodus over Ukraine invasion |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/exclusive-russian-news-agency-berlin-faces-staff-exodus-over-ukraine-invasion-2022-02-28/ |website=] |access-date=2 March 2022 |language=en |date=28 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brodkin |first1=Jon |title=YouTube blocks RT and Sputnik as Russia tells media not to say "invasion" |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/youtube-blocks-rt-and-sputnik-as-russia-tells-media-not-to-say-invasion/ |website=] |access-date=2 March 2022 |language=en-us |date=1 March 2022}}</ref> ] quit his role as host of the RT France talk show '']'' on 23 February when Russia recognized the ] and ] breakaway states immediately preceding the invasion.<ref name="Taddeï quit">{{cite web |last1=Goy |first1=Héloïse |last2=Patri |first2=Alexis |title=Frédéric Taddeï quitte son émission sur RT France "par loyauté envers la France" |url=https://www.europe1.fr/medias-tele/frederic-taddei-quitte-son-emission-sur-rt-france-par-loyaute-envers-la-france-4095554 |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |language=fr |date=23 February 2022 |trans-title=Frédéric Taddeï leaves his show on RT France "out of loyalty to France"}}</ref> Former First Minister of Scotland ] suspended his RT talk show, '']'', on 24 February after receiving public criticism following the invasion.<ref name="Salmond suspend">{{cite web |title=Alex Salmond suspends RT show over Ukraine invasion |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-60508620 |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |date=24 February 2022}}</ref> A number of British journalists based both in RT's offices in Moscow and at ]'s now-disbanded offices in London resigned from the network in response to its coverage of the invasion;<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gilbody-Dickerson |first1=Claire |title=Russia Today hit by resignation of several UK-based journalists within hours of Putin's invasion of Ukraine |url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/russia-today-hit-by-resignation-of-several-uk-based-journalists-within-hours-of-putin-s-invasion-of-ukraine/ar-AAUlp4e |access-date=1 March 2022 |work=i |date=27 February 2022}}</ref> according to '']'', four have "publicly announced their resignation, while others are said to have quietly left RT's London bureau".<ref name="Kanter">{{cite news |last1=Kanter |first1=Jake |title=YouTube blocks RT channels in Britain and Europe |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/banning-rt-could-lead-to-retaliation-against-bbc-liz-truss-warns-xx0w5rj2m |access-date=1 March 2022 |work=The Times |url-access=subscription |date=1 March 2022}}</ref> | |||
On 25 February, hacking group ] claimed a ] attack on the network's website, in support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/anonymous-attacks-russia-ukraine-invasion-rt-ddos-b2023177.html|title=Anonymous launches attacks against Russia to support Ukraine|date=25 February 2022|website=The Independent}}</ref> The following day, ], the owners of ], temporarily barred RT from receiving any financial return from their ads on their YouTube platform.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dave|first=Paresh|url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/youtube-blocks-rt-other-russian-channels-generating-revenue-2022-02-26/|title=Google blocks RT, other Russian channels from earning ad dollars|work=Reuters|date=26 February 2022|access-date=27 February 2022}}</ref> | |||
==== 2024 ==== | |||
In September 2024, the United States indicted two RT employees in New York and imposed sanctions on RT executives.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-09-05 |title=US accuses Russia's RT news outlet of election interference |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/09/05/us-accuses-russia-s-rt-news-outlet-of-election-interference_6724817_4.html |access-date=2024-09-04 |work=] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Attorney General ] accused RT of paying ], a right-wing media company in ], to promote Russian propaganda to U.S. audiences to influence the outcome of the ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Cabral |first=Sam |date=September 4, 2024 |title=US accuses Russia of interfering with presidential election |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rx28v1vpro |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Couts |first=Andrew |date=September 4, 2024 |title=Right-Wing Influencer Network Tenet Media Allegedly Spread Russian Disinformation |url=https://www.wired.com/story/right-wing-influencer-network-tenet-media-allegedly-spread-russian-disinformation/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |magazine=] |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> The same month, ] announced additional sanctions against RT-affiliated entities and individuals, stating that in 2023 RT established a unit with "cyber operational capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence" as well as cooperation with ] allies to counter RT.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Roth |first=Andrew |date=2024-09-13 |title=Blinken accuses RT of being worldwide Kremlin intelligence network |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/13/antony-blinken-rt-media-russia-intelligence |access-date=2024-09-14 |work=] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> RT was also accused of covertly fundraising to procure body armor, sniper rifles, and other equipment for Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Klepper |first=David |date=September 14, 2024 |title=US hits Russian state media with sanctions for raising money for Moscow's troops in Ukraine |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-trump-sanctions-harris-rt-f7e3ff262fdf24695048cffe2529b937 |access-date=September 14, 2024 |work=]}}</ref> | |||
== Awards and nominations == | |||
] reporting from Siberia in 2007]] | |||
* June 2007 – The 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival<ref> 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival, 9 June 2007</ref> awarded its Grand Prix to RT's ''Meeting with Nature'' series. | |||
* November 2007 – RT's report on the anniversary of the ] received a special prize from the international 2007 AIB Media Excellence Awards<ref> Association for International Broadcasting, 8 October 2007</ref> | |||
* September 2008 – Russia's ] to ] in ''Best News Anchor'' category | |||
* January 2009 – Silver World Medal from the New York Festivals, for Best News Documentary "A city of desolate mothers"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/res/pdf/2009TVWINNERS.pdf|title=2009 Television Programming and Promotion Awards|access-date=18 March 2015|archive-date=11 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011092732/http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/res/pdf/2009TVWINNERS.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
* August 2010 – First nomination for an ] in News category for its coverage of president ]'s trip to Russia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=110|title=2010 International Emmy® Awards News & Current Affairs Nominees Announced|publisher=International Emmy Awards|date=11 August 2010|access-date=5 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319122534/http://iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=110|archive-date=19 March 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
* August 2012 – Second nomination for an International Emmy Award for its coverage of the international ] movement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=151|title=2012 International Emmy® Awards News & Current Affairs Nominees Announced|publisher=International Emmy Awards|date=21 August 2012|access-date=5 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418223854/http://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=151|archive-date=18 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
* May 2014 – ] from President of Russia ] to editor-in-chief ] for coverage of the ]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nechepurenko |first1=Ivan |author-link1=Ivan Nechepurenko |last2=Brennan |first2=Christopher |title=Putin Awards Journalists for 'Objective' Crimea Coverage |url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/putin-awards-journalists-for-objective-crimea-coverage/499441.html |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528111816/http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/putin-awards-journalists-for-objective-crimea-coverage/499441.html |archive-date=28 May 2016 |date=5 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Saul |first1=Heather |title=Ukraine crisis: Putin awards pro-Kremlin journalists medals for their 'objective coverage' of Crimea |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-putin-awards-prokremlin-journalists-medals-for-their-objective-coverage-of-crimea-9325664.html |website=] |access-date=25 February 2022 |language=en |date=6 May 2014}}</ref> | |||
* August 2014 – Third nomination for an International Emmy Award for its coverage of the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=185|title=2014 International Emmy® Awards Current Affairs & News Nominees Announced |website=International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518085948/http://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=185|archive-date=18 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
* August 2016 – Fourth nomination for an International Emmy Award for its coverage of the 70th anniversary session of the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=210|title=2016 International Emmy® Awards for News & Current Affairs Announced|website=International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415200552/https://www.iemmys.tv/news_item.aspx?id=210|archive-date=15 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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* ] | |||
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== Explanatory notes == | |||
:1.{{note|a}}Writing in ''The New York Times'', Stephen Heyman estimated that more than $100 million had been spent on the station as of May 2008.<ref name="Heyman"/> | |||
== |
== References == | ||
=== Notes === | |||
:1.{{note|a}}Stephen Heyman estimated that more than $100 million had been spent on the station as of May 2008.<ref name="Heyman"/> | |||
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Latest revision as of 03:02, 14 December 2024
Russian state-controlled international television network "Russia Today" redirects here. Not to be confused with Rossiya Segodnya or Russian Federation Today. "ANO TV-Novosti" redirects here. Not to be confused with RIA Novosti. "RTTV" redirects here. Not to be confused with RTVI or RTV.Television channel
Type | State media, news channel, propaganda |
---|---|
Country | Russia |
Broadcast area | Worldwide |
Headquarters | Borovaya Street, Building 3/1, Moscow, Russia |
Programming | |
Language(s) | News channel: English, French, German, Arabic & Spanish Documentary channel: English, Russian Online platforms: Portuguese (Brazil) & Serbian. |
Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (downscaled to 16:9 480i/576i for the SDTV feed) |
Ownership | |
Owner | ANO "TV-Novosti" |
Sister channels |
|
History | |
Founded | 6 April 2005; 19 years ago |
Launched | 10 December 2005; 19 years ago (2005-12-10) (registered on 6 April 2005) |
Former names | Russia Today (2005–2009) |
Links | |
Webcast | https://swentr.site/on-air/ |
Website | Official website |
RT, formerly Russia Today (Russian: Россия Сегодня, romanized: Rossiya Segodnya), is a Russian state-controlled international news television network funded by the Russian government. It operates pay television and free-to-air channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing Internet content in Russian, English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Portuguese and Serbian.
RT is a brand of TV-Novosti - self-named an "autonomous non-profit organization" (ANO) - founded by the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti in April 2005. During the economic crisis in December 2008, the Russian government, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, included ANO "TV-Novosti" on its list of core organizations of strategic importance to Russia. RT operates as a multilingual service with channels in five languages: the original English-language channel was launched in 2005, the Arabic-language channel in 2007, Spanish in 2009, German in 2014 and French in 2017. RT America (2010–2022), RT UK (2014–2022) and other regional channels also produce local content. RT is the parent company of the Ruptly video agency, which owns the Redfish video channel and the Maffick digital media company.
RT has regularly been described as a major propaganda outlet for the Russian government and its foreign policy. Academics, fact-checkers, and news reporters (including some current and former RT reporters) have identified RT as a purveyor of disinformation and conspiracy theories. UK media regulator Ofcom has repeatedly found RT to have breached its rules on impartiality, including multiple instances in which RT broadcast "materially misleading" content.
In 2012, RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan compared the channel to the Russian Ministry of Defence. Referring to the Russo-Georgian War, she stated that it was "waging an information war, and with the entire Western world". In September 2017, RT America was ordered to register as a foreign agent with the United States Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
RT was banned in Ukraine in 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea; Latvia and Lithuania implemented similar bans in 2020. Germany banned RT DE in February 2022. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union and Canada formally banned RT and independent service providers in over 10 countries suspended broadcasts of RT. Social media websites followed by blocking external links to RT's website and restricting access to RT's content. Microsoft removed RT from their app store and de-ranked their search results on Bing, while Apple removed the RT app from all countries except for Russia. However, RT content continues to be laundered through third-party sites.
History
Foundation
RT's formation was part of a public relations effort by the Russian Government in 2005 to improve Russia's image abroad. RT was conceived by former media minister Mikhail Lesin and Aleksei Gromov. At the time of RT's founding, RIA Novosti director Svetlana Mironyuk stated: "Unfortunately, at the level of mass consciousness in the West, Russia is associated with three words: communism, snow and poverty", and added "we would like to present a more complete picture of life in our country". RT is funded by the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Media, part of the government of Russia.
In 2005, RIA Novosti founded ANO TV-Novosti (or "Autonomous Non-profit Organization TV-News") to serve as the parent organization for RT. ANO TV-Novosti was registered on 6 April 2005, and Sergey Frolov (Сергей Фролов) was appointed its CEO.
The channel was launched as Russia Today on 10 December 2005. At its launch, the channel employed 300 journalists, including approximately 70 from outside Russia. Russia Today appointed Margarita Simonyan as its editor-in-chief; she recruited foreign journalists as presenters and consultants.
Simonyan, aged 25 years old when she was appointed, was a former Kremlin pool reporter who had worked in journalism since she was 18. She told The New York Times that after the fall of the Soviet Union, many new young journalists were hired, resulting in a much younger pool of staffers than other news organizations. Journalist Danny Schechter (who has appeared as a guest on RT) stated that, having been part of the launch staff at CNN, he saw RT as another "channel of young people who are inexperienced, but very enthusiastic about what they are doing". Shortly after the channel was launched, James Painter wrote that RT and similar news channels such as France 24 and TeleSUR saw themselves as "counter-hegemonic", offering a differing vision and news content from that of Western media like CNN and the BBC.
Development and expansion
RT launched several new channels in ensuing years: the Arabic language channel Rusiya Al-Yaum in 2007, the Spanish language channel Actualidad RT in 2009, RT America – which focuses on the United States – in 2010, and the RT Documentary channel in 2011.
In August 2007, Russia Today became the first television channel to report live from the North Pole (with the report lasting five minutes and 41 seconds). An RT crew participated in the Arktika 2007 Russian polar expedition, led by Artur Chilingarov on the Akademik Fyodorov icebreaker. On 31 December 2007, RT's broadcasts of New Year's Eve celebrations in Moscow and Saint Petersburg were broadcast in the hours prior to the New Year's Eve event at New York City's Times Square.
Russia Today drew particular attention worldwide for its coverage of the 2008 South Ossetia war. RT named Georgia as the aggressor against the separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which were protected by Russian troops. RT saw this as the incident that showcased its newsgathering abilities to the world. Margarita Simonyan stated: "we were the only ones among the English-language media who were giving the other side of the story – the South Ossetian side of the story".
In 2009, Russia Today was rebranded to "RT", which George Washington University academics Jack Nassetta and Kimberly Gross described as an " to shed state affiliation". Simonyan said the company had not changed names but the company's corporate logo was changed to attract more viewers: "who is interested in watching news from Russia all day long?" Julia Ioffe also describes 2009, when the Barack Obama administration came to office "promising a different approach toward Russia", as a time when RT became "more international and less anti-American", and "built a state-of-the-art studio and newsroom" in the U.S. capital
In early 2010, RT unveiled an advertising campaign to promote its new "Question More" slogan. The campaign was created by Ketchum, GPlus, and London's Portland PR. One of the advertisements featured as part of the campaign showed U.S. President Barack Obama morphing into Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and asked: "Who poses the greatest nuclear threat?" The ad was banned in American airports. Another showed a Western soldier "merging" with a Taliban fighter and asked: "Is terror only inflicted by terrorists?" One of RT's 2010 billboard advertisements won the British Awards for National Newspaper Advertising "Ad of the Month".
In 2010, Walter Isaacson, Chairman of the U.S. Government's Broadcasting Board of Governors, which runs Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, called for more money to invest in the programs because "We can't allow ourselves to be out-communicated by our enemies", specifically mentioning Russia Today, Iran's Press TV and China's China Central Television (CCTV) in the following sentence. He later explained that he actually was referring to "enemies" in Afghanistan, not the countries he mentioned. In 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that the U.S. was "losing the information war" abroad to foreign channels like RT, Al Jazeera and China Central Television and that they were supplanting the Voice of America.
2012–2021
In early 2012, shortly after his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul challenged Margarita Simonyan on Twitter about allegations from RT that he had sent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny to study at Yale University. According to RT, McFaul was referring to a comment in an article by political scientist Igor Panarin, which RT had specified were the views of the author. McFaul then accepted an interview by Sophie Shevardnadze on RT on this and other issues and reasserted that the Obama administration wanted a "reset" in relations with Russia.
On 17 April 2012, RT debuted World Tomorrow, a news interview programme hosted by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The first guest on the program was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The interview made global headlines as Nasrallah rarely gives interviews to Western media. Commentators described this as a "coup". WikiLeaks described the show as "a series of in-depth conversations with key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries from around the world". It stated that the show is "independently produced and Assange has control"; WikiLeaks offers a "Broadcasters license, only".
Assange said that RT allowed his guests to discuss things that they "could not say on a mainstream TV network". Assange's production company made the show and Assange had full editorial control. Assange said that, if WikiLeaks had published large amounts of compromising data on Russia, his relationship with RT might not have been so comfortable. In August of that year, RT suffered a denial of service attack. Some people linked the attack to RT's connection with Assange, and others to an impending court verdict related to Pussy Riot.
On 23 October 2012, RT, along with Al Jazeera and C-SPAN, broadcast the Free and Equal Elections Foundation third-party debate among four third-party candidates for President of the United States. On 5 November, RT broadcast the two candidates that were voted winners of that debate, Libertarian Party candidate Governor Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, from RT's Washington, D.C. studio.
In May 2013, RT announced that former CNN host Larry King would host a new talk show on RT. King said in an advertisement on RT: "I would rather ask questions to people in positions of power, instead of speaking on their behalf." As part of the deal, King would also bring his Hulu series Larry King Now to RT. On 13 June 2013, RT aired a preview telecast of King's new Thursday evening program Politicking, with the episode discussing Edward Snowden's leaking of the PRISM surveillance program.
Vladimir Putin visited the new RT broadcasting centre in June 2013 and stated:
"When we designed this project back in 2005 we intended introducing another strong player on the international scene, a player that wouldn't just provide an unbiased coverage of the events in Russia but also try, let me stress, I mean – try to break the Anglo-Saxon monopoly on the global information streams. ... We wanted to bring an absolutely independent news channel to the news arena. Certainly the channel is funded by the government, so it cannot help but reflect the Russian government's official position on the events in our country and in the rest of the world one way or another. But I'd like to underline again that we never intended this channel, RT, as any kind of apologetics for the Russian political line, whether domestic or foreign."
In early October 2014, RT announced the launch of a dedicated news channel, RT UK, aimed at British audiences. The new channel began operating on 30 October 2014.
In October 2016, the NatWest bank stated that they will no longer provide banking services to RT in the UK without providing any reasons. This decision was criticised by Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT, and the Russia Government. Simonyan sarcastically tweeted that: "Long live freedom of speech!" However, NatWest reversed its decision in January 2017, said it had reached a resolution with RT. Simonyan said the decision showed that "common sense has prevailed".
In 2018, some of the RT staff started a new media project, Redfish.media, that positioned itself as "grassroots journalism". The website was criticized by activist Musa Okwonga for deceptively interviewing him and then distributing it across RT channels while hiding its real affiliation. Another similar RT project is In the NOW, started in 2018. On 15 February 2019, Facebook temporarily blocked the In the NOW page, saying that even though it does not require pages to disclose who funds them, it had suspended the page so viewers would not "be misled about who's behind them". Anissa Naouai, CEO of Maffick, which published the page, described the blocking as "unprecedented discrimination", and said that Facebook did not ask other channels to declare their parent company and financial affiliations. As of February 2019, a majority of Maffick stock was controlled by Ruptly, an RT subsidiary, with Naouai owning the remaining 49%. Facebook unblocked the page on 25 February 2019; Naouai said the company had agreed to do so once the page was updated to feature information on In the NOW's funding and management. She added that this requirement has been applied to no other Facebook page. In the NOW also has an active channel on YouTube and regularly posts videos from Soapbox, a Maffick-owned channel.
In February 2021, Matt Field from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists reported that RT had created an account on Gab, a social network known for its far-right userbase, right before the start of former U.S. President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. Field commented that RT had posted several articles on its Gab account, including one criticizing The Lincoln Project, an organization run by anti-Trump Republicans.
In December 2021 RT launched a TV channel in Germany, RT DE TV using a license for cable and satellite broadcasting issued in Serbia. A week after the launch, on 22 December the channel was removed from broadcasting via European satellites by the European satellite operator at the request of the German media regulator.
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 27 February 2022, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the European Union would ban RT and Sputnik (plus their subsidiaries) from operating in its 27 member countries. The ban resulted in RT being blocked on downstream television networks located outside EU, such as the United Kingdom and Singapore as they were dependent on EU companies for the signal feed to RT. Canadian telecom companies Shaw, Rogers, Bell and Telus announced they would no longer offer RT in their channel lineups (although Rogers replaced its RT broadcasts with a Ukrainian flag). This move was praised by Canada's Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez who called the network the "propaganda arm" of Vladimir Putin. On 28 February, Ofcom announced they had opened 15 expedited investigations into RT. These investigations will be focused on the 15 news editions broadcast on 27 February between 05:00 and 19:00 and will check if the coverage broke impartiality requirements in the broadcast code. On 2 March, the regulation was published which meant the ban was in force.
Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok made RT's and Sputnik's social media content unavailable to users in the European Union on 28 February. Microsoft removed RT and Sputnik from MSN, the Microsoft Store, and the Microsoft Advertising network on the same day. YouTube, on 1 March, banned access to all RT and Sputnik channels on its platform in Europe (including Britain). Apple followed by removing RT and Sputnik from its App Store in all countries except Russia. Roku dropped the RT app from its channel store, while DirecTV pulled RT America from its channel lineup. On 1 March, the National Administration of Telecommunications of Uruguay announced the removal of RT from the Antel TV streaming platform. New Zealand satellite television provider Sky also removed RT, citing complaints from customers and consultation with the Broadcasting Standards Authority. Reddit blocked new outgoing links to RT and Sputnik on 3 March. On 11 March, YouTube blocked RT and Sputnik worldwide. From 16 March, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission officially banned RT and RT France from the list of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution.
On 8 March 2022, RT France challenged the EU ban of its activities in the General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union. After refusing to "urgently" consider the case on 30 March, the General Court dismissed the case on 27 July 2022, ruling that the ban against RT was justified.
Between 22 and 26 February 2022, a couple of days before and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, "posts on Facebook from RT and Sputnik got more than 5 million likes, shares and comments". On YouTube, videos of "false stories, claiming that Ukrainians had attacked Russians or describing a 'genocide' against Russian-speaking Ukrainians in the separatist Donbas region," were watched "73 million times." During the invasion, hacktivist collective Anonymous launched a distributed denial of service attack that temporarily disabled the websites of RT and other Russian government-controlled organizations. In March 2022, RT America closed and most of its staff ceased to work for the outlet. RT began selling merchandise emblazoned with the "Z" military symbol – a pro-Kremlin and pro-war emblem – a few days after the start of the invasion.
In March 2022, Vice News reported that RT had established a channel on Gab's video sharing platform Gab TV, which describes itself as a "free speech broadcasting platform." Vice News observed that Gab CEO Andrew Torba had given his support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Torba publicly supported RT, claiming that they are being subject to the same censorship as American conservatives "by Big Tech and the globalist regime". Torba also falsely claimed that Gab is "the one place on the internet where you can find RT News" when RT also has a presence on video sharing platform Rumble. Not all branches of RT have suffered declines since the war started. Interactions with the Arabic-language Facebook page "RT Online" grew 161.2% from 28 February to mid-March, "RT Play in Español" went up a 22.5%.
In October 2022, RT presenter Anton Krasovsky said on air that Ukrainian children who had in the past criticised the Soviet Union as occupiers of Ukraine should have been drowned or burned; he additionally laughed at reporting that Russian soldiers raped elderly Ukrainian women during the 2022 invasion. He was subsequently suspended by Simonyan, and criminal case investigation was opened.
In September and October 2022, RT launched RT Hindi and RT Balkan, to expand its audience.
2023–present
In September 2023, RT launched its online platform in Portuguese, as "RT Brazil".
On August 9, 2024 the broadcast and other equipment from the RT studio in Washington DC were auctioned off.
On September 16, 2024, Meta announced that it would ban RT from its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, for foreign interference activity.
Organization
State-owned RIA Novosti news agency, which founded RT in 2005, is one of the largest in Russia. Its former chairperson was Svetlana Mironyuk, who modernised the agency after being appointed in 2003.
In 2007, RT established offices in the same building as RIA Novosti, after the Russian Union of Journalists was forced to vacate them. In 2012, Anna Kachkayeva, Dean of Media Communications at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, stated that the two organizations "share the same roof" because they are located in the same building, but in "funding, editorial policy, management and staff, they are two independent organisations whose daily operations are not interconnected in any way". In 2008, Simonyan noted that more than 50 young RT journalists had gone on to take positions in large Western media outlets. By 2010, RT's staff had grown to 2,000.
In December 2012, RT moved its production studios and headquarters to a new facility in Moscow. The move coincided with RT's upgrade of all of its English-language news programming to high-definition.
In 2013, a presidential decree issued by Vladimir Putin dissolved RIA Novosti, replacing it with a new information agency called Rossiya Segodnya (directly translated as Russia Today). On 31 December 2013, Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the RT news channel, was also appointed editor-in-chief of the new news agency while maintaining her duties for the television network.
From 18 August 2020 to 18 August 2021, ANO TV Novosti was owned by the federal state unitary enterprise RAMI RIA Novosti (Russian: ФГУП "РАМИ "РИА Новости") and the Association for the Development of International Journalism (ADIJ; Russian: Ассоциация развития международной журналистики (АРМЖ)), which was founded by Margarita Simonyan and few other RT associates. On 18 August 2021, RAMI RIA Novosti was liquidated and the ownership of ANO TV Novosti was transferred to ADIJ.
Budget
When it was established in 2005, ANO TV-Novosti invested $30 million in start-up costs to establish RT, with a budget of $30 million for its first year of operation. Half of the network's budget came from the Russian government; the other half came from pro-Kremlin commercial banks at the government's request. Its annual budget increased from approximately $80 million in 2007 to $380 million in 2011, but was reduced to $300 million in 2012. President Putin prohibited the reduction of funding for RT on 30 October 2012.
About 80 percent of RT's costs are incurred outside Russia, paying partner networks around $260 million for the distribution of its channels in 2014. In 2014, RT received 11.87 billion rubles ($310 million) in government funding and was expected to receive 15.38 billion rubles ($400 million) in 2015. (For comparison, the bigger BBC World Service Group had a $376 million budget in 2014–15.) At the start of 2015, as the ruble's value plummeted and a ten percent reduction in media subsidies was imposed, it was thought that RT's budget for the year would fall to about $236 million. Instead, government funding was increased to 20.8 billion rubles (around $300 million) in September. In 2015, RT was expected to receive 19 billion rubles ($307 million) from the Russian government the following year. As of 2022, RT is the leader in terms of state funding among all Russian media. Between 2022 and 2024, RT will receive 82 billion rubles.
Network
According to RT as of March 2022, the network's feed is carried by 22 satellites and over 230 operators, providing a distribution reach to about 700 million households in more than 100 countries. RT also stated that RT America was available to 85 million households throughout the United States, as of 2012.
In addition to its main English language channel RT International, RT UK and RT America, RT also runs Arabic-language channel Rusiya Al-Yaum, Spanish language channel Actualidad RT, as well as the RTDoc documentary channel. RT maintains 21 bureaus in 16 countries, including those in Washington, D.C., New York City; London, England; Paris, France; Delhi, India; Cairo, Egypt and Baghdad, Iraq.
Channel | Description | Language | Launched |
---|---|---|---|
RT International | RT's main news channel, covering international and regional news from a Russian perspective. It also includes commentary and documentary programs. Based in Moscow with a presence in Washington, New York, London, Paris, Delhi, Cairo and Baghdad and other cities. | English | 2005 |
RT Arabic | Based in Moscow and broadcast 24/7. Programmes include news, feature programming and documentaries. | Arabic | 2007 |
RT Spanish | Based in Moscow with bureaus in Miami, Los Angeles, Havana and Buenos Aires. Covers headline news, politics, sports and broadcast specials. | Spanish | 2009 |
RT America | RT America was based in RT's Washington, D.C. bureau, it included programs hosted by American journalists. The channel maintained a separate schedule of programs each weekday from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and simulcasted RT International at all other times. RT America was compelled to register as a foreign agent with the United States Department of Justice National Security Division under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. | English | 2010 (closed 3 March 2022) |
RT UK | RT UK was based at RT's London bureau at Millbank Tower. Includes programs hosted by British journalists. The channel offered five hours of programming per day, Monday to Thursday UK News at 6 pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm and 10 pm and simulcasted RT International at all other times. On Fridays there was no 10 pm UK News bulletin. | English | 2014 (closed 2 March 2022) |
RT Documentary | A 24-hour documentary channel. The bulk of its programming consists of RT-produced documentaries related to Russia. | English, Russian | 2011 |
The sharp decline in the ruble at the end of 2014 forced RT to postpone German- and French-language channels.
In addition to news agency Ruptly, RT also operates the following websites: RT на русском (in Russian), RT en français (French), RT DE (German).
In 2015, RT's YouTube news channels were: RT (the main channel), RT America, RT Arabic, RT en Español, RT Deutsch, RT French, RT UK, RT на русском and the newly launched RT Chinese.
The German service (RT DE) was removed from YouTube in September 2021 for breaking the websites rules on COVID misinformation. The Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab and Meduza wrote that the Russian edition of RT "aggressively" promoted COVID-19 vaccination in Russia, calling anti-vaccination activists "imbeciles", while foreign RT channels were simultaneously promoting the same anti-vaccination misinformation that it criticized in Russia.
In September 2012, RT signed a contract with Israeli-based RRSat to distribute high-definition feeds of the channel in the United States, Latin America and Asia. In October 2012, RT's Rusiya Al-Yaum and RT joined the high-definition network Al Yah Satellite Communications ("YahLive"). On 12 July 2014, during his visit to Argentina, Putin announced that Actualidad RT would broadcast free-to-air in the country, the first foreign television channel to do so there. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Argentina's State Media Authorities decided to suspend RT on 11 June 2016, along with Venezuelan television channel TeleSur, which had both been authorized by the previous left-leaning government of Cristina Kirchner. Officially, Argentina wanted to devote RT's frequency to domestic broadcasts. RT was made available on the dominant Australian subscription television platform Foxtel on 17 February 2015.
Ratings/impact
- Audience ratings
The RT website (as of March 2022), maintains that "since June 2012", RT has "consistently and significantly outperforms other foreign channels including Euronews and Fox News. RT's quarterly audience in the UK is 2.5 million viewers". However, according to The Daily Beast, citing leaked documents from "Vasily Gatov, a former RIA Novosti employee" (as of 2015) RT "hugely exaggerates its viewership,"; and its most-watched segments were on apolitical subjects. Between 2013 and 2015, over 80% of RT's viewership was for videos of accidents, crime, disasters, and natural phenomena, such as the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event, with less than 1% of viewership for political videos. In late 2015, all of the 20 most-watched videos on its main channel, totaling 300 million views, were described as "disaster/novelty". Of the top 100, only a small number could be categorized as political, with only one covering Ukraine. The most popular video of Russian president Putin shows him singing "Blueberry Hill" at a 2010 St. Petersburg charity event. In 2017, The Washington Post analysed RT's popularity and concluded that "it's not very good at its job" as "Moscow's propaganda arm" due to its relative unpopularity. RT has disputed both The Daily Beast and The Washington Post assessments, saying their analyses used outdated viewership data.
A study by Professor Robert Orttung at George Washington University stated that RT uses human interest stories without ideological content to attract viewers to its channels. Between January and May 2015, the Russian-language channel had the most viewers, with approximately double the number of the main channel, despite only having around one-third the number of subscribers.
According to data compiled by Oxford's Rasmus Kleis Nielsen prior to the invasion of Ukraine, RT's "online reach in the U.K., France, and Germany" was "not great on the web, but surprisingly strong on social media, at least in spots". For example, in Germany, RT was "the No. 1 news source in terms of engagements on Facebook" December 2021-January 2022, (according to this CrowdTangle data).
Reliable figures for RT's worldwide audience were not available as of 2015. In the United States, RT typically pays cable and satellite services to carry its channel in subscriber packages. In 2011, RT was the second most-watched foreign news channel in the United States (after BBC World News), and the number one foreign network in five major U.S. urban areas in 2012. It also rated well among younger Americans under 35 and in inner city areas.
In the UK, the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) has included RT in the viewer data it publishes since 2012. According to their data, approximately 2.5 million Britons watched RT during the third quarter of 2012, making it the third most-watched rolling news channel in Britain, behind BBC News and Sky News (not including Sky Sports News). RT was soon overtaken by Al Jazeera English, and viewing figures dropped to about 2.1 million by the end of 2013. For comparison, it had marginally fewer viewers than S4C, the state-funded Welsh language broadcaster, or minor channels such as Zing, Viva and Rishtey. According to internal documents submitted for Kremlin review, RT's viewership amounted to less than 0.1 percent of Europe's television audience, except in Britain, where 2013 viewership was estimated at 120,000 persons per day. According to the leaked documents, RT was ranked 175th out of 278 channels in Great Britain in May 2013, or fifth out of eight cable news channels. In August 2015, RT's average weekly viewing figure had fallen to around 450,000 (0.8 percent of the total UK audience), 100,000 fewer than in June 2012 and less than half that of Al Jazeera English. In March 2016, the monthly viewing was figure 0.04%.
Latin America is the second most significant area of influence for internet RT (rt.com). In 2013, RT ascended to the ranks of the 100 most watched websites in seven Latin American countries.
A Pew Research survey of the most popular news videos on YouTube in 2011–12 found RT to be the top source with 8.5 percent of posts, 68 percent of which consisted of first-person video accounts of dramatic worldwide events, likely acquired by the network rather than created by it. In 2013, RT became the first television news channel to reach 1 billion views on YouTube. In 2014, its main (English) channel was reported have 1.4 million subscribers.
Followers
In 2013, RT became "the first news network to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube". As of shortly after the invasion of Ukraine and blocking of RT by tech companies, RT's "main Facebook channel has more than 7 million followers" (some of which are located in Europe where the channel is blocked). RT's YouTube account had "roughly 4.65 million followers in English and 5.94 million in Spanish".
Impact
RT has some effect on viewers' political opinions, according to a 2021 study in the journal Security Studies. Viewers exposed to RT became more likely "to support the withdrawal of the United States "from its role as a cooperative global leader" than those who did not watch RT by 10–20%. "This effect is robust across measures, obtains across party lines, and persists even when we disclose that RT is financed by the Russian government." However, exposure to RT had no measurable "effect on Americans' views of domestic politics or the Russian government."
According to author Peter Pomerantsev, a large audience rating is not RT's principal goal. Their campaigns are "for financial, political and media influence." RT (and Sputnik) "create the fodder" used by "thousands of fake news propagators" and provide an outlet for material hacked from targets it wishes to harm in the service of Russian (government) interests. RT also serves to make friends with people "useful" to the Russian state, such as Michael Flynn (retired United States Army lieutenant general and dismissed director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and U.S. National Security Advisor in the early days of the Trump administration) who was paid "a reported $40,000 to come to RT's anniversary celebration in Moscow and sit near Mr. Putin."
Programming
In 2008, Heidi Brown wrote in Forbes that "the Kremlin is using charm, good photography and a healthy dose of sex appeal to appeal to a diverse, skeptical audience. The result is entertaining – and ineffably Russian." She added that Russia Today has managed to "get foreigners to at least consider the Russian viewpoint – however eccentric it may be..." Matt Field in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists described RT as "applying high-quality graphics and production values to its stories", often focusing "on polarizing issues that aren't necessarily top-of-mind for viewers" and sometimes "strikingly at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin's own views".
According to Tim Dowling, writing in The Guardian, "Fringe opinion takes center stage" on RT. "Reporting is routinely bolstered by testimony from experts you have never heard of, representing institutions you have never heard of."
The Alyona Show
The Alyona Show, hosted by Alyona Minkovski, ran from 2009 to 2012 (when Minkovski left RT to join The Huffington Post). Daily Beast writer Tracy Quan described The Alyona Show as "one of RT's most popular vehicles". The New Republic columnist Jesse Zwick wrote that one journalist told him that Minkovski is "probably the best interviewer on cable news". Benjamin R. Freed wrote in the avant-garde culture magazine SOMA that "The Alyona Show does political talk with razor-sharp wit." David Weigel called the show "an in-house attempt at a newsy cult hit" and noted that "her meatiest segments were about government spying, and the Federal Reserve, and America's undeclared wars". Minkovski had complained about being characterized as if she was "Putin's girl in Washington" or as being "anti-American". After Minkovski argued that Glenn Beck was "not on the side of America. And the fact that my channel is more honest with the American people is something you should be ashamed of", Columbia Journalism Review writer Julia Ioffe asked: "since when does Russia Today defend the policies of any American president? Or the informational needs of the American public, for that matter?"
Adam vs. the Man
From April to August 2011, RT ran a half-hour primetime show Adam vs. the Man, hosted by former Iraq War Marine veteran and high-profile anti-war activist Adam Kokesh. David Weigel writes that Kokesh defended RT's "propaganda" function, saying "We're putting out the truth that no one else wants to say. I mean, if you want to put it in the worst possible abstract, it's the Russian government, which is a competing protection racket against the other governments of the world, going against the United States and calling them on their bullshit."
World Tomorrow
Reviewing the first episode of Julian Assange's show World Tomorrow, The Independent noted that Assange, who was under house arrest, was "largely deferential" in asking some questions of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who himself was in hiding. However, he also asked tough questions such as why Nasrallah had not supported Arab revolts against Syrian leaders, when he had supported them in Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt, and other countries. The New York Times journalist Allesandra Stanley wrote that "practically speaking, Mr. Assange is in bed with the Kremlin, but on Tuesday's show he didn't put out" and that he "behaved surprisingly like a standard network interviewer". Douglas Lucas in Salon wrote that the RT deal "may just be a profitable way for him to get a gigantic retweet". Glenn Greenwald wrote that RT presenting the Julian Assange show led to "a predictable wave of snide, smug attacks from American media figures".
Other shows
Marcin Maczka writes that RT's ample financing has allowed RT to attract experienced journalists and use the latest technology. RT anchors and correspondents tend to concentrate on controversial world issues such as the financial and banking scandals, corporate impact on the global economy, and western demonstrations. It has also aired views by various conspiracy theorists, including neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and Holocaust deniers (presented as "human rights activists"). News from Russia is of secondary importance and such reports emphasize Russian modernisation and economic achievements, as well as Russian culture and natural landscapes, while downplaying Russia's social problems or corruption.
#1917LIVE
In 2017, RT ran a mock live tweeting program under the hashtag "#1917LIVE" to mark the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution.
The #1917Live project had multimedia social plug-ins, such as Periscope live streaming, as well as virtual reality panoramic videos.
Programs
RT's feature programs include (with presenters parenthesised):
Current
- Starbound (Egor Piskunov)
- Perspective with Scottie Nell Hughes
- Let's Talk Bharat with Anupam Kher
- Moscow Mules (Chay Bowes)
- Interview (various presenters)
- Going Underground (Afshin Rattansi)
- CrossTalk with Peter Lavelle
- The 360 View with Scottie Nell Hughes
- On the Touchline with José Mourinho
- Direct Impact with Rick Sanchez
- Worlds Apart with Oksana Boyko
- Modus Operandi with Manila Chan
- The Cost of Everything (Christy Ai)
- The Whistleblowers (John Kiriakou)
- Inland Visions (Sean Thomas)
- Africa Now with Paula Slier
Former
RT's former on-air staff included 25 people from RT America.
- On Contact (Chris Hedges)
- Renegade Inc. (Ross Ashcroft)
- Keiser Report (Max Keiser with Stacy Herbert) from RT UK
- America's Lawyer (Mike Papantonio)
- Off the grid (Jesse Ventura)
- Capital Account (Lauren Lyster) from RT America
- Why you should care! (Tim Kirby)
- Breaking the Set (Abby Martin)
- In Context (Peter Lavelle)
- Spotlight (Aleksandr Gurnov)
- On the Money (Peter Lavelle)
- World Tomorrow (Julian Assange)
- Moscow Out (Martyn Andrews)
- Adam vs. the Man (Adam Kokesh)
- The Alyona Show (Alyona Minkovski)
- The Big Picture (Thom Hartmann) from RT America
- The News with Ed Schultz (Ed Schultz)
- Redacted Tonight (Lee Camp) from RT America
- How to Watch the News with Slavoj Žižek
- Larry King Now (Larry King)
On-air staff
RT's current on-air staff includes 25 people from RT News, and eight from RT UK. Notable members of RT's current and former staff include:
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Guests
According to Jesse Zwick, RT persuades "legitimate experts and journalists" to appear as guests by allowing them to speak at length on issues ignored by larger news outlets. It frequently interviews progressive and libertarian academics, intellectuals and writers from organisations like The Nation, Reason, Human Events, Center for American Progress and the Cato Institute who are critical of United States foreign and civil liberties policies. Julian Assange of WikiLeaks and Noam Chomsky, the leftist critic of Western policies are "favorites". RT also features little-known commentators including anarchists, anti-globalists and left-wing activists. Journalist Danny Schechter holds that a primary reason for RT's success in the United States is that RT is "a force for diversity" which gives voice to people "who rarely get heard in current mainstream US media". Examples of this include "a twelve-minute interview" in March 2010 "with Hank Albarelli, a self-described American 'historian' who claims that the CIA is testing dangerous drugs on unwitting civilians", and RT's asking for commentary on the 2010 Haiti earthquake from "Carl Dix, a representative of the American Revolutionary Communist Party".
In 2010, journalist and blogger Julia Ioffe described RT as being "provocative just for the sake of being provocative" in its choice of guests and issue topics, featuring a Russian historian who predicted that the United States would soon be dissolved, showing speeches by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, reporting on homelessness in America, and interviewing the chairman of the New Black Panther Party. She wrote that in attempting to offer "an alternate point of view, it is forced to talk to marginal, offensive, and often irrelevant figures". A 2010 Southern Poverty Law Center report stated that RT extensively covered the "birther" and the "New World Order" conspiracy theories and interviewed militia organizer Jim Stachowiak and white nationalist Jared Taylor. An Al Jazeera English article stated that RT has a penchant "for off-beat stories and conspiracy theories". RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan told Nikolaus von Twickel of The Moscow Times that RT started to grow once it became provocative and that controversy was vital to the channel. She said that RT's task was not to polish Moscow's reputation. The news channel has also been criticized for its lack of objectivity in its coverage of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Miko Peled, the Israeli peace activist who has called the peace process "a process of apartheid & colonization" is a frequent guest on RT.
Notable guests have included think tank intellectuals like Jared Bernstein, John Feffer and Lawrence Korb; journalists and writers Jacob Sullum, Pepe Escobar, and Brian Doherty, and heads of state, including Ecuador's Rafael Correa, and Syria's Bashar al-Assad. Nigel Farage, the leader of UK Independence Party from 2010 to 2016, appeared on RT eighteen times from 2010 to 2014. Steve Bannon has stated that he has appeared on RT "probably 100 times or more". Manuel Ochsenreiter, a neo-Nazi, has repeatedly appeared on RT to represent the German point of view. RT News has also frequently hosted Richard B. Spencer, an American white supremacist airing his opinions in support of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and has hosted Holocaust denier Ryan Dawson, presenting him as a human rights activist. Such figures as Alex Jones, Jim Marrs, David Ray Griffin, and Webster Tarpley have appeared on RT to advance conspiracy theories about topics such as the September 11 attacks, the Bilderberg group, and the "New World Order".
Content
RT has presented itself as a global network "like the BBC or France 24", differing from them in offering "alternative views" ignored by the "Western-dominated news media". Many Western countries, in contrast, regard RT not just as a propaganda organ, but as "the slickly produced heart of a broad, often covert disinformation campaign designed to sow doubt about democratic institutions and destabilize the West". According to Steven Erlanger, RT provides "hard news and top-notch graphics" and a "mix with interviews from all sorts of people: well known and obscure, left and right. if there is any unifying character to RT, it is a deep skepticism of Western and American narratives of the world and a fundamental defensiveness about Russia and Mr. Putin."
RT formerly hosted the leaders of populist European parties such as UKIP's leader Nigel Farage and Marie Le Pen, leader of the French Populist National Rally Party. British politician, broadcaster, and writer George Galloway formerly hosted his own TV news programme on RT named "Sputnik: Orbiting the World with George Galloway".
Propaganda and related issues
RT's editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan, has described RT as giving Russia "soft power", and being the same kind of "tool" for Russia that the "BBC or CNN" are "for the UK and USA". In 2012, she stated that RT waged "an information war ... with the entire Western world" during the Russo-Georgian War.
Observers have criticized the state-supported/controlled nature of RT as an instrument of propaganda. In 2005, Pascal Bonnamour, the head of the European department of Reporters Without Borders, called the newly announced network "another step of the state to control information". In a 2005 interview with U.S. government-owned external broadcaster Voice of America, Russian-Israeli blogger Anton Nosik said the creation of RT "smacks of Soviet-style propaganda campaigns". In 2009, Luke Harding (then Moscow correspondent for The Guardian) described RT's advertising campaign in the United Kingdom as an "ambitious attempt to create a new post-Soviet global propaganda empire". In Russia, Andrey Illarionov, former advisor to Vladimir Putin, has called the channel "the best Russian propaganda machine targeted at the outside world". Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, speaking after the launch of RT America, said: "Russia Today is an extension of the methods and approach of the state-controlled media inside Russia, applied in a bid to influence the American cable audience".
Others have commended its promotion and discussion of issues ignored or just not given enough time by the mainstream news media. In E-International Relations, researcher Precious N Chatterje-Doody stated that RT viewers tend to recognize RT's state-controlled status, and that they choose to watch RT for its "non-mainstream" story selection and its use of technology. She asserted that if RT broadcast only "blatant propaganda", it would not retain its audience. According to Adam Johnson in The Nation magazine, "while Russia Today toes the Kremlin's line on foreign policy, it also provides an outlet to marginalized issues and voices stateside. RT, for example, has covered the recent prison strikes—the largest in American history—twice. So far CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and Rutenberg's employer, The New York Times, haven't covered them at all. RT aggressively covered Occupy Wall Street early on while the rest of corporate US media were marginalizing from afar (for this effort, RT was nominated for an Emmy Award)." John Feffer, co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus says he appears on RT as well as the U.S.-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, commented "I've been given the opportunity to talk about military expenditures in a way I haven't been given in U.S. outlets". On the fairness issue, he said: "You're going to find blind spots in the coverage for any news organization".
Among the complaints of RT are the quality of its journalism and general production of "propaganda and disinformation". Graduate students at Columbia School of Journalism monitored RT's (US) output for much of 2015, and found "RT ignores the inherent traits of journalism—checking sources, relaying facts, attempting honest reportage" and "you'll find 'experts' lacking in expertise, conspiracy theories without backing, and, from time to time, outright fabrication for the sake of pushing a pro-Kremlin line", according to Casey Michel, who worked on the project. The results were compiled in a Tumblr blog. Media analyst Vasily Gatov wrote in a 2014 Moscow Times article that sharp ethical and reporting skills are not required for Russian media employees, including RT. RT has been deprecated by the Misplaced Pages community as an unreliable source of information, with consensus being that it is "a mouthpiece of the Russian government that engages in propaganda and disinformation."
In a 2022 research paper comparing RT and CGTN's coverage of the 2020 United States presidential election, Martin Moore and Thomas Colley of King's College London conceptualized RT as operating using a "partisan parasite" propaganda model, noting that it "often covers topics and people that would mainly be familiar to US audiences, but which are of little international salience or relevance", and that it rarely covers Russia except through the lens of U.S. politics. They also noted: "Its content selection, partisan framing and vernacular style is similar to right-wing US outlets like Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network."
RT has been accused of different approaches to disinformation:
- Focusing on "presenting a negative picture of the United States and 'the West'", rather than extolling "Russia's virtues directly", publishing conspiracy theories about the West, criticizing U.S. influence abroad, and presenting Russia as "a 'global underdog'" to U.S. hegemony. (Michael Dukalskis in his 2021 book on tactics used by authoritarian regimes to construct a positive image of their regimes).
- Normally giving reporters and presenters considerable latitude, and saving straight-up pro-Russian government "message control" (propaganda), for "highly sensitive issues", such as the Russo-Georgian War or the trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, (Julia Ioffe).
- Functioning in some circumstances, (like the 2016 U.S. presidential election), as a part of a larger Russian disinformation apparatus with the goal of undermining "public faith in the U.S. democratic process," and damaging enemies (like Hillary Clinton). RT and other state-funded Russian media, publicize "real information, some open and some hacked" (i.e. stolen), along with "false reports" they've created. These are "amplified on social media, sometimes by computer bots that send out thousands of Facebook and Twitter messages." (Steven Erlanger, quoting U.S. agencies).
- Only rarely taking a "single, anti-Western media line on any given story", which would be "too obvious". Instead, presenting "gaggles of competing and contradicting narratives which together create the impression that the truth is indecipherable". (Lithuania's STRATCOM Colonel). RT's "main message is that you cannot trust the western media". It seems "dedicated to the proposition that after the notion of objectivity has evaporated, all stories are equally true." (Peter Pomerantsev, writing in The Guardian in 2015) Using a strategy of distributing fake stories in "high-volume and multichannel, rapid, continuous, and repetitive" manner, with no regard to consistency. This "firehose of falsehood" makes propaganda difficult to counter. (Christopher Paul, Miriam Matthews of RAND Corporation). Though viewers may still oppose Russian policy and dislike Putin, RT's goal is for "a bit" of disinformation mud to "stick" to viewers and their doubts about Western institutions to grow. (Robert Pszczel, who ran NATO's information office in Moscow and watches Russia and the western Balkans for NATO.)
- Pushing different themes in different countries, which are often contradictory but all serve the Russian government's interests:
- presenting itself as a liberal alternative in the United States, but as the flagship of resurgent nationalist parties in Europe. (Patrick Hilsman)
- warning domestic Russian audiences of the dangers of COVID-19 and the need for preventive measures, while saturating English, German, French, Spanish, and Arabic-language platforms with COVID-19 misinformation and conspiracy theories.
- RT (and other Russian propaganda media) may broadcast different "themes or messages", different accounts of "contested events", and may change their account (their "falsehood or misrepresentation") if it is "exposed or ... not well received", moving "on to a new (though not necessarily more plausible) explanation". An example being Russian media explanations for killing of 283 passengers and 15 crew from the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on 17 July 2014 while the plane was flying over pro-Russian separatist-controlled territory in Ukraine. The Dutch Safety Board (DSB) and the Dutch-led joint investigation team (JIT), concluded that the airliner was downed by a Russian Buk surface-to-air missile launched from the separatist-controlled territory, and American, German, Dutch and Australia investigations held Russia responsible. Russian media (LifeNews) first reported separatists had shot down a "Ukrainian Air Force An-26 transport plane" with a missile, calling it "a new victory for the Donetsk militia". Later, after it was clear the plane was civilian, offering a variety of theories of how the Ukrainian military was responsible. One theory offered and later discarded by RT was that the airliner may have been shot down by Ukraine in a failed attempt to assassinate Vladimir Putin, in a plot which was organised by Ukraine's "Western backers". (However Putin's flight route was hundreds of kilometres north of Ukraine.)
Disinformation and conspiracy theories
Academics, fact-checkers, and news reporters (including some current and former RT reporters) have identified RT as a purveyor of disinformation and conspiracy theories.
In 2010, The Economist magazine observed that RT's programming, while sometimes interesting and unobjectionable, and sometimes "hard-edged", also presents "wild conspiracy theories" that can be regarded as "kooky".
A 2013 article in Der Spiegel said that RT "uses a chaotic mixture of conspiracy theories and crude propaganda", pointing to a program that "mutated" the Boston Marathon bombing into a U.S. government conspiracy.
The launch of RT UK was the subject of much comment in the British press in late 2014. In The Observer, Nick Cohen accused the channel of consciously spreading conspiracy theories and of being a "prostitution of journalism". Oliver Kamm, a columnist for The Times, called on British broadcasting regulator Ofcom to act against this "den of deceivers".
Journalists at The Daily Beast and The Washington Post have observed that RT employs Tony Gosling, an exponent of long-discredited conspiracy theories concerning the alleged control of the world by Illuminati and the Czarist antisemitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
RT has broadcast stories about microchips being implanted into office workers in the EU to make them more "submissive"; about the "majority" of Europeans supporting Russian annexation of Crimea; the EU preparing "a form of genocide" against Russians; in Germany it falsely reported about a kidnapping of a Russian girl; that "NATO planned to store nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe"; that Hillary Clinton fell ill; it has also on many occasions misrepresented or invented statements from European leaders.
In 2017, RT started its own fact-checking project, FakeCheck, in response to accusations of spreading fake news. The Poynter Institute conducted a content analysis of FakeCheck and concluded it "mixes some legitimate debunks with other scantily sourced or dubiously framed 'fact checks.'" Ben Nimmo of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab found that four out of nine articles published in its first two weeks contained "inaccuracies and possible bias with irrelevant or insufficient evidence."
From the time of the 2014 pro-Russia unrest in Ukraine RT has repeatedly been exposed for producing fake news. In 2017, the channel was involved in a fake news scandal about a 'Putin burger' it claimed was on the menu in a New York diner, to celebrate the birthday of the Russian president Vladimir Putin. The 'Putin burger' story was quickly exposed as a fabrication, and RT removed it from their site.
When caught publishing false information, RT has frequently deleted the material from their site and made no further comment.
In 2022, the Centre for Democratic Integrity (CDI) published a comprehensive report "RT in Europe and beyond" which in detail describes disinformation and divisive activities of RT against European audience with focus on regional editions (French, Spanish, German, British), documenting specific disinformation campaigns.
In 2022, Martin Moore and Thomas Colley of King's College London noted that RT's coverage of the 2020 United States presidential election was anti-Joe Biden and pro-Trump, with RT promoting the Trump campaign's unfounded claims that Biden was the head of a "crime family", as well as allegations that Biden's son Hunter made corrupt business deals in Ukraine and China and possessed pictures of underage girls. RT also questioned Joe Biden's fitness for office and promoted unfounded rumors that he could only debate effectively with the use of headpieces and/or performance-enhancing drugs. Following the election, RT uncritically promoted Trump's unfounded claims of electoral fraud, and Moore and Colley noted that in its coverage of the electoral process, RT claimed that the process was "dysfunctional, fraudulent or futile".
Treatment of Putin and Medvedev
A 2007 article in The Christian Science Monitor stated that RT reported on the good job Putin was doing in the world and next to nothing on things like the conflict in Chechnya or the murder of government critics. According to a 2010 report by The Independent, RT journalists have said that coverage of sensitive issues in Russia is allowed, but direct criticism of Vladimir Putin or President Dmitry Medvedev was not. Masha Karp wrote in Standpoint magazine that contemporary Russian issues "such as the suppression of free speech and peaceful demonstrations, or the economic inefficiency and corrupt judiciary, are either ignored or their significance played down". In 2008, Stephen Heyman wrote in The New York Times that in RT's Russia, "corruption is not quite a scourge but a symptom of a developing economy".
Anti-Americanism and anti-Westernism
The New Republic writer James Kirchick accused the network of "often virulent anti-Americanism, worshipful portrayal of Russian leaders". Edward Lucas wrote in The Economist (quoted in Al Jazeera English) that the core of RT was "anti-Westernism". Julia Ioffe wrote: "Often, it seemed that Russia Today was just a way to stick it to the U.S. from behind the façade of legitimate newsgathering." Shaun Walker wrote in The Independent that RT "has made a name for itself as a strident critic of US policy". Alessandra Stanley wrote in The New York Times that RT is "like the Voice of America, only with more money and a zesty anti-American slant". David Weigel writes that RT goes further than merely creating distrust of the United States government, to saying, in effect: "You can trust the Russians more than you can trust those bastards."
Russian studies professor Stephen F. Cohen stated in 2012 that RT does a lot of stories that "reflect badly" on the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and much of Western Europe and that they are "particularly aggrieved by American sermonizing abroad". Citing that RT compares stories about Russia allowing mass protests of the 2011–2012 Russian election protests with those of U.S. authorities nationwide arresting members of the Occupy movement. Cohen states that despite the pro-Kremlin slant, "any intelligent viewer can sort this out. I doubt that many idiots find their way to RT".
RT America has described journalists as "Russiagate conspiracy theorists" for covering Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Russian journalist, former press secretary of the head of the UN Mission in South Africa, Yuri Sigov, wrote that when covering Canada, Russia Today presents information selectively. This is almost always negative information aimed at fulfilling political orders.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
RT, particularly the former RT presenter Abby Martin, has been accused of being anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian by The Algemeiner and Israel National News. Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman made a complaint to Putin at their official meeting in 2012.
Climate change denial
In November 2021, a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate described RT as being among "ten fringe publishers" that together were responsible for nearly 70 percent of Facebook user interactions with content that denied climate change. Facebook disputed the study's methodology.
COVID-19 misinformation
Compared to RT's coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic for its viewers in Russia, RT's coverage of the pandemic for its international viewers was saturated with COVID-19 misinformation and conspiracy theories. RT urged domestic Russian audiences to vaccinate and wear masks to prevent COVID-19, while advocating against virus-prevention measures on its English, German, French, Spanish, and Arabic-language platforms.
Responses
States
European Union – Sanctions against Dmitry Kiselyov, the head of Russia's state-controlled Rossiya Segodnya and RT television presenter, have been in place since the 2014 invasion and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. The EU Council cites Kiselyov to be a "central figure of the government propaganda supporting the deployment of Russian forces in Ukraine". Initially, Russian state-owned media outlets were not banned and continued to be available in the EU, with the exception of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The European Parliament Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation (INGE) described RT as "actively engaging in disinformation activities" and highlighted that RT and Sputnik are pushing local broadcasters in Europe off from the market thanks to massive funding from Russian Federation. Editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan was sanctioned by the European Union on 23 February 2022 when Russia recognized the Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway states. On 27 February 2022, the EU banned RT and Sputnik from broadcasting in its member countries, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Australia – Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher requested the partially Australian government funded public service broadcaster SBS suspend broadcasts of RT and NTV news programming on its World Watch platform. Fletcher stated, "Given the current actions of the Russian government [2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine], and the lack of genuinely independent Russian media, this is a responsible decision." SBS suspended the aforementioned broadcasts on 25 February 2022. The RT channel was removed from Australian pay TV provider Foxtel's listings the next day due to concerns about the situation in Ukraine.
Canada – On 16 March 2022, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission banned RT and RT France from broadcasting in Canada.
Germany – After failing to obtain a broadcast license compliant with the State Media Treaty [de], RT DE was banned in Germany by the Commission for Licensing and Supervision [de] (ZAK) on 2 February 2022. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded with "retaliatory measures" to remove German broadcaster Deutsche Welle from Russia.
Gibraltar – Chief Minister Fabian Picardo requested a nationwide ban of RT on 25 February 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, describing RT as "a dangerous source of disinformation that Gibraltar cannot accept on its networks". Television providers in Gibraltar agreed to suspend broadcasts of RT.
Latvia – At the end of June 2020, after new amendments to the Law on Electronic Media were made, seven RT channels were banned in Latvia for being under the control of Dmitry Kiselyov who had been sanctioned by the European Union since 2014. Chairperson of the National Electronic Mass Media Council Ivars Āboliņš said they will be asking all EU state regulators to follow their example and restrict RT in their territory. Kiselyov called the decision "an indicator of the level of stupidity and ignorance of the Latvian authorities, blinded by Russophobia".
Lithuania – Linas Antanas Linkevičius, Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, posted on Twitter on 9 March 2014 amid the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, "Russia Today propaganda machine is no less destructive than military marching in Crimea". It was banned by the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania on 8 July 2020. The decision of both Latvian and Lithuanian authorities was criticised by Reporters Without Borders as "misuse of the EU sanctions policy".
Poland – The National Broadcasting Council banned RT in Poland on 24 February 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine – RT has been banned in Ukraine by the Ministry of Internal Affairs since August 2014, following the invasion and annexation of Ukrainian territory.
United Kingdom – On 18 March 2022, ANO TV Novosti's broadcasting license was revoked by Ofcom, effectively banning RT from being broadcast. This was taken in the wake of RT UK being funded by the Russian government, which, when combined with their promotion of Russian state narratives with regard to sanctions and its invasion of Ukraine, was deemed a violation of neutrality standards. This came after an investigation was launched on 2 March 2022 in these matters, also involving the invasion.
United States – In September 2017, the US Department of Justice compelled RT to file paperwork under the Foreign Agents Registration Act in the United States. Previously, the United States Secretary of State John Kerry had referred to RT as a state-sponsored "propaganda bullhorn" and he continued by saying, "Russia Today [sic] network has deployed to promote president Putin's fantasy about what is playing out on the ground. They almost spend full-time devoted to this effort, to propagandize, and to distort what is happening or not happening in Ukraine." RT responded that they wanted "an official response from the U.S. Department of State substantiating Mr. Kerry's claims". Richard Stengel from the U.S. Department of State responded. Stengel stated in his response, "RT is a distortion machine, not a news organization", concluding that "the network and its editors should not pretend that RT is anything other than another player in Russia's global disinformation campaign against the people of Ukraine and their supporters". However, Stengel supports RT's right to broadcast in the United States.
Political involvement
In April 2017, during his successful run for President of France, Emmanuel Macron's campaign team banned both RT and the Sputnik news agency from campaign events. A Macron spokesperson said the two outlets showed a "systematic desire to issue fake news and false information". Macron later said during a press conference that RT and Sputnik were "agencies of influence and propaganda, lying propaganda—no more, no less". RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan characterized Macron's remarks on RT as an attack on freedom of speech.
In October 2017, Twitter banned both RT and Sputnik from advertising on their social networking service amid accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, sparking an angry response from the Russian foreign ministry. Twitter in August 2020 began to identify RT, along with other Russian and Chinese media outlets, as "state-affiliated media" in a prominent place at the top of their accounts on the social media platform.
In November 2017, Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt announced that Google will be "deranking" stories from RT and Sputnik in response to allegations about election meddling by President Putin's government, provoking an accusation of censorship from both outlets.
In March 2018, John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor of the British Labour Party, advised fellow Labour MPs to boycott RT and said he would no longer appear on the channel. He said: "We tried to be fair with them and as long as they abide by journalistic standards that are objective that's fine but it looks as if they have gone beyond that line". A party representative said: "We are keeping the issue under review".
In July 2019, the UK Foreign Office banned both RT and Sputnik from attending the Global Conference for Media Freedom in London for "their active role in spreading disinformation". The Russian Embassy called the decision "direct politically motivated discrimination", while RT responded in a statement: "It takes a particular brand of hypocrisy to advocate for freedom of press while banning inconvenient voices and slandering alternative media."
Other responses
2008–2012
During the 2008 South Ossetia War, RT correspondent William Dunbar resigned after the network refused to let him report on Russian airstrikes of civilian targets, stating, "any issue where there is a Kremlin line, RT is sure to toe it". According to Variety, sources at RT confirmed that Dunbar had resigned, saying that it was not over bias. One senior RT journalist told the magazine, "the Russian coverage I have seen has been much better than much of the Western coverage... Russian news coverage is largely pro-Russia, but that is to be expected."
Shaun Walker, the Moscow correspondent for The Independent, said that RT had "instructed reporters not to report from Georgian villages within South Ossetia that had been ethnically cleansed". Julia Ioffe wrote that an RT journalist whose reporting deviated from "the Kremlin line that Georgians were slaughtering unarmed Ossetians" was reprimanded. Human Rights Watch said that RT's claim of 2,000 South Ossetian casualties was exaggerated.
In 2012, Jesse Zwick of The New Republic criticized RT, stating it held that "civilian casualties in Syria are minimal, foreign intervention would be disastrous, and any humanitarian appeals from Western nations are a thin veil for a NATO-backed move to isolate Iran, China, and Russia". He wrote that RT wants to "make the United States look out of line for lecturing Russia". Zwick also wrote that RT provided a "disproportionate amount of time" to covering libertarian Republican Ron Paul during his 2012 presidential campaign. Writing after her 2014 on-air resignation, Liz Wahl suggested the reason for this "wasn't his message of freedom and liberty but his non-interventionist stance and consistent criticism of U.S. foreign policy. His message fit RT's narrative that the United States is a huge bully." In a June 2011 broadcast of Adam vs. the Man, host Adam Kokesh endorsed fundraising for Paul, leading to a complaint to the Federal Election Commission charging a political contribution had been made by a foreign corporation. Kokesh said his cancellation in August was related to Paul's aide Jesse Benton rather than the complaint.
In September 2012, UK broadcast regulator Ofcom found that two Libyan dispatches broadcast by RT's Lizzie Phelan in a year earlier were in breach of its code on accuracy and impartiality. The following November, RT was again found in breach of impartiality rules in relation to its coverage of the Syrian conflict. An August 2013 story concerning unverified reports of the killing of 450 Kurdish civilians near the Turkey-Syria border was also found to have breached Ofcom's rules. That December, Ofcom found RT in breach of its standards in relation to the impartiality of a documentary entitled "Syrian Diary" broadcast the previous March. Speaking in 2014 former RT reporter Sara Firth said that there had previously been examples of senior editorial interference, and that she had been pulled out of Syria after some "very heated discussions" about the channel's coverage.
2014
On 4 March 2014, Breaking The Set host Abby Martin, speaking directly to her viewing audience during the show's closing statement, said that even though she works for RT, she is against Russia's intervention in Ukraine. She said that "what Russia did is wrong", as she is against intervention by any nation into other countries' affairs. Later, Martin asserted that RT still supports her despite her differences of opinion with the Russian government. RTs press office suggested that Martin would be sent to Crimea and responded to accusations of propaganda, stating "the charges of propaganda tend to pop up every time a news outlet, particularly RT, dares to show the side of events that does not fit the mainstream narrative, regardless of the realities on the ground. This happened in Georgia, this is happening in Ukraine". Glenn Greenwald said that American media elites love to mock Russian media, especially RT, as being a source of shameless pro-Putin propaganda, where free expression is strictly barred. Agreeing the "network has a strong pro-Russian bias", he suggested that Martin's action "remarkably demonstrated what 'journalistic independence' means".
On 5 March 2014, RT Washington, D.C. bureau anchor Liz Wahl resigned on air, blaming RT for propaganda. Wahl stated that what "broke" her was that RT censored a question from her interview with Ron Paul about "Russia's intervention in Ukraine". In response, RT released a statement: "When a journalist disagrees with the editorial position of his or her organization, the usual course of action is to address those grievances with the editor, and, if they cannot be resolved, to quit like a professional. But when someone makes a big public show of a personal decision, it is nothing more than a self-promotional stunt. We wish Liz the best of luck on her chosen path". In a March 2014 Politico article, Wahl stated: "For about two and a half years. I'd looked the other way as the network smeared America for the sake of making the Kremlin look better by comparison, while it sugarcoated atrocities by one brutal dictator after another."
When asked about a clip of her interviewing a guest on RT by Brian Stelter, host of CNN's Reliable Sources, Wahl responded,
They get these extreme voices on that have this kind of hostile toward the West viewpoints towards the world, very extremist. These are the people that they have on. And when I was on the anchor desk, they would instruct you to egg on these guests and try to get them, you know, rallied up, to really fire off their anti-American talking points. Listen, I'm all about exposing government corruption. I'm all about being critical of the government. But this is different. This is promoting the foreign policy of somebody that has just invaded a country, has invaded the country and is then lying about it, is using the media as a tool to fulfill his foreign policy interests. And RT is part of Putin's propaganda network and it's very, very troubling in the wake of what is going on in Ukraine today.
The New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof commented on CNN's Piers Morgan Live about Wahl's and Martin's initial actions, saying that he "admire their outspokenness but, you know, at the end of the day, RT is a Russian propaganda arm, and I don't think it's going to matter very much to the geopolitical consequences here".
Former RT Moscow anchor Staci Bivens, and other former RT journalists speaking under anonymity according to BuzzFeed, said they regretted working for the network, citing their dislike of the network's use of propaganda. Bivens, for example, was explicitly asked to go to Germany and procure a story proving that "Germany is a failed state". When she refused, other reporters were sent instead.
Steve Bloomfield, the foreign editor of Monocle wrote that RT's "coverage of Ukraine could not have been kinder to Moscow if Vladimir Putin had chosen the running order himself. While Putin kept up the pretence that there were no Russian troops in Crimea, so too did RT. The storming of government buildings across eastern Ukraine has been portrayed as the understandable actions of peace-loving protesters who fear "chaos" in Kiev".
After the July 2014 crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, RT rushed to blame others for the plane's shoot-down in Ukraine amid accusations by Ukrainian fighters of Russian involvement in the crash. Speaking of RT's coverage, Sarah Oates, professor of journalism at the University of Maryland said: "But if you're going to engage in propaganda, you have to do it well. They have completely embarrassed themselves."
Sara Firth, a London-based correspondent with RT resigned in protest over the network's coverage of the MH17 disaster. Shortly before resigning, she tweeted, "RT style guide Rule 1: It is ALWAYS * Ukraine's fault (* add name as applicable)". She told The Guardian: "I walked into the newsroom and there was an eyewitness account making allegations and analysis, if you can call it, from our correspondent in the studio. It was just appalling, in a situation like that where there are families waiting to be informed and a devastating loss of life." She also noted that "There is bias against Russia but you don't counter wrong by doing even more wrong" and stated "I have always said it's better to have RT than to not have that perspective, but actually with a story like this and the way they misreport it, it's quite dangerous, I don't want to be party to it." In follow-up interview she said: "In Ukraine, you're taking a very small part of a much wider story, totally omitted the context of the story, and so what you wind up with on air is outright misinformation." Calling RT "mass information manipulation", Firth said: "they have a very clear idea in their mind of what they're trying to prove". She also stated that "The worst-kept secret is that RT is blatant propaganda. I'm one in a very long line of people who have left for the same reason."
The following November, RT was again found in breach of Ofcom's impartiality rules, this time in relation to its coverage of the Ukraine crisis, specifically events leading up to the annexation by Russia of Crimea. For repeated breaches of its due impartiality rules, Ofcom put RT management "on notice that any future breaches of the due impartiality rules may result in further regulatory action, including consideration of a statutory sanction".
2015–2016
In January 2015, Ofcom found RT (and the BBC) not in breach of rules on generally accepted standards following a complaint about the use of graphic imagery of bodies at the MH17 crash site.
Following the March 2015 European Council summit which concluded that action was needed to "challenge Russia's ongoing disinformation campaigns", the European External Action Service was tasked to respond. European Parliament briefing notes on the situation called RT "Russia's main international media weapon". The counter-propaganda strategy subsequently developed by the EastStratCom Task Force, a small group of eight officials, included launching the EU vs Disinformation website with a headline of "don't be deceived, question even more".
In September 2015, Ofcom found RT in breach of the impartiality rules in its coverage of the events in Ukraine and Syria. It also upheld the complaint by the BBC that allegations made in an episode of The Truthseeker that a BBC Panorama film, Saving Syria's Children, had faked a parts of a report on a chemical weapon attack in Syria were "materially misleading".
In an episode of The Truthseeker, named Genocide of Eastern Ukraine, they stated that the Ukrainian government was deliberately bombing civilians and had murdered and tortured journalists, as well as crucifying babies. Ukrainian army forces were accused of "ethnic cleansing" and were compared to the Nazis in World War Two. The only response to the allegations in the broadcast was in the form of a caption saying "Kiev claims it is not committing genocide, denies casualty reports", which appeared on screen for six seconds. According to Ofcom the broadcast had "little or no counterbalance or objectivity".
Main article: Crucified BoyA spokesperson for the media regulator said: "Ofcom found that RT broadcast content that was either materially misleading or not duly impartial. These are significant failings and we are therefore requiring RT to broadcast two clear statements on our decision which correct these failures."
In October 2015, David J. Kramer, senior director for human rights and democracy at the McCain Institute for International Leadership, suggested that Western countries freeze RT's assets "not because of the odious things it spews" but as part of the Yukos shareholder case.
A report released by the US think-tank the RAND Corporation in 2016 called RT part of "a wider Russian propaganda operation" named the "Firehose of Falsehood". The paper called "Russian faux-news propaganda channels, such as RT" insidious and that "they look like news programs, and the persons appearing on them are represented as journalists and experts, making audience members much more likely to ascribe credibility to the misinformation these sources are disseminating".
In July 2016, Ofcom again found RT in breach of its impartiality rules, this time over coverage of the Turkish government's treatment of Kurdish people. Two episodes of Going Underground originally broadcast in March, included claims of attacks, atrocities and genocide against the Kurds, and that "Turkey supports ISIS" without offering adequate counterbalance. RT's representatives stated the network "finds it especially difficult to obtain pro-Turkey views for its programming" because of "political tensions between Russia and Turkey following the downing of a Russian military aircraft by Turkish warplanes in November 2015".
In November 2016, after the US presidential election, The Washington Post reported that RT and Sputnik were "state-funded Russian information services that mimic the style and tone of independent news organizations yet sometimes include false and misleading stories in their reports" and also that "RT, Sputnik and other Russian sites used social-media accounts to amplify misleading stories already circulating online". The Post was criticized by The Intercept and Fortune for relying in part on an analysis by PropOrNot.
In December 2016, Ofcom found RT in breach of its impartiality rules for the 10th time since the English-language channel launched. A Crosstalk episode broadcast the previous July, contained a debate about the NATO 2016 Warsaw summit in which all members of the panel expressed critical views. RT's representatives again stated that they couldn't find anybody with alternative opinions willing to take part, and that captions with pro-NATO comments should have been added before broadcast, but the wrong text was accidentally used.
2017–2018
On 12 January 2017, RT was accidentally broadcast for around 10 minutes on a web stream of U.S. public affairs service C-SPAN. RT stated that while it was testing its systems in preparation for the inauguration of Donald Trump, its signal was "mistakenly routed onto the primary encoder feeding C-SPAN1's signal to the internet, rather than to an unused backup".
On 19 January 2017, RT stated that it had been temporarily restricted from posting media on its Facebook page until 21 January, after the service said that RT had infringed on the copyrights of Radio Liberty's Current Now TV when broadcasting a live stream of Barack Obama's final press conference as president of the United States. Current Time TV said that it had not sent any specific complaints to Facebook, and both RT and Current Now TV stated that they had obtained their feed from the Associated Press. The restriction was removed after about 20 hours, and Facebook did not say officially if this was because of a technical error or a policy issue.
In September 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice informed RT America that it must register as a foreign agent of the Russian government. Margarita Simonyan, RT's editor-in-chief, condemned the action as an assault on freedom of speech. A spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry threatened retaliatory measures against American journalists.
On 13 November 2017, RT America officially registered as a "foreign agent" in the United States with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Under the act, RT will be required to disclose financial information. This move was criticized by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which stated: "We're uncomfortable with governments deciding what constitutes journalism or propaganda".
In December 2018, the British media regulator Ofcom ruled that seven programmes broadcast by RT between 17 March and 26 April of that year, in the wake of the Salisbury nerve agent attacks, had breached the UK's impartiality rules; the BBC reported that RT was "extremely disappointed by Ofcom's conclusions". RT was fined £200,000 but kept its licence to broadcast in the UK. RT described Ofcom's actions against it as "inappropriate and disproportionate per Ofcom's own track record".
2021
German journalist Daniel Lange employed by RT DE left the station in protest against its operation to spy on Alexey Navalny while he was undergoing treatment in a hospital in Germany after being poisoned by FSB. According to Lange, the assignment had nothing to do with journalism as he was instructed in the first place to test the security of the hospital, describe number of internal checkpoints and his RT leadership clearly indicated collected information will not be used for publication. Lange also described reporting bias in the RT where he was instructed by the editor to specifically select footage showing "all the filth of Germany".
Russia threatened to ban YouTube in September for deleting the RT channels, RT DE and Der Fehlende Part. The platform had banned the RT channels for breaking its policies on spreading COVID-19 misinformation and for using the second channel to circumvent an initial week-long suspension.
2022
In January, the State Department's Global Engagement Center (GEC) published a report titled "Kremlin-Funded Media: RT and Sputnik's Role in Russia's Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem." Its case studies included one on "false narratives" published by RT concerning the Russian military buildup on the Ukrainian border.
Employees and associates of RT and its subsidiary Ruptly in multiple countries, including the UK and Germany, resigned in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, with some attributing their departures to the Russian government's prohibition of using the word "invasion" to describe the military offensive. Frédéric Taddeï quit his role as host of the RT France talk show Interdit d'interdire on 23 February when Russia recognized the Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway states immediately preceding the invasion. Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond suspended his RT talk show, The Alex Salmond Show, on 24 February after receiving public criticism following the invasion. A number of British journalists based both in RT's offices in Moscow and at RT UK's now-disbanded offices in London resigned from the network in response to its coverage of the invasion; according to The Times, four have "publicly announced their resignation, while others are said to have quietly left RT's London bureau".
On 25 February, hacking group Anonymous claimed a distributed denial of service attack on the network's website, in support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The following day, Alphabet Inc., the owners of Google, temporarily barred RT from receiving any financial return from their ads on their YouTube platform.
2024
In September 2024, the United States indicted two RT employees in New York and imposed sanctions on RT executives. Attorney General Merrick Garland accused RT of paying Tenet Media, a right-wing media company in Tennessee, to promote Russian propaganda to U.S. audiences to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. The same month, Antony Blinken announced additional sanctions against RT-affiliated entities and individuals, stating that in 2023 RT established a unit with "cyber operational capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence" as well as cooperation with Global South allies to counter RT. RT was also accused of covertly fundraising to procure body armor, sniper rifles, and other equipment for Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
Awards and nominations
- June 2007 – The 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival awarded its Grand Prix to RT's Meeting with Nature series.
- November 2007 – RT's report on the anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe received a special prize from the international 2007 AIB Media Excellence Awards
- September 2008 – Russia's TEFI to Kevin Owen in Best News Anchor category
- January 2009 – Silver World Medal from the New York Festivals, for Best News Documentary "A city of desolate mothers"
- August 2010 – First nomination for an International Emmy Award in News category for its coverage of president Barack Obama's trip to Russia.
- August 2012 – Second nomination for an International Emmy Award for its coverage of the international Occupy Wall Street movement.
- May 2014 – Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" from President of Russia Vladimir Putin to editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan for coverage of the Russo-Ukrainian War
- August 2014 – Third nomination for an International Emmy Award for its coverage of the Guantanamo Bay hunger strikes.
- August 2016 – Fourth nomination for an International Emmy Award for its coverage of the 70th anniversary session of the United Nations General Assembly.
See also
- Disinformation in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Freedom of the press in Russia
- Media of Russia
- Russia Beyond
- Russian–Ukrainian information war
- Soviet Central Television
- RTLM
Explanatory notes
- 1. Writing in The New York Times, Stephen Heyman estimated that more than $100 million had been spent on the station as of May 2008.
References
Notes
- Although videos and channels may appear in search results, the videos are unwatchable, with UK users given the message: "This channel is not available in your country".
Citations
- ^
- ^
- "Contact info". RT International. Archived from the original on 20 January 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^
- ^ Moore, Matthew (10 February 2018). "Company behind Grenfell YouTube film has links to Kremlin". The Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Donie; Griffin, Drew; Devine, Curt; Shubert, Atika (18 February 2019). "Russia is backing a viral video company aimed at American millennials". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ File:ANO TV-Novosti (Federal Tax Service of Russia, Unified State Register of Legal Entities).pdf
- Pisnia, Natalka (15 November 2017). "Why has RT registered as a foreign agent with the US?". BBC News. Washington. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ Haigh, Maria; Haigh, Thomas; Kozak, Nadine I. (26 October 2018). "Stopping Fake News". Journalism Studies. 19 (14). Routledge: 2062–2087. doi:10.1080/1461670X.2017.1316681. ISSN 1461-670X. S2CID 152142122. Retrieved 1 March 2022 – via Taylor & Francis.
- ^ Golovchenko, Yevgeniy; Hartmann, Mareike; Adler-Nissen, Rebecca (1 September 2018). "State, media and civil society in the information warfare over Ukraine: citizen curators of digital disinformation" (PDF). International Affairs. 94 (5). Oxford University Press: 975–994. doi:10.1093/ia/iiy148. ISSN 0020-5850. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
Particularly in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine that erupted in 2013–2014, the Kremlin has been accused of orchestrating disinformation campaigns against the Ukrainian government and western countries by using online trolls and state-controlled online outlets such as RT (formerly known as Russia Today), Sputnik and Life News.
- ^ Hellman, Maria; Wagnsson, Charlotte (3 April 2017). "How can European states respond to Russian information warfare? An analytical framework" (PDF). European Security. 26 (2). Taylor & Francis: 153–170. doi:10.1080/09662839.2017.1294162. S2CID 157635419. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2022 – via Charles University.
- ^ Al-Rawi, Ahmed (12 February 2021). "How did Russian and Iranian trolls' disinformation toward Canadian issues diverge and converge?". Digital War. 2 (1–3). Palgrave Macmillan: 21–34. doi:10.1057/s42984-020-00029-4. ISSN 2662-1983. S2CID 258704949.
- Denton, Allison (16 April 2019). "Fake News: The Legality of the Russian 2016 Facebook Influence Campaign" (PDF). Boston University International Law Journal. 37. Boston University School of Law: 209. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
Additionally, the U.S. is not the only country that has been targeted by Russian influence campaigns. Russia has been accused of conducting another influence campaign prior to the 2017 French election between Marine Le Pen (Russia's pick) and Emmanuel Macron. Before the election, Kremlin-controlled news sources Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik reported that Macron was secretly gay, and that he was backed by a "very rich gay lobby."
- ^ Nassetta, Jack; Gross, Kimberly (30 October 2020). "State media warning labels can counteract the effects of foreign misinformation". Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review. Harvard University: Harvard Kennedy School. doi:10.37016/mr-2020-45. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
However, when it comes to disinformation from state-controlled media sources platforms' options are more limited. Most often channels like Russia's RT and Iran's PressTV do not technically violate a platform's terms of service and so cannot be removed. However, they still play a vital role in the disinformation ecosystem. Not only do they put out disinformation through their websites and social media channels, they are key nodes in coordinated campaigns, as well. For instance, the content originally posted on RT will be reposted down a chain of websites until it appears to be an organic article on an American outlet (Nimmo, 2017).
- ^ Fisher, Max (13 June 2013). "In case you weren't clear on Russia Today's relationship to Moscow, Putin clears it up". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ Nimmo, Ben (8 January 2018). "Question That: RT's Military Mission". Atlantic Council-Digital Forensic Research Lab. medium.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- "Журнал Стандарт / №09(80) сентябрь 2009Вести с эфирного фронта | ComNews". www.comnews.ru. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- "Archive of the official site of the 2008–2012 Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin". Government of Russia. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- Перечень системообразующих организаций, утвержденный Правительственной комиссией по повышению устойчивости развития российской экономики [List of systemically important institutions approved by the Government Commission on Sustainable Development of the Russian Economy] (in Russian). government.ru. Archived from the original (DOC) on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- Правительство РФ приняло перечень системообразующих организаций [The Russian government has adopted a list of backbone organizations]. RBK Group (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ^ von Twickel, Nikolaus (23 March 2010). "Russia Today courts viewers with controversy". Russia Beyond. Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ Darcy, Oliver (4 March 2022). "RT America ceases productions and lays off most of its staff". CNN Business. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- Sloss, David L. (12 April 2022). Tyrants on Twitter: Protecting Democracies from Information Warfare. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-1-5036-3115-1. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2022 – via Google Books.
Ruptly, a subsidiary of RT that specializes in video, has 230,000 likes on Facebook, 52,000 Twitter followers, and 304,000 YouTube subscribers in the UK.
- Chobanyan, Karina (2020). Vartanova, Elena; Gladkova, Anna (eds.). "Up for a challenge? Digital practices of 24-hour news channels" (PDF). World of Media (3). Moscow State University: 50. ISSN 2686-8016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
RT, which owns Ruptly news agency, likes to post its raw footage of world events.
- Cohen, Howard (May 2018). "Tech Tock...: Time is Running Out to Find Solutions to Mis- and Disinformation and Privacy Problems". Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Harvard University: Harvard Kennedy School. pp. 17–18. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
Ruptly is a news agency created by Russian funded news channel RT in 2013 to rival Reuters and AP. Finally, it is very transparent about following the same agenda as RT: "Ruptly builds on and extends the core strengths and values of our parent company RT."
- "Russia Uses State Television to Sway Opinion at Home and Abroad". Der Spiegel. 30 May 2014. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
Moscow is looking beyond the short-term, seeking to influence opinion in the long-run to create "an alternative discourse in Western countries as well," says Margarita Simonyan, editor in chief of Kremlin foreign broadcaster RT, formerly known as Russia Today, which owns Ruptly.
- "В Минске задержаны двое стрингеров видеоагентства Ruptly" [Two stringers of video agency Ruptly detained in Minsk]. Interfax (in Russian). 9 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
Двух стрингеров видеоагентства Ruptly задержали в Минске, сообщил владелец сервиса, телеканал RT.
[Two stringers of the Ruptly video agency were detained in Minsk, the owner of the service, RT TV channel, said.] - Zara, Christopher (11 April 2019). "What is Ruptly? Julian Assange arrest video footage raises eyebrows about RT-owned outlet". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- "RT's video agency Ruptly beats UK media to Julian Assange footage". Press Gazette. 11 April 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
The footage captured by Ruptly showed Assange for the first time in about a year, now sporting a long white beard. He could be heard shouting "the UK has no sovereignty" and "the UK must resist this attempt by the Trump administration..." as he was dragged out by five police officers and put into a van.
- Aro, Jessikka (6 March 2021). "Emilia Seikkanen Worked in a Trendy Video Start-Up in Berlin – Tells All about the Kremlin's Global Information Operation". Yle. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
The company left out the essential information in its job vacancy advertisements: Ruptly is the subsidiary of the Russian state-funded media company RT, formerly Russia Today. It's located in the same office as RT's German media branch, named RT Deutsch.
- Harris, Shane; Nakashima, Ellen (21 August 2020). "With a mix of covert disinformation and blatant propaganda, foreign adversaries bear down on final phase of presidential campaign". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- Birnbaum, Emily (25 February 2019). "Facebook restores previously suspended Russia-linked pages". The Hill. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- Langdon, Kate C.; Tismaneanu, Vladimir (9 July 2019). "Russian Foreign Policy: Freedom for Whom, to Do What?". Putin's Totalitarian Democracy: Ideology, Myth, and Violence in the Twenty-First Century. Springer International. pp. 189–224. ISBN 978-3-030-20579-9. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2021 – via Google Books.
Soviet-born British journalist Peter Pomerantsev documented the typical newsroom antics in one of Russia's largest propaganda outlets, RT News (formerly known as Russia Today). When his acquaintance composed a piece that referenced the Soviet Union's occupation of Estonia in 1945, the writer was chewed out by his boss, who maintained the belief that Russians saved Estonia. Any other descriptions of the events of 1945 were unacceptable assaults on Russia's integrity, apparently, so the boss demanded that he amend his text.
- Reire, Gunda (2015). "Euro-Atlantic values and Russia's propaganda in the Euro-Atlantic space" (PDF). Rocznik Instytutu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. 13 (4). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021 – via Center for International Studies.
Nowadays, Russia attacks the Western value of rationality and uses the argument of "the second opinion" or plurality of opinions. The phrase "the second opinion" has even become the slogan of RT. For instance, this propaganda channel used the public opinion's contention as to the nature of the Iraq war, to sell itself as an impartial, objective media outlet in the USA. Overall, Russian propaganda involves a clash of political systems, which is more dangerous than the old-school Soviet propaganda.
- Benkler, Yochai; Faris, Rob; Roberts, Hal (October 2018). "Epistemic Crisis". Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation and Radicalization in American Politics. Oxford University Press. p. 358. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190923624.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-092362-4. OCLC 1045162158. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
The emphasis on disorientation appears in the literature on modern Russian propaganda, both in inward-focused applications and in its international propaganda outlets, Sputnik and RT (formerly, Russia Today). Here, the purpose is not to convince the audience of any particular truth but instead to make it impossible for people in the society subject to the propagandist's intervention to tell truth from non-truth.
- Karlsen, Geir Hågen (5 August 2016). "Tools of Russian Influence: Information and Propaganda". In Matláry, Janne Haaland; Heier, Tormod (eds.). Ukraine and Beyond. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 199. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-32530-9_9. ISBN 978-3-319-32530-9. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via Google Books.
The propaganda apparatus proper consists of four means: media, social media, political communication and diplomacy, and covert active measures, all tied together in a coordinated manner. The main international media channel is the RT broadcaster and website, formerly known as Russia Today. It is complemented by Sputnik radio and website, news and video agencies, and the Russia Beyond the Headlines news supplement, making up a news conglomerate operating in almost 40 languages.
- Ižak, Štefan (January 2019). "(Ab)using the topic of migration by pro-Kremlin propaganda: Case study of Slovakia" (PDF). Journal of Comparative Politics. 12 (1). University of Economics in Bratislava / University of Ljubljana / Alma Mater Europaea: 58. ISSN 1338-1385. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
Almost all important media in Russia are state controlled and used to feed Russian audience with Kremlin propaganda. For international propaganda Kremlin uses agencies like RT and Sputnik. Both are available in many language variations and in many countries (Hansen 2017). Aim of this propaganda is to exploit weak spots and controversial topics (in our case migration to the EU) and use them to harm integrity of the West (Pomerantsev and Weiss 2014).
- Oates, Sarah; Steiner, Sean (17 December 2018). "Projecting Power: Understanding Russian Strategic Narrative". Russia's Public Foreign Policy Narratives (PDF). Russian Analytical Digest. Vol. 17. University of Bremen: Research Centre for East European Studies. pp. 2–5. doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000311091. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021 – via ETH Zurich.
The analysis of Russian strategic narrative allows us to understand more clearly the logic in Russian propaganda found on English-language outlets such as RT and more effectively deter Russian information aggression.
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The real-world repercussions of these objectives are identified through several forms of attack. The first is through disseminating official Russian state propaganda abroad via foreign language news channels as well as Western media. Most notable is the creation of the very successful government-financed international TV news channel, Russia Today (RT).
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The impact of Russian state-controlled news outlets—which are frequent sources of pro-Kremlin disinformation—is concentrated in one, highly popular news outlet, RT. When it comes to overt reach, the Russian government openly funds English-speaking outlets, such as Sputnik News and RT. These outlets serve as a frequent source of pro-Kremlin disinformation both according to scholars, fact-checkers and Western authorities (BBC, 2019; Elliot, 2019; Thornton, 2015).
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State or state-friendly media in Russia – Life News, NTV, Channel One Russia, and Russia 24—disseminate not just the Kremlin's narratives but also outright fakery to domestic audiences and those in the Russian-speaking space. These outlets spread the same stories via social media as well. RT, meanwhile, pushes this manipulated content out to international audiences.
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For comparative purposes, we also included two prominent Russian news sites which have featured in European policy discussions around disinformation, namely Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik. These Russian state-backed organisations are clearly different from sites that engage in for-profit fabrication of false news, but both independent fact-checkers and the EU's European External Action Service East Stratcom Task Force have identified multiple instances where these sites have published disinformation.
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Notorious examples of fake news masquerading as news can be found in reports broadcast on the U.S. cable news channel Fox News (Schram & Fording, 2018) and the Russian international television network RT (Russia Today; Dowling, 2017). Thus, there are also a number of fake news reports published by traditional media outlets (White, 2017), generating a consequent increase in distrust for traditional journalism (Siddique, 2018).
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Among the conspiratorial ideas that feature in RT's broadcasts, two types are of particular interest: the first includes genuinely American conspiracy theories; and the second includes ideas of conspiracy in relations between the US and Russia. The analysis of these two types of conspiracy theories offers an opportunity to explore how they are employed to undermine US domestic and foreign policies.
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Across our interviews, our respondents agreed that the goals of the channel since 2008 have been and still are as follows. First, to push the idea that Western countries have as many problems as Russia. Second, to encourage conspiracy theories about media institutions in the West in order to discredit and delegitimize them. This is clearly adherent to the channel's "Questions More" slogan. Third, to create controversy and to make people criticize the channel, because it suggests that the channel is important, an approach that would particularly help RT managers get more funding from the government.
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The channel has provided the likes of Alex Jones, Webster Tarpley, David Ray Griffin and Jim Marrs with the opportunity to promote, to an international audience, their ideas about the New World Order, 9/11, the Bilderberg group or the climate change conspiracy, all while being treated with absolute deference by the channel's journalists. Embedded video clips of appearances on Russia Today have become a regular feature on the websites of American conspiracy theorists, where they are brandished as a sign of credibility and mainstream recognition.
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OFCOM, the British broadcast regulator, has repeatedly singled out RT for its lack of impartiality
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Сейчас ни с кем не воюем. А вот в 2008 году воевали. Министерство обороны воевало с Грузией, а информационную войну вели мы, причем со всем западным миром. Ну невозможно только начинать делать оружие, когда война уже началась! Поэтому Министерство обороны сейчас ни с кем не воюет, но готово к обороне. Так и мы.
[Currently we are not at war with anyone. But in 2008 – we were. The Ministry of Defence was at war with Georgia, and we were waging an information war, and with the entire Western world. Well, it's impossible just to start making weapons when the war has already begun! Therefore, the Ministry of Defence is now not at war with anyone, but is ready for defense. So are we.] - Chappell, Bill (14 November 2017). "TV Company Linked To Russia's RT America Registers As Foreign Agent In U.S." NPR. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
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. Despite RT's attempts to market its shows as debates or discussions in which 'all things are considered,' pro-Kremlin statements are rarely questioned... RT listed false reasons justifying Russia's military buildup, including an alleged promise by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to General Secretary Gorbachev to not expand NATO, which Gorbachev said never happened, and the incorrect claim that Ukraine had outlawed the Russian language.
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External links
- Media related to Russia Today at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in English, German, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian)
- RT on Twitter (as of 17 September 2024 withheld in the European Union and the United Kingdom in response to a legal demand)
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