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"Russia Today" redirects here. For other uses, see Russia Today (disambiguation).
RT
CountryRussia
HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
Programming
Language(s)Arabic, English, Russian, Spanish
Ownership
OwnerRIA Novosti

RT, also known as Russia Today, is a state-funded[1] multilingual Russian-based television channel. It was founded by the state-owned[2] news agency RIA Novosti in 2005. Ria Novosti states that RT retains "complete legal, editorial and operational independence."[3] RT describes itself as an "autonomous non-profit organization".[4]

RT, according to its corporate profile, "covers the major issues of our time for viewers wishing to question more." RT presents round-the-clock news bulletins, documentaries, talk shows, and debates, as well as sports news and cultural programs on Russia aimed at the overseas news market.[5] RT has had some notable guests including heads of state Vladimir Putin,[6] Nouri Al-Maliki[7] and Rafael Correa.[8] These programs have earned RT awards, but have had a mixed reception, including criticisms and controversies.

RT broadcast through 22 satellite and 230 cable operators to 430 million people in over 100 countries, 22 percent of all cable subscribers worldwide. RT has over 2 million viewers in the United Kingdom[5] and has rivaled Al Jazeera as the most popular English-speaking foreign channel in Britain.[9] RT America states it is available to 85 million people in the United States.[10] It is the second most-watched foreign news channel after BBC News.[11] It is the number one foreign station in five U.S. urban areas.[12] According to Pew Research, RT is the number one source for the most popular news videos on YouTube.[13]


History

Foundation

Creation of Russia Today was a part of larger effort by Kremlin intended to improve the image of Russia abroad.[14] RT was conceived by former media minister Mikhail Lesin,[15] and Vladimir Putin’s press spokesperson Aleksei Gromov[16] 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."[15]

RT started broadcasting as "Russia Today" on 10 December 2005, initially with 300 journalists, including approximately 70 from outside Russia.[14] Russia Today’s editor-in-chief position was filled by Margarita Simonyan who recruited foreign journalists as presenters and consultants.[15] She said the channel’s intent was to have a "professional format" like the BBC, CNN and Euronews that would "reflect Russia's opinion of the world" and present a "more balanced picture" of Russia.[17]

Simonyan was a reportedly well-connected former Kremlin pool reporter, only 25 years old, who had been working 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, thus the youth of most of the staffers.[18] Journalist Danny Schechter, who has been a guest on RT[19], has stated that having been part of the start-up team for CNN, he saw RT as another “channel of young people who are inexperienced, but very enthusiastic about what they are doing."[20] Shortly after the channel was launched, James Painter wrote that Russia Today and similar stations like 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[21]

Growth

RT launched several new channels in ensuing years: the Arabic language channel Rusiya Al-Yaum in 2007, the Spanish language channel RT Actualidad in 2009, RT America which focuses on the United States in 2010, and the RT Documentary channel in 2011.[3]

In August 2007, RT had television's first ever live report from the North Pole, which lasted 5 minutes, 41 seconds. An RT crew participated in the Arktika 2007 Russian polar expedition, led by Artur Chilingarov on the Akademik Fyodorov icebreaker.[22][23] In December 2007 the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration broadcast RT's televised Moscow and Saint Petersburg celebrations.[23]

RT drew particular world attention for its coverage of the 2008 South Ossetia war.[24][25][23] RT portrayed the small country of Georgia as the aggressor[25] against the separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia which were protected by Russian troops.[26] RT was the only source of information in the West about the Russian position. RT saw this as the incident which showcased its news abilities to the world.[27] 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."[24]

In 2009 Russia Today rebranded itself to the more neutral "RT."[28] Margarita Simonyan denied it was an attempt to hide its Russian origin, saying the corporate logo was changed to attract more viewers and commenting "Who is interested in watching news from Russia all day long?”[3]

The early 2010 “Question More” advertising campaign created for RT in Britain by McCann Erickson was highly controversial.[29] One advertisement showed American 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 shows a Western soldier "merging" into a Taliban fighter and asks: "Is terror only inflicted by terrorists?"[30] One of RT’s 2010 billboard advertisements won the British Awards for National Newspaper Advertising “Ad of the Month.”[citation needed]

Russia Today is one of several international channels which have challenged the United States media which previously dominated global news coverage.[31] 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 for the programs because "We can't allow ourselves to be out-communicated by our enemies," mentioning specifically Russia Today, Iran's Press TV and China's China Central Television (“CCTV”) in the next sentence. He later explained he actually was referring to “enemies” in Afghanistan, not the nations he mentioned.[32] In 2011 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that the United States was “losing the information war” abroad to foreign channels like Russia Today, Al Jazeera, and China Central Television[33] and that they are supplanting the Voice of America.[34][35]

In early 2012 Shortly after his appointment as the United States Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul challenged Margarita Simonyan[36] over the Twitter in regards to allegations from RT[37] that he sent Alexei Navalny to study at Yale, tweeting, ""@M_Simonyan when we met at White House you asked me tell you when RT ran something untrue. On RT today, @McFaul sent @Navalny to Yale. Lie." [36][37] Though A few hours later Margarita Simonyan twitted back. "The Ambassador McFaul made us work overtime today! I made my guys sit down and watch all our programs on five channels. Nothing like this has been found. I think now the State Department owes our guys a bonus for working overnight." Simonyan also explained that "the only material in which McFaul was referred to Navalny was a comment of a political scientist Igor Panarin about the meetings on February 4, released not even on a TV channel, but published on the site of RT and accompanied by the obligatory in that case footnote: "The statements, views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT"."[38][39] Ambassador 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.[40]

In 2012 Pew Research found RT to be the most popular news channel on YouTube, with Fox News coming in second.[13]

The World Tomorrow

"World Tomorrow" title card
"World Tomorrow" title card

On April 17, 2012 RT began to broadcast the World Tomorrow, a news interview program hosted by Julian Assange. The first guest was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.[41] Since he rarely gives interviews, media described this as a "coup"[42][43] or a "scoop".[44][45] WikiLeaks described the show as "a series of in-depth conversations with key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries from around the world."[46] It says that the show is "independently produced and Assange has control”; WikiLeaks offers a “Broadcasters license, only”.[28] Anticipating criticism such as "There's Julian Assange, enemy combatant, traitor, getting into bed with the Kremlin and interviewing terrible radicals from around the world," Assange said that RT would allow his guests to say things they "could not say on a mainstream TV network."[47]Assange admitted that if Wikileaks had published Russian data, his relationship with RT might not have been so comfortable.[48]

In August 2012 RT suffered a denial of service attack for several days by a group calling itself “Antileaks.” It was speculated that the group was protesting Julian Assange and/or Russia’s jailing of members of the Pussy Riot group.[49]

2012 US presidential elections

On October 23, 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 the United States President.[50][51] On November 5 RT will broadcast the two candidates voted winners of that debate, Libertarian Party candidate Governor Gary Johnson and the Green Party of the United States candidate Jill Stein from RT’s Washington, DC studio.[52]

Organization

Former President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev visits RT offices with Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan.

State-owned Ria Novosti news agency, which founded RT, is one of the largest in Russia. Its Chair is Svetlana Mironyuk who has modernized the agency since her appointment in 2003.[53] RIA Novosti states it is helped establish RT but is "neither a sponsor nor a backer of Russia Today." It also appointed Margarita Simonyan to head Russia Today.[3] In 2007 RT offices were established in the same building as RIA-Novosti after the Russian Union of Journalists was forced to vacate them.[54] In 2008 Simonyan noted that more than 50 young RT journalists had gone on to take positions in large Western media outlets.[55] By 2010 RT had grown to a staff of 2000.[3]

RT cooperates with a number of media sources in Russia and abroad, including private media like Izvestia, Kommersant, Trud, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Vedomosti, Argumenty i Fakty and the non-Russian Association for International Broadcasting, Huffington Post, News.com.au and WhatReallyHappened.com.[56]

In June 2011 RT responded to the criticisms it is "state-run" by noting the official mission statements and funding of other well-known "state-run" television networks like the British Broadcasting Corporation ("BBC"), France 24, Germany's Deutsche Welle and the United States' Corporation for Public Broadcasting.[57] Margarita Simonyan told a reporter that the Kremlin would not dictate content and "Censorship by government in this country is prohibited by the constitution." She explained her job was "to bring the western image of Russia closer to what Russia really is."[58]

Budget

RT cost $30 million to establish in 2005[58] and $30 million for its first year of operation. About half of the network's budget came from the state and the other half from banks and companies friendly to the government.[21] Its budget in dollars was approximately $80 million in 2007, $120 million in 2008, $380 million in 2011 and $300 million in 2012.[59][60][61] Putin has prohibited funding for Russia Today from being reduced as of October 30, 2012http://en.gazeta.ru/news/2012/10/29/a_4828917.shtml.

Network

RT broadcast through 22 satellite and 230 cable operators to 430 million people in over 100 countries, 22 percent of all cable subscribers worldwide. In addition to its English-language broadcast, RT also runs Rusiya Al-Yaum, an Arabic language channel, and Actualidad RT, a Spanish-language channel, as well as a documentary channel, RTDoc. RT has 21 bureaus in 16 countries, including Washington, D.C., New York, London, Paris, Delhi, Cairo, Baghdad, Kiev. It employs over 2,000 media professionals worldwide.[5]

RT consists of its main RT International English-language channel, RT America, RT Arabic, Actualidad RT in Spanish, and RT Documentary.

Channel Description Language Launched Website
RT International The flagship news channel of the RT network, it covers international and regional headlines from a Russian perspective. Based in Moscow with a presence in Washington, New York, London, Paris, Delhi, Cairo, Baghdad, Kiev and other cities.[5] English 2005 rt.com
Rusiya Al-Yaum Based in Moscow and broadcast 24/7. Programs include news, feature programming and documentaries. Arabic 2007 arabic.rt.com
RT Actualidad Based in Moscow with bureaus in Miami, Los Angeles, Havana and Buenos Aires. Covers headline news, politics, sports, and broadcast specials.[62] Spanish 2009 actualidad.rt.com
RT America It focuses on covering the Americas from an international and Russian perspective. Based in RT's Washington, DC Bureau. English 2010 rt.com/usa
RT Documentary 24-hour documentary channel. The bulk of its programming is RT-produced documentaries related to Russia.[63] English 2011 rtd.rt.com

The RT website offers a live stream available online to computer or mobile devices. It provides many of its news casts and featured shows via YouTube. RT is transmitted on 22 satellites, covering much of Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Australia on a variety of carriers listed at its website.[64] In September 2012 RT signed a contract with the Israeli company RRSat to distribute high definition channels to the United States, Latin America and Asia.[65]

RT cooperates with a number of media sources in Russia and abroad, including private media like Izvestia, Kommersant, Trud, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Vedomosti, Argumenty i Fakty and the non-Russian Association for International Broadcasting, Huffington Post, News.com.au and WhatReallyHappened.com.[66] In October 2012 RT's Rusiya Al-Yaum and Russia Today joined the High Definition network Al Yah Satellite Communications (“YahLive’).[67]

Programming

RT America broadcast with anchor Liz Wahl

RT International English-language channel and RT America have similar programming with the latter covering more news from the United States. RT Arabic and Actualidad RT in Spanish feature their own news presenters, as well as translated versions of RT's English programming.

Marcin Maczka writes that RT's ample financing has allowed RT to attract experienced journalists and use the latest technology.[59] RT anchors and correspondents tend to concentrate on controversial world issues such as the financial instability and fiscal crises, financial and banking scandals, corporate impact on the global economy, and demonstrations of protesters. 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.[18][59] 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.”[18]

RT’s current feature programs include:[68]

Current feature programs:Breaking the set (Abby Martin);[69] Capital Account (Lauren Lyster);[70] CrossTalk and On the Money[71] (Peter Lavelle); Interview with Sophie (Sophie Shevardnadze );[72] Keiser Report (Max Keiser with Stacy Herbert);[73] Prime Time Russia News;[74] Spotlight (Al Gurnov);[75] Technology Update (Brandon Rice);[76] The Big Picture (Thom Hartmann);[77] Why You Should Care[78]

Presenters

RT's current listing of “On Air Talent” includes:[68]

News anchors: Bill Dod, Marina Dzhashi, Andrew Farmer, Kristine Frazao (Washington, DC), Cary Johnston, Abby Martin (Washington DC), Dmitry Medvedenko (Business), Anissa Naouai, Eunan O'Neill (Sports), Kevin Owen, Kate Partridge (Sports), Yulia Shapovalova, Rory Suchet, Sean Thomas, Matt Trezza, Liz Wahl (Washington DC)

Sean Thomas reporting from Antarctica, 2009.

Correspondents: Tesa Arcilla, Tom Barton, Denis Bolotsky, Oksana Boyko, Anastasia Churkina, Gayane Chichakyan], Anya Fedorova, Maria Finoshina, Sara Firth, Lindsay France, Ramon Galindo (Los Angeles), Irina Galushko, Jacob Greaves (Primetime Russia), Lori Harfenist (New York), Meghan Lopez,[79] Thabang Motsei,[80] Natalia Novikova, Pete Oliver, Darya Pushkova, Egor Piskunov, Marina Portnaya] (New York), Paula Slier (Middle East), Laura Smith (London), Priya Sridhar (South Asia), Natalia Shanetskaya

Business presenters: Marina Kosareva, Madina Kochenova

Documentary presenters: Martyn Andrews (entertainment, cookery and travel, formerly of Wayfarer/Moscow Out/Venice of the North), James Brown (travel through Russia, formerly of Close-Up Russia)

Sport presenters: Andrew Farmer, Michael Kravchenko, Roman Kosarev, Richard Van Poortvliet, Robert Vardanian

Notable past presenters:Adam Kokesh (Adam vs. the Man), Neave Barker, Jason de la Pêna, Alyona Minkovski (The Alyona Show), Maryam Nemazee, Karen Roberts, Dmitry Glukhovsky, Cenk Uygur

Notable guests

Russian President Vladimir Putin RT interview, September 6, 2012

According to Jesse Zwick, RT pursuades “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 liberal and libertarian academics, intellectuals and writers from organizations like The Nation, Reason magazine, Center for American Progress[81] and the Cato Institute[25]who are critical of United States foreign and civil liberties policies.[81] RT also features little known commentators, including anarchists, anti-globalists and left-wing activists.[59] 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.”[20]

Notable guests have included: politicians such as Nigel Farage, Nick Griffin and Jeremy Corbyn (United Kingdom), Marine Le Pen (France), Avraham Burg Israel, Henry Kissinger, Dana Rohrabacher and Alan K. Simpson (United States);[82]; think tank intellectuals like Jared Bernstein[25], John Feffer and Lawrence Korb; journalists and writers Jacob Sullum, Pepe Escobar[81], Brian Doherty[8], Chris Hedges and Naomi Wolf; current and former professors Craig Calhoun and Norman Finkelstein; and assorted guests like former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak.[83][discuss]

Reception

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..."[84] In 2012 Tracy Quan wrote that RT is "a far more interesting network than some care to admit."[8] 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."[44]

Journalists have noted that RT has received "considerable" criticism.[85] Glenn Greenwald wrote that RT showing the Julian Assange show led to "a predictable wave of snide, smug attacks from American media figures".[45] Mark Adomanis rebuts some of the "fevered denunciations" against RT and Julian Assange in an article in Forbes.[44]

Objectivity

After the 2005 announcement the station would be launched, the U.S. government-owned Voice of America (VOA)[86] interviewed Anton Nosik, chief editor of MosNews.com, who said the creation of Russia Today "smacks of Soviet-style propaganda campaigns."[87] A representative of Reporters Without Borders called the newly announced network “another step of the state to control information.”[88] In 2009 Luke Harding in The Guardian described Russia Today's advertising campaign in the United Kingdom as an "ambitious attempt to create a new post-Soviet global propaganda empire."[29]

In 2010 The Independent reported that RT journalists had revealed that coverage of sensitive issues in Russia was allowed but direct criticism of Vladimir Putin or then President Dmitry Medvedev is not.[20] 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".[89]

Russians also have been critical of RT. Former KGB officer Konstantin Preobrazhensky criticized RT as "a part of the Russian industry of misinformation and manipulation".[90] Andrey Illarionov, former advisor to Vladimir Putin, has labeled the channel as “the best Russian propaganda machine targeted at the outside world.”[59]

James Kirchick in The New Republic accused the network of "often virulent anti-Americanism, worshipful portrayal of Russian leaders."[91] Shaun Walker wrote in The Independent that RT "has made a name for itself as a strident critic of US policy."[92] Allesandra Stanley in The New York Times wrote that RT is "like the Voice of America, only with more money and a zesty anti-American slant."[41] David Weigel writes that the reason why RT was created was so that people would trust the Russians more than they would trust the American government.[25]

Martyn Andrews reporting from Siberia, 2007.

Russian studies professor Stephen F. Cohen 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.” Thus 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.[81]

Stephen F. Cohen argues that despite the pro-Kremlin slant, “any intelligent viewer can sort this out. I doubt that many idiots find their way to RT.” John Feffer, codirector of Foreign Policy in Focus says he appears on RT as well as the U.S.-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, commenting “You’re going to find blind spots in the coverage for any news organization.”[81] American journalist Glenn Greenwald, who has been a guest on RT[93], listed the corporate and government owners of prominent western media like NBC, BBC, Voice of America, Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Politico and The Washington Post 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 he 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."[45]

Programming and guests

In 2010 Journalist 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 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..."[27] The Economist 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.”[94] A 2010 Southern Poverty Law Center report alleged that RT extensively covered the "birther" and the "New World Order" conspiracy theories and interviewed militia organizer Jim Stachowiak and white nationalist Jared Taylor.[95] An Al Jazeera article stated that RT has a penchant for "for off-beat stories and conspiracy theories."[96]

Jesse Zwick writes that RT has provided a “disproportionate amount of time" to covering libertarian Republican Ron Paul[81] who has been interviewed on RT.[97] RT cancelled Ron Paul supporter Adam Kokesh’s show Adam vs. The Man soon after an FEC complaint was filed charging a political contribution had been made by a foreign corporation.[98]

Margarita Simonyan has said that "we don't give airtime to public figures who you call extremist any more than CNN and other channels give airtime to people who many in Russia consider extremists".[95] She also criticized Western media reports blaming Vladimir Putin for the 1999 apartment bombings in Russia that killed 293 people.[99] She told Nikolaus von Twickel of the Moscow Times that RT started to grow once it became provocative and that controversy was vital to the station. She said that RT's task was not to polish Moscow's reputation.[3]

News coverage

During the 2008 South Ossetia War 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.”[100] Human Rights Watch said that the RT claim of 2,000 South Ossetian casualties was exaggerated.[101][102] The Moscow correspondent for The Independent said that Russia Today's had "instructed reporters not to report from Georgian villages within South Ossetia that had been ethnically cleansed."[103] Julia Ioffe wrote that an RT journalist whose reporting deviated from "the Kremlin line that Georgians were slaughtering unarmed Ossetians" was reprimanded.[27]

According to Variety magazine, sources at RT confirmed that correspondent William Dunbar had resigned but rejected allegations of bias. One senior RT journalist told Variety “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.”[104]

In September 2012, United Kingdom broadcast regulator Ofcom found that two Libyan dispatches broadcast by Phelan 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."[105]

RT team covering protests in Bolotnaya Square in Moscow on December 10, 2011

According to The Independent, RT covered all the protests that started in December 2011 and lead up to the March 2012 Russian presidential election. However, Margarita Simonyan “tweeted” that protesters should “burn in hell” and RT accused opposition leader Alexei Navalny of having strong and even bigoted Russian nationalist views.[106][107] Despite allegations of electoral fraud by the Russian government, after Putin’s electoral victory RT stated: “The overall organization of the election process and the monitoring system has received positive feedback from the majority of Russian and international independent observers.”[108]

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.”[109] RT blamed the clashes on “a number of radical protesters.”[110] Alexei Navalny, who exposed massive corruption and theft in Kremlin-connected companies, frequently has been covered in a negative fashion on RT,[111] including coverage of the search of his home and office during an investigation of the May clashes.[112] Putin chose RT for his first televised interview after the election and stated that new laws against non-governmental organizations, street rally disorders or defamation only had to do with “crime and legal procedure, not politics.”[6]

In 2012 Jesse Zwick in The New Republic criticized RT, alleging 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.”[81]

Professional awards

  • September 2006 – The 10th "Golden Tambourine" International Festival for Television programs and films[113] 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[114] awarded its Grand Prix to RT's Meeting with Nature series.
  • September 2007 – Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio[115] awarded RT with the Prize for Professional Skillfulness
  • November 2007 – RT's report on the anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe received a special prize from the international 2007 AIB Media Excellence Awards[116]
  • September 2008 – Russia's most prestigious broadcasting award TEFI to Kevin Owen in Best News Anchor category[117]
  • November 2008 – Special Jury Award in the Best Creative Feature category for a Russian Glamour feature story at Media Excellence Awards in London[citation needed]
  • January 2009 – Silver World Medal from the New York Festivals, for Best News Documentary “A city of desolate mothers” [118]
  • August 2010 - nomination for one in news broadcasting for its coverage of president Barack Obama's trip to Russia.[119]
  • November 2011 – Martyn Andrews and the weekly "Moscow Out" arts and entertainment show awarded the "ShereMedia Award" for Best Lifestyle Program[120]
  • August 2012 - nomination for an International Emmy Award for its coverage of the international Occupy Wall Street movement.[121]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Russia Today.

References

  1. ^
    • "Is RT state-run?". RT.com. 16 June 2011.
    • Walker, Shaun (January 26, 2012). "Assange takes chat-show job with state-funded Russian TV". The Independent.
    • James Painter, The boom in counter-hegemonic news channels: a case study of TeleSUR, (undated, circa 2006), Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University. Painter describes it as “government funded.”
  2. ^ Burton, C., Drake, A. Hitting the Headlines In Europe, A Country-By-Country Guide to Effective Media Relations. Kogan Page Ltd. 2004. p.163
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  4. ^ RT Contact page, RT.com, accessed November 4, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d RT corporate profile at Rt.com, accessed September 20, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Fred Weir, For first interview of new term, Putin puts priority on foreign audience, Christian Science Monitor, September 7, 2012.
  7. ^ Nouri Al-Maliki interview on RT website.
  8. ^ a b c Tracy Quan (2012-07-03). "I Love the Julian Assange Show!". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  9. ^
  10. ^ Fred Weir, Russia gives WikiLeaks' Julian Assange a TV platform, Christian Science Monitor, January 25, 2012.
  11. ^ Foreign News Channels Drawing U.S. Viewers – IPS. Ipsnews.net. Retrieved on 2011-12-07.
  12. ^ ‘Russia Today’ Doubles its U.S. Audience, Russia Briefing News, June 7, 2012.
  13. ^ a b Jennifer Martinez, Pew: Russia Today, The Hill, July 16, 2012.
  14. ^ a b Julian Evans, Spinning Russia, Foreign Policy, December 1, 2005.
  15. ^ a b c Andrew Osborn, Russia's 'CNN' wants to tell it like it is, The Age, August 16, 2005.
  16. ^ "Russia: New International Channel Ready To Begin Broadcasting". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2005-12-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  17. ^ RIA Novosti launches a TV channel, Russia Today, RIA Novosti, June 7, 2005.
  18. ^ a b c Stephen Heyman, A Voice of Mother Russia, in English, New York Times, May 18, 2008. Author estimates $100 million had been spent on the station as of May, 2008.
  19. ^ Danny Schechter interview on RT website.
  20. ^ a b c Shaun Walker, Russia Today, Tomorrow the World, The Independent, September 20, 2010, at Highbeam.
  21. ^ a b James Painter, The boom in counter-hegemonic news channels: a case study of TeleSUR, (undated, circa 2006), Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University.
  22. ^ Russia Landmark Events of 2007, RT.com page.
  23. ^ a b c Zagorodnov, Artem (September 25, 2008). "Today's woman who needs to be heard". The Moscow Times.
  24. ^ a b Rowland, Kara (Monday, October 27, 2008). "Russia Today: Youth served". The Washington Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ a b c d e David Weigel, Pravda Will Set You Free; Russia's answer to Fox News and MSNBC., Slate, June 27, 2011.
  26. ^ Charles King, Clarity in the Caucasus?, Foreign Affairs, October 11, 2009.
  27. ^ a b c Julia Ioffe,What Is Russia Today?, Columbia Journalism Review, September/October 2010.
  28. ^ a b Douglas Lucas, Julian Assange prepares his next move, Salon, February 23, 2012.
  29. ^ a b Luke Harding (18-12-09). "Russia Today launches first UK ad blitz". London: The Guardian. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ Ian Burrell, From Russia with news, The Independent, January 16, 2010, from Highbeam.
  31. ^ Lawrence Pintak, America's media bubble, The Boston Globe, November 19, 2006.
  32. ^ Josh Rogin, New BBG chief wants more money to combat “enemies” such as China and Russia, Foreign Policy, October 5, 2010.
  33. ^ Kirit Radia, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton: Al Jazeera is ‘Real News’, U.S. Losing ‘Information War’, ABC, Mar 2, 2011.
  34. ^ Andy McSmith, Village People, The Independent, March 5, 2011 at Questia.com.
  35. ^ Ishaan Tharoor, Clinton Applauds Al Jazeera, Rolls Eyes at U.S. Media, Time, March 3, 2011.
  36. ^ a b Hirst, Tomas (01/03/12). "Putin's Perverse Fear of Soft Power". Huffington Post. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ a b Toohey, Nathan (08/02/2012). "RT and McFaul argue over Navalny's US education". The Moscow Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ http://rt.com/politics/mcfaul-opposition-rallies-panarin-667/
  39. ^ http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politics/09-02-2012/120456-michael_mcfaul_ambassador-0/
  40. ^
  41. ^ a b Alessandra Stanley, The Prisoner as Talk Show Host; Julian Assange Starts Talk Show on Russian TV, New York Times, April 17, 2012.
  42. ^ Raphael Satter, Assange interviews Hezbollah leader in TV premiere, Associated Press via Denver Post, April 17, 2012.
  43. ^ Assange chats with terrorist], Agence France-Presse, April 18, 2012.
  44. ^ a b c Mark Adomanis, Julian Assange's Debut on Russia Today - The Serious People Say it Was Really Bad!, Forbes, April 18, 2012.
  45. ^ a b c Glenn Greenwald, Attacks on RT and Assange reveal much about the critics, Salon, April 18, 2012.
  46. ^ "New Assange TV Series". wikileaks.org. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  47. ^ Raphael Satter, Assange interviews Hezbollah leader in TV premiere, Associated Press via Denver Post, April 17, 2012.
  48. ^ Jerome Taylor, Hello, Good Evening and Welcome to My Country House Prison: Assange Makes His Talk Show Debut, The Independent, April 18, 2012.
  49. ^ David Meyer, Russia Today hit by DDoS as anti-Wikileaks group claims responsibility, ZDNet, August 17, 2012.
  50. ^ Michael Calderone, Third-Party Debate To Be Broadcast By Al Jazeera English, RT America, But Not Major Cable News Networks, Huffington Post, Posted: 10/19/2012, Updated: 10/23/2012, accessed November 4, 2012
  51. ^ "Presidential Hopefuls Meet in Third Party Debate". PBS NewsHour. October 25, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  52. ^ RT to host final US presidential third-party debate, Published: 27 October, 2012; Edited: 03 November, 2012; note that the debate was postponed from October 30th because of Hurricane Sandy.
  53. ^
    • Russia: Another Media-Management Change", IPR Strategic Business Information Database, 4 Feb., 2003. Accessed 29 March 2010.
    • Russia Profile, accessed 29 March 2010.
    • Peter Finn, "Russia spends heavily to buff up its image for Western nations", Washington Post, March 9, 2008.
  54. ^ New Concerns on Russia Media Freedom, Associated Press, via Highbeam, May 19, 2007.
  55. ^ Zagorodnov, Artem (September 25, 2008). "Today's woman who needs to be heard". The Moscow Times.
  56. ^ See RT “About” page and RT “Partners” page.
  57. ^ "Is RT state-run?". RT.com. 16 June 2011.
  58. ^ a b Beth Knobel "Russian News, English Accent: New Kremlin Show Spins Russia Westward", CBS News, 12 December 2005
  59. ^ a b c d e Marcin Maczka, The Propaganda Machine, New Eastern Europe website, July 9, 2012, originally published in New Eastern Europe: New Europe, Old Problems No. 3 (IV), 2012.
  60. ^ Stephen Heyman, "A Voice of Mother Russia, in English", New York Times writer estimates $100 million had been spent on the station as of May, 2008.
  61. ^ Lenizadt estimates the 2012 Russian Federal Budget at 11 billion rubles to RT's parent company ANO TV-Novosti. Darya Fazletdinova, Anatomy of Non-Resistance, Lenizdat, July 2, 2012, accessed September 28, 2012, Translation from the Russian
  62. ^ Actualidad QUIÉNES SOMOS (Spanish) RT
  63. ^ RT? – your guide to the depths of Russia — RT. Rt.com. Retrieved on 2011-12-07.
  64. ^ RT "Where to watch" page. See a listing of satellites at [http://www.lyngsat-address.com/or/RTTV-Russia.html RT.com satellite list, LyngSat Address, accessed September 24, 2012.
  65. ^ RRsat Signs Contract With Russia Today For Global Distribution Of RT HD Channels, RRSat Global Communications Network Ltd press release, September 7, 2012.
  66. ^ See RT “About” page and RT “Partners” page.
  67. ^ Russia Today and Rusiya Al-yaum join Yahlive's high definition bouquet, Al Yah Satellite Communications, AMEinfo.com.
  68. ^ a b RT On Air Talent page, accessed September 26, 2012.
  69. ^ Breaking the set page at RT.com.
  70. ^ Capital Account page at RT.com.
  71. ^ On the Money page at RT.com.
  72. ^ Interview with Sophie page at RT.com.
  73. ^ Keiser Report page at Rt.com.
  74. ^ Prime Time Russia News page at RT.com.
  75. ^ Spotlight page at RT.com.
  76. ^ Technology Update page at RT.com.
  77. ^ The Big Picture page at RT.com.
  78. ^ Why You Should Care page at RT.com.
  79. ^ Megan Lopez report, Rt.com, September 11, 2012.
  80. ^ Thabang Motsei page at Rt.com.
  81. ^ a b c d e f g Jesse Zwick, Why are liberals lending credibility to a zany Russian TV station?, The New Republic, March 14, 2012.
  82. ^ See RT.com interviews at the RT Youtube page: Nigel Farage, Jeremy Corbyn, Marine Le Pen, Avraham Burg, Henry Kissinger, Jesse Ventura, David Stockman, Dana Rohrabacher, Alan Simpson
  83. ^ See RT.com interviews at the RT youtube page: Chris Hedges, Naomi Wolf, Craig Calhoun, Norman Finkelstein, Jack Abramoff, Steve Wozniak.
  84. ^ Heidi Brown, Springtime (For Putin) In Russia, Forbes, February 27, 2008.
  85. ^ Zagorodnov, Artem (September 25, 2008). "Today's woman who needs to be heard". The Moscow Times.
  86. ^ History of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the “the independent entity responsible for all U.S. Government and government-sponsored, non-military, international broadcasting.”
  87. ^ "New Global TV Venture to Promote Russia". VOANews. 06-07-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  88. ^ Reporters Without Borders Don’t Fancy Russia Today Kommersant 21 October 2005
  89. ^ Masha Karp "Counterpoints: KGB TV", Standpoint, March 2010
  90. ^ R.C. Campausen, KGB TV to Air Show Hosted by Anti-war Marine Vet, Accuracy in Media, January 10, 2011, Accessed 05-04-11.
  91. ^ Kirchick, James (02-18-09). "Pravda on the Potomac (page 2)". The New Republic. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  92. ^ Walker, Shaun (January 26, 2012). "Assange takes chat-show job with state-funded Russian TV". The Independent.
  93. ^ Glenn Greenwald interview on RT website.
  94. ^ Airwaves wobbly, The Economist, July 6, 2010
  95. ^ a b Sonia Scherr Russian TV Channel Pushes 'Patriot' Conspiracy Theories, Intelligence Report, #139, Fall 2010, Southern Poverty Law Center
  96. ^ Sousa, Ann De (26 Jan 2012). "News channel or propaganda tool?". Al-Jazeera.
  97. ^ Ron Paul interview on RT, May 5, 2011.
  98. ^ "Ron Paul booster’s show cancelled after FEC complaint". Politico. August 25, 2011.
  99. ^ Robert Mackey, Assange TV, Presented by the Kremlin, New York Times, April 13, 2012.
  100. ^ William Dunbar, William Dunbar: They forced me out for telling the truth about Georgia, The Independent, September 20, 2010.
  101. ^ Death toll in South Ossetia reaches 2,000 Russia Today 10 August 2008
  102. ^ Russia exaggerating South Ossetian death toll, says human rights group The Guardian 13 August 2008
  103. ^ Ian Burrell, From Russia with news, The Independent, 15 January 2010
  104. ^ Nick Holdsworth, Russia claims media bias; Foreign minister blasts coverage of conflict, Variety, August 12, 2008.
  105. ^ Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin, 10 September 2012, pp 19-35
  106. ^ Walker, Shaun (14 December 2011). "Why the Russian revolution is being televised at last".
  107. ^ Frozen fury, Gulf Daily News, February 05, 2012; note “Frozen fury” also was RT’s name for a story about a February 2012 protest.
  108. ^ Mike Whitney, The Pussy Riot Flap, CounterPunch, August 08, 2012.
  109. ^ Barry and Schwirtz, Ellen and Michael (May 6, 2012). "Arrests and Violence at Overflowing Rally in Moscow". NYT.
  110. ^ Putin reloaded or Putin reformed?, RT.com, 07 May, 2012; edited: 07 May, 2012.
  111. ^ Walker, Shaun (January 26, 2012). "Assange takes chat-show job with state-funded Russian TV". The Independent.
  112. ^ "Homes of Russian opposition figures searched ahead of rally". RT.com. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  113. ^ "Golden Tambourine" International Festival for Television programs and films Zolotoy Buben
  114. ^ News of the Okrug 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival, 9 June 2007
  115. ^ Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio, Евразийская Академия Телевидения и Радио
  116. ^ AIB Media Excellence Awards 2007 Association for International Broadcasting, 8 October 2007
  117. ^ А ТЭФИ здесь тихие
  118. ^ 2009 Television Programming and Promotion Awards
  119. ^ "2010 International Emmy® Awards News & Current Affairs Nominees Announced". International Emmy Awards. 11 August 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  120. ^ Шереметьево “поймал” акул пера за публикации
  121. ^ Announcement of 2012 International Emmys, International Emmy Award website.

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