Who is Russia Today (RT) And Should We Care?

[rgray222]

RT, also known as Russia Today, is an multilingual Russian-based television network. It is registered as an autonomous non-profit organization funded by the federal budget of Russia through the Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation.


http://www.tv14.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Russia-Today.jpg

Don't fool yourself, RT is more mainstream media than most mainstream media
RT broadcast through 30 satellite and 500 cable operators to 550 million people in over 100 countries. RT has over 2 million viewers in the United Kingdom and has rivaled Al Jazeera as the most popular English-speaking foreign channel in Britain. RT America is available to 85 million people in the United States. It is the second most-watched foreign news channel in the U.S. after BBC News. It is the number one foreign station in five U.S. urban areas.

Lets be clear about this.........RT is NOT alternative media.

Do they have an agenda
If you don't think they have an anti-west agenda then you are dreaming. Many videos are posted on PA from RT and apparently many people use it as a source of news. Just ask yourself one question........have you ever seen a hard hitting news report about human rights abuses in Russia from RT. Extortion, bribery, corruption, crime, torture, murder is legendary in Russian corporations, government, society, prisons etc and yet you see little mention of it on Russia Today.

From time to time RT will report on corruption in Russia, they simply cannot avoid, it is rampant but most of the time they report on crime, corruption and human rights abuses in the west. This type of reporting has become a trademark. Keep in mind who is pulling the strings and setting the agenda.

RT makes other media look honest
This is a Russian Government Network with a Russian Government agenda. They make CNN, NBC, ABC, FOX, NYTIMES, LATIMES etc etc look downright honest. Yes, they are a slick network that has patterned themselves after CNN, even hiring some of their employees. They are huge mainstream media made to look independent of the government but nothing could be further from the truth.

Lets be clear about this – this is a news station owned (and undoubtedly influenced) by a government that has murdered journalists and political opponents, acts in a framework of institutionalized corruption, rigged elections, and committed war crimes against the Chechen people. This government is no friend of freedom and democracy, yet you would think that it is – from the trendy, glitzy, and anti-establishment Russia Today. Former KGB officer Konstantin Preobrazhensky described the channel as “a part of the Russian industry of misinformation and manipulation” with an objective to create a smokescreen around Russian interests.

The Russian government’s goal here is simple: to distract from the burgeoning opposition movement in the country and to prevent any kind of development of an international consensus that recognizes Vladimir Putin for what he is: an evil autocrat who is stifling Russia from becoming the great country it should be. Russia Today, instead of being a brave truth-telling organisation, merely parrots the bizarre political philosophy of Russia’s ruling elites – petty conspiratorial nationalism, with a touch of antisemitism lite to wash it all down with.

Think about this for a moment, if there were a network called America Today, where all the programming content is set by government bureaucrats and the entire network were funded by the government how much stock would you put in it!

[Flash]

completely true, this is most probably a propagandist channel from Russia. What I like with RT and Al Jazeera is that they both give us an alternate news source and alternate views. From there, one has to also take the North American news and European ones and make it own judgment. If you listen only to one source, you are doomed to be misinformed and to misjudge.

As for listening to more unbiaised news, I did like to read from newspapers from Turkey, from South Africa, from some Eastern European countries. They are all biaised in their ways, but the points of view are different so they offer a greater array of information and opinion when paired with RT, CNN, Al Jazeera, Fox, etc. CBC in Canada is sometimes surprising as well.

I do always have in my mind that I am listening to the Russian government views when listening to RT.

[aranuk]

TR creates some balance to the Western Media. I agree with Flash.

Stan

[sunflower]

Good information, rgrey, and we need to keep that in mind when we listen to any alternative or foreign news media.

I also agree with Flash's assessment that it's important to glean our information from as many different sources as possible bearing in mind that each has a personal national agenda.

And having said all that, I must admit I do enjoy listening to and watching RT!

[RMorgan]

completely true, this is most probably a propagandist channel from Russia. What I like with RT and Al Jazeera is that they both give us an alternate news source and alternate views. From there, one has to also take the North American news and European ones and make it own judgment. If you listen only to one source, you are doomed to be misinformed and to misjudge.

As for listening to more unbiaised news, I did like to read from newspapers from Turkey, from South Africa, from some Eastern European countries. They are all biaised in their ways, but the points of view are different so they offer a greater array of information and opinion when paired with RT, CNN, Al Jazeera, Fox, etc. CBC in Canada is sometimes surprising as well.

I do always have in my mind that I am listening to the Russian government views when listening to RT.

I agree with you Flash,

I was never naive enough to believe that RT was an unbiased news network.

I just read it to learn different views on common subjects. Lets say I read propaganda from both sides; I don´t believe any side, but that´s the best I can do to achieve my own conclusions about the global issues.

Honestly, I don´t believe there are any good guys in this global political mess.

Raf.

[Flash]

I was wondering where you were from Sunflower in Canada and looking for your city I see 401 (those are the number of posts). Believe it or not, i had for a moment thought that you were living along the 401 highway. lol

Ok ok ok, I admit, reaaaaaallly off topic.

[GCS1103]

Good post, rgray222.

I would think it's fair to say that they all have an agenda to push. If we know the source of funding for a network, it will give us an idea of the ideology they will espouse. As an American, I can't say that I particularly want to listen to Al Jazeera or RT. I get enough spin from the American stations; why add more propaganda by listening to networks that promote their own slanted bias.

[ThePythonicCow]

Lets be clear about this – [RT] is a news station owned (and undoubtedly influenced) by a government that has murdered journalists and political opponents, acts in a framework of institutionalized corruption, rigged elections, and committed war crimes
And "CNN, NBC, ABC, FOX, NYTIMES, LATIMES etc etc" aren't owned by other or similar powers that control other governments (such as the US and UK) that have done the same acts?

:)

[David Trd1]

Good information and all true,but in being the antithesis it is to the western media it provides balance and then it is up to the viewer to use their own discretion and discernment.I always took it as a given from the first time i laid eyes on it that i would never get an honest picture from inside russia from a station like this,it is partly funded by russian intelligence,but then again that is mirrored in the west with many,many tv execs and personality on intelligence payrolls.This is also a fact since after WW2.

But overall when it comes to report from foreign(excluding russia of course) lands it has a substantial % more truth in what it reports than the majority of western news networks.
I don`t think its sole purpose was to cover putin(he is just a representative of an elite in that country aswell),its main goal was to counter-act western propaganda and the irony is it doesnt need to make up anything really when discussing western forgien policy,it just needs to tell the truth which is a sorry state of affairs for the west..

David

[Cidersomerset]

RT is one of the best news outlets on many subjects.Of course they have an agenda,but for whatever reason they are telling
truths the other corporates are 'edited' by corporate interrests from telling the public imo. This is funny this thread appeared
now as I was reffering to it on Jackovesks thread this morning.
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?57260-Abby-Martin-I-Love-this-Chick-She-s-really-Cutting-Through-..-&p=652592#post652592

Re: Abby Martin: I Love this Chick - She's really 'Cutting-Through'..!



Thanks Jack I love the RT format at the momment,they have certainly took the internet and run with it. They cover
a wide range of stories some mainstream, but many are looking at articles the mainstream corporates are not
allowed to cover by their corporate censors. Thats why I post so many of their articles because they mirror what
we are saying, more than most other outlets.The right wing media will acuse them of following their own agendas,
but today they are telling the real truths.

I said before the format of having experts and bloggers on each individual subject and giving them the time
to express their views is refreshing.Wether they will be able to keep it up ? I hope so,but I can see Fox &
co attacking them more in the near future.....


I posted this friday not many watched but it sums up RT very well .....

RT News ....Truthseekers exposing CIA/Pentagon falseflags/leaks and media manipulation propaganda



The Truthseeker: 3 War Tricks (E11)

This could be straight from Alex Jones !

'CIADA' never seems to attack Israel !!
Not a very good ultra muslim terrorist
group !



HR72GKy6N3o


Published on 22 Mar 2013


Happy anniversary Iraq! Exactly 10 years after Operation Iraqi Freedom and two years
of Arm Syria's Nuts, a leak gives away who's next; how Israel runs American minds;
insiders mock people falling for false flags; and Hollywood goes too far. Seek truth from
facts with endthelie.com editor Madison Ruppert, Questioning the War on Terror author
Dr. Kevin Barrett, former marine Prof. James Fetzer, War is a Lie author David
Swanson, translator Arash Norouzi, and Senator John McCain.




http://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...ion-propaganda
Parent Post


Last edited by Cidersomerset; Today at 15:44.

[Tesseract]

I wouldn't rely on RT for reporting on internal controversies within Russia. However, their reporting on western events is refreshing and I would rather have RT than no RT, they are certainly far far better than Al-Jazeera. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, is IMO the most sensible and honest FM on the international stage. It is not a bad thing to have some reporting with a similar foundation. Certainly RT makes CNN etc look like a bunch of fawning sycophants and shills.

[grannyfranny100]

I'm not prejudiced, I like fairy tales from around the globe:-)

[Lefty Dave]

My initial response to this thread is...DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGER !

There is an agenda behind every piece of news uttered...it's up to the receiver of this information to discern fact from fiction...

Each of us has a 'gag point', when digesting news or information, at which point we say..."yeah...that feels right to me", or
" wait a minute...that doesn't ring true..." or I ain't swallowing that !!! No matter who puts it out there...!!!

Blessings to rgray222 for the thread...

[ceetee9]

I thought we were all aware that EVERY media outlet, including blog sites like PA, have an agenda. That's why it is imperative for any thinking person to get their information from as many sources as possible if they are to have any chance at all at getting toward the truth. Connecting the dots is no easy task and there is no guarantee no matter how many dots you connect that you're going to come away with the same picture as everyone else--much less the "real" picture.

[TargeT]

My motto:

"If it's on TV, it aint for me!"


(can be applied to things on the internet as well, if it was pulled from TV and put on the internet or has a presnse on TV etc..)

[northstar]

My motto:

"If it's on TV, it aint for me!"

I had my cable discontinued years ago. I haven't watched network TV for years and I added roughly 20 extra hours to my week. One great way to add time to your day is just stop watching TV. :)

I get all my news from the internet now, and like different posters are suggesting, I look at a variety of sites and I critically question everything I read and see.

[rgray222]

It is clear from the responses that many members on Avalon have a good understanding of how bias and corrupt the mainstream media (CNN, NBC, ABC, FOX, Guardian, ChicagoTrib, LATIMES,Independent etc) have become over the last 10+ years. I can only hope that this awareness filters out a bit more quickly to the general public. On the other hand it is very difficult for many people to see through the bias when it fits into their own belief system.

I actually enjoy watching some RT news, it does provide a different slant and at times it attempts to confirm what I "want" to believe, but getting to the truth on any subject is not a one video or one story proposition. It takes effort and time to dig a bit, then and only then do you begin to get a sense of what the truth actually is. It takes watching or reading viewpoints from both sides of the spectrum, both will hold back some news, both will slant their version of the truth but it is the only way to really get an honest understanding of the subject you are attempting to learn about!

RT has become a news powerhouse and they should not be taken lightly. Being aware of our media sources is one of the fastest ways for people to wake up.

[Kryztian]

Yes, RT has a big agenda, and it is not necessary in our interest. However, the power brokers of Russia, like those in China, frequently find themselves at odd with the power brokers of the West, and RT is being used as a weapon by influencing the minds of the people the Western Power brokers are trying to control.

I hated FOX news for years, but realize that now we have more "Liberals" in power here in the USA, the do occasionally reveal some truths about the evil that non-conservatives do.