There are many terms that are becoming overused in modern day dialogue; it is unpleasant to see words like “Nazi” or “fascist” simply being thrown about. But it is particularly damaging to see the word “propaganda” being abused to the point where it starts to lose all meaning.
The abuse of the word propaganda is damaging because when that term can be coopted to simply dismiss any opinion that you don’t agree with, that doesn’t help a collective understanding of what true propaganda is, and how dangerous it is. Russia’s state-directed international multi-language RT platform is a shining example of a smooth propaganda operation. It masquerades as an “alternative” TV news station, but the goals of RT are not even remotely related to their banner slogan of “Question More.” The objectives of RT are to confuse, to promote conspiracy theories, to sow discontent, and to deceive. All at the behest of the Russian government.
Before continuing, this article is not about overstating the reach of RT. This channel is watched by a relatively small number of people, compared to genuine news outlets. This is more about how a propaganda channel is constructed, and how, in the service of pushing lies out into the world, channels like RT employ the services of unwitting idiots to give it a veneer of credibility, or, even more simply, attract those who are already apt to ply the agenda of the channel.
To be clear, RT appeals to a niche audience. It is watched by those who are anyway susceptible to conspiracy thinking, and even has an “Illuminati Correspondent”. But RT does have an influence. And, dangerously, RT is always actively trying to grow its influence.
It may seem innocuous to many football fans, but, a couple of months ago, former England, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest player Stan Collymore announced he was soon to start hosting his own football show on RT. Of course there’s the question of morality when it comes to taking money from the bloody regime of Vladimir Putin, but that’s another debate. Many a football fan would say that a football show has nothing to do with propaganda. But if it legitimizes a propaganda channel in some way, it certainly does have something to do with propaganda.
Will people be attracted to RT because of Collymore’s show? Will people subconsciously think that RT is just another regular broadcaster? It’s true, Collymore isn’t the biggest name in world football, nor is he a great one to draw big crowds. But episode two of his show features none-other than Michael Owen, winner of the Ballon D’Or, striker for legendary clubs like Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Manchester United. Owen, without doubt, is a big star name. And he’s appearing on RT.
Politics is a rather more serious business than football, obviously. In the past week, a heavyweight of British politics announced that he too is to host his own show on RT. Scotland’s former first minister, Alex Salmond, has asked that people watch the show and only then make a judgment as to whether it is propaganda. But before he has even started into his no doubt very well paid contract, Salmond is already a perfect character for RT. Perfect for its agenda of discrediting genuine media outlets thanks to his repeated criticism of the BBC. Salmond has often accused them of “institutional bias” by saying the BBC was one of the “chosen instruments of scaremongering” over the failed Scottish independence campaign he led.
This is the core of how RT selects people to appear or perform on their channel. Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone also recently defended RT, and his appearances on that channel, by saying (in an interview on RT) that “no one has ever said to me we want you to say this or we don’t want you to say that.” It should be noted that in the very same interview he spoke about “western interference” in Syria killing people (no thought of Russia’s appalling crimes in that country) and the UK and U.S. governments being engaged in removing democratically elected governments.
In the case of Mr. Livingstone, RT/the Russian government don’t need to tell him what to say. The kinds of opinions or attitudes he holds are already a reflection of the Russian editorial line. Mr. Livingstone is deeply ignorant of, and repeats Moscow talking points about, the situation in Ukraine, and is also prone to thinking this undermines NATO. No, of course RT doesn’t need to tell him what to say – he gladly obliges them by parroting the thoughts the mere act of watching RT has put in his head.
The argument for “they never told me what to say” was also one put forward to former RT regular “Jonathan Pie.” This character, played by actor Tom Walker, was regularly seen on RT berating the political scene in the UK. Following his resignation from the channel Walker said, “RT were the ones that offered me total artistic control, which I really wanted… it was important to me that I would not be controlled.” To be fair to Walker, he also said “I was perhaps a little naïve” and that is indeed true. RT didn’t want to exert any further control over his show – for them, and their desire to undermine the very idea of democratic institutions, it was perfect as it was.
Here’s the reality. Alongside slick programming for Stan Collymore and Michael Owen, the defense offered by people like Ken Livingstone, and the veneer of respectability about to be inferred on RT by Alex Salmond, this is what RT is really about.
RT is used, in the case of Ukraine, to push false and defamatory stories, to mislead viewers on the reality of the situation in Ukraine, and to spread hateful and warmongering terminology about Ukrainians and the Ukrainian armed forces.
The following are headlines that have been broadcast by RT.
“Kiev seizes city of Slavyansk, death squads going house to house executing all males under 35”
“Poroshenko officially repeats that people in Eastern Ukraine are ‘subhumans’”
“Kiev’s army shooting anyone who tries to leave besieged cities”
“Junta’s first two bills in parliament – legalize Nazi education, ban minority politicians and languages”
“Kiev army now literally crucify babies in seized towns, force mother to watch”
“Kiev Defence Minister publicly voices plan to corral citizens into filtration camps”
“Kiev brags of filtration camps for “cleansing” all East Ukrainians”
Each of these headlines is a pernicious lie, designed to fuel hatred against Ukraine and inflame violence within it. When not slandering Ukraine, the Kremlin uses RT to undermine Western institutions and government with conspiracy theories and baleful innuendo.
Western journalists, politicians and celebrities who appear on channels like RT may protest they’re not propagandists, but they’re being used to legitimize a major propaganda source. They are willing participants, foolishly.
