Quote: (12-08-2015 09:01 AM)nomadbrah Wrote:
Quote: (12-08-2015 01:58 AM)AManLikePutin Wrote:
Hey everyone, first post here. May as well do it in this thread that has got me real hooked.
I follow RT as my main source of news, and since the Paris attacks I've noticed something very strange in their reporting of especially muslims and "refugees".
Over the last 2-3 days, they've had articles/videos:
1) "Attempted Murder" by German attacking refugee shelter
2) Rising Islamophobia in London
3) Mistaking Quran/Bible verses social experiment in Amsterdam
4) "Future President ?" / "'French Front National victory a warning to rest of Europe'" After French election result (Which was weird since Putin and Le Pen are on good terms)
and a few more examples of islam-sympethizing / Passive-aggressive digs at Europeans against the invasion. Meanwhile, zero mention of reverse crimes/troubles...they used to be a lot more in balance.
RT wasn't like this at all prior to Paris attacks, and I am trying to understand what is the purpose of these sort of reports, seeing as RT is very pro-Kremlin and usually the anti-MSM. The only reason I can think of, is that they want to attract Muslims and their Western sympathizers who think the Western Media are against them (LOL), to their side and increase audience, but it's still strange.
Their reporting on Russia's fight against ISIS is still top notch and very detailed and I've noticed have awakened many Americans/Canadians to the lies that are spouted in MSM here every day.
Russia Today is a propaganda piece. That doesn't mean it isn't worth watching or that CNN/FOX/NBC are better, because they are not, but it does mean that like Western media like to denigrate Russia, so does Russia Today if they can find something which can show issues.
Particularly because Putin has repeatedly humble bragged about how well he and Russia's muslims get along, particularly the Chechens. Putin is pragmatic and practical and wants to be seen as such. He wants to show Europeans, how poor their leaders are at dealing with muslims for example.
Another thing that can explain the very liberal slant of RT, and I believe this to be just as important, is that the journalists they have are American and European, not Russian. Consider yourself what kind of person would willingly and openly work for a 'hostile power'? Classic conservatives? Nope. Libertarian and liberal yep.
The kind of reporter who would want to work for Russia Today needs to be a special breed, someone who probably has some pretty strong convictions about 'peace love harmony'.
Lastly, Russia full well understands that liberalism is the language of the European youth. They speak a language that the young understand, then inject some of their more important viewpoints on Ukraine and Syria for example.
I find that alternative new sources altogether, for example, like the Unz Review with it's multiple different high quality alt left and right blogs and columnists or Zerohedge, offer the best analysis of news, in conjunction with mainstream news sources that are paid for corporations or state governments. That being said, even on these sites, many are sympathetic to Putin, not buying into the normal media kool-aid, but without having the overly weird liberal and minority stuff that RT sometimes has or vatnik like views of Russia's capabilities.