Description
This paper presents detailed empirical evidence from two years’ worth of content analysis of RT International news broadcasts in order to assess the frequent claim that the network (formerly Russia Today) weaponizes disinformation. The results of the study suggest that although fake news is aired around issues of Russian national interest, this is not routine. Usually, RT curates (generally factual) news in terms of topics covered; expertise platformed; and resultant framings. The outcome is news coverage strongly shaped by populist communication postures which set ‘us’ - the people - against ‘them’ - the elite. Within this framework, opinion and perspective are privileged in analysis and stylistic informality, humour and sarcasm are all used as a performative fight-back against the mainstream. All manner of breaking news events can be fitted into this template, in which a corrupt Western corporate-political-media elite is the main threat to life and liberty, whilst genuine physical threats associated with Russia can be skirted over and laughed off.
