{"id":5183,"date":"2017-10-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/kremlin-watch-briefing-rts-editorial-strategy-and-a-list-of-regular-visitors\/"},"modified":"2021-12-16T12:21:31","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T10:21:31","slug":"kremlin-watch-briefing-rts-editorial-strategy-and-a-list-of-regular-visitors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/cs\/kremlin-watch-briefing-rts-editorial-strategy-and-a-list-of-regular-visitors\/","title":{"rendered":"Kremlin Watch Briefing: RT’s editorial strategy and a list of regular visitors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Weekly monitor of pro-Kremlin disinformation effort in Europe. We follow best European analysts, best counter-measures and trends.<\/strong><\/p>\n

NEW PUBLICATIONS<\/h2>\n

Russian influence and the elections in Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jakub Janda, Head of the Kremlin Watch Program, co-authored a study focusing on the influence of the Kremlin on elections in the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary. According to the final report published by the\u00a0Political Capital Institute<\/a>, the main difference between the West and the East when it comes to election meddling is the\u00a0regionally distinct modus operandi<\/strong>. The Kremlin has strategic goals in each country\u2019s election, but the\u00a0Czech Republic is expected to be the most intense battleground<\/strong>\u00a0for Russian meddling efforts. However, this mostly applies for the presidential elections next year, not parliamentary elections taking place this week.<\/p>\n

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RT: A low-grade platform for \u2018useful idiots\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe should not abide \u2018useful idiots\u2019 who legitimize RT by appearing on its shows and newscasts\u201d, says Monika Richter, analyst of our Kremlin Watch Program, in an article published by\u00a0The Atlantic Council<\/a>. Often, well-known media and journalism personalities help RT blur and thereby inadvertently boost its credibility as a legitimate news source. For more details about RT\u2019s editorial strategy and evidence of impact, read Monika Richter\u2019s full report: \u201cThe Kremlin\u2019s Platform for \u2018Useful Idiots\u2019 in the West<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Topics of the Week<\/h2>\n

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US lawmakers are getting serious about\u00a0cracking down on tech companies that enable the spread of disinformation<\/strong>. They are not backing down on plans to legislate regulation of these companies, despite predictable resistance. These efforts should be unequivocally supported, and should likewise be encouraged in European capitals as a key deterrence step against hostile foreign influence.<\/p>\n

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In the previous issue, we highlighted the importance of\u00a0naming and shaming<\/strong>\u00a0those who regularly appear in Russian media. Because we think it is important to set the agenda for change, we published a\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0on RT\u00a0\u201cThe Kremlin\u2019s Platform for \u2018Useful Idiots\u2019 in the West: An Overview of RT\u2019s Editorial Strategy and Evidence of Impact\u201d\u00a0<\/em>that addresses (among other things) the problem of legitimization by Western voices.<\/p>\n

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The winner of the Czech parliamentary elections,\u00a0Andrej Babi\u0161, has no clear Russia policy and often changes his views<\/strong>,\u00a0writes<\/a>\u00a0Jakub Janda in New Eastern Europe. If Zeman were to win the presidential re-election in January 2018, Babi\u0161 could align with him, tolerating his pro-Putin narrative. Furthermore, Babi\u0161\u2019s approach (centralised leadership and business-oriented, pragmatic policies)\u00a0could lead the Czech Republic to become a target of strong attempts by the Kremlin and the business interests around him to extend economic influence<\/strong>. Babi\u0161 has already called for lifting Western sanctions against Russia. However, it is also possible that Babi\u0161 could be swayed by the pro-Atlantic and anti-Kremlin stances of his own defence minister and leading foreign policy figure within his party, Martin Stropnick\u00fd.<\/p>\n

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Good Old Soviet Joke<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This is Armenian Radio; our listeners asked us: \u201cWhy have Solzhenitsyn, Brodsky, Bukovsky, and other dissidents been exiled from the country?\u201d We\u2019re answering: \u201cDon’t you know that the best products are always selected for export?\u201d<\/p>\n

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US Developments<\/h2>\n

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Tech giants prepare to face Congress<\/strong><\/p>\n

The story of Facebook\u2019s, Twitter\u2019s, and Google\u2019s public reckoning continues. All three companies have admitted that Russian-linked entities exploited their sites to skew the US election. To\u00a0recap<\/a>:<\/p>\n