History Creator / RussiaToday

** It's no surprise that Radio/AlexJones is a frequent guest.

* PropagandaMachine: Western critics often accuse RT of being a shill for the Russian government. In 2017, it went so far that RT, alongside with [[https://sputniknews.com/ its fellow Sputnik]], were [[http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign lobbying agents]], in a move which [[NotSoDifferent bears a striking similarity to the 2012 Russian foreign agent law that was widely criticized in the West back then]].

* TheRival: Presents itself as one to the entire Western media. Considering how effective they have been debate and conveying the official Russian narrative about Ukraine, they're probably right.

* ConspiracyTheorist: Perhaps the most common criticism. RT blatantly devotes lots of coverage to conspiracy theories, giving airtime to truthers, birthers, nutjobs and cranks warning of {{False Flag Operation}}s.

* PropagandaMachine: Western critics often accuse it of being one for the Russian government. In 2017 it went so far that RT, alongside with [[https://sputniknews.com/ its fellow Sputnik]], were [[http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign lobbying agents]], in a move which [[NotSoDifferent bears a striking similarity to the 2012 Russian foreign agent law that was widely criticized in the West back then]].

* PropagandaMachine: Gets a lot of flak for being the Russian government's mouthpiece by blatantly advocating {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s on its network, promoting a brand of virulent EU/US/NATO-bashing, and praising Russia and its allies such as Venezuela and Syria. It's just one part of a widespread "active measures" campaign aimed to sow discord among the Western powers, alongside cyber-attacks, political warfare, intimidation, espionage, funneling money to front organizations, and disinformation — techniques similar to the ones used by the Soviets during the Cold War. It's gotten so bad to the point that it and [[https://sputniknews.com/ Sputnik, another Russian propaganda bullhorn]], were [[http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign lobbying agents in 2017]]. It would require RT and Sputnik to face intense scrutiny by the DOJ, causing the Kremlin to whine about this. And it was done partly in response to the Russians' attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential elections, and because Putin signed a similar law in 2012 that required [=NGOs=] to register as foreign agents if they received outside funding. In a tit-for-tat response, the Russian government declared the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to be foreign agents in December 2017.

* PropagandaMachine: Another criticism of RT is that it often gets a lot of flak for being a mouthpiece of the Russian government, blatantly advocating {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s on its network by promoting a brand of virulent anti-Western criticism and EU/US/NATO-bashing, while praising the Russian government and countries aligned with Russia, such as Venezuela and Syria. This is just one part of a widespread "active measures" campaign by the Russian government to sow discord among the Western powers, alongside cyber-attacks, political warfare, intimidation, espionage, funneling money to front organizations, and disinformation — techniques similar to the ones used by the Soviets during the Cold War. It's gotten so bad to the point that it and [[https://sputniknews.com/ Sputnik, another Russian propaganda bullhorn]], were [[http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign lobbying agents in 2017]]. The registration would require RT and Sputnik to face intense scrutiny by the DOJ as a lobbyist, causing the Kremlin to whine about this. And it was done partly in response to the Russians' attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential elections, and because Putin signed a similar law in 2012 that required [=NGOs=] to register as foreign agents if they received outside funding. In a tit-for-tat response, the Russian government declared the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as foreign agents in December 2017.

* ScareCampaign: The network's commercials for its "Question More" campaign in 2010. One ad showed UsefulNotes/BarackObama's face morphing into UsefulNotes/{{Iran}}i President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's while asking, "Who poses the greatest nuclear threat?" It's clear what the desired effect of the ads were besides promoting the channel.

* StateBroadcaster: Unusual in that it's aimed at the foreign market rather than the domestic.

* ConspiracyTheorist: Perhaps the most common criticism. RT blatantly devotes lots of coverage to conspiracy theories, giving airtime to truthers, birthers, and cranks warning of {{False Flag Operation}}s.

* PropagandaMachine: Another criticism of RT is that it often gets a lot of flak for being a mouthpiece of the Russian government, blatantly advocating "useful idiots" aka {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s on its network by promoting a brand of virulent anti-Western criticism and EU/US/NATO-bashing, while praising the Russian government and countries aligned with Russia, such as Venezuela and Syria. This is just one part of a widespread "active measures" campaign by the Russian government to sow discord among the Western powers, alongside cyber-attacks, political warfare, intimidation, espionage, funneling money to front organizations, and disinformation — techniques similar to the ones used by the Soviets during the Cold War. It's gotten so bad to the point that it and [[https://sputniknews.com/ Sputnik, another Russian propaganda bullhorn]], were [[http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign lobbying agents in 2017]]. The registration would require RT and Sputnik to face intense scrutiny by the DOJ as a lobbyist, causing the Kremlin to whine about this. And it was done partly in response to the Russians' attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential elections, and because Putin signed a similar law in 2012 that required [=NGOs=] to register as foreign agents if they received outside funding. In a tit-for-tat response, the Russian government declared the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as foreign agents in December 2017.

* VoiceOfTheResistance: Likes to claim it's one by hyping conspiracy theories, covering protests in Western countries, and hiring famous dissidents like Julian Assange as primetime hosts. This format has earned them a sizable international viewership from both fringe left ''and'' fringe right crowds.

RT, formerly known as Russia Today, is news channel subsidized by the UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}n government. While it is carried on cable TV, it is also known for its Website/YouTube channel which has beaten Creator/{{Fox News|Channel}} in user hits. It is aimed at the international market rather than the domestic, operating cable and satellite television channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing content in various languages, including English, Spanish and Russian.

* PropagandaMachine: Another criticism of RT. It often gets a lot of flak for being a mouthpiece of the Russian government, blatantly advocating "useful idiots" aka {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s on its network by promoting a brand of virulent anti-Western criticism and EU/US/NATO-bashing, while praising the Russian government and countries aligned with Russia, such as Venezuela and Syria. This is just one part of a widespread "active measures" aka subversive campaign by the Russian government to sow discord among the US and its allies, alongside cyber-attacks, political warfare, intimidation, espionage, funneling money to front organizations, and disinformation — techniques similar to the ones used by the Soviets during the Cold War. It's gotten so bad to the point that it and [[https://sputniknews.com/ Sputnik, another Russian propaganda bullhorn]], were [[http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign lobbying tools in 2017]]. The registration would require RT to face intense scrutiny by the DOJ as a registered lobbyist. And it was done partly in response to the Russians' attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential elections, and because Putin signed a similar law in 2012 that required [=NGOs=] to register as foreign agents if they received outside funding.

* PropagandaMachine: Another criticism of RT. It often gets a lot of flak for being a mouthpiece of the Russian government, blatantly advocating "useful idiots" aka {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s on its network by promoting a brand of virulent anti-Western criticism and EU/US/NATO-bashing, while praising the Russian government and countries aligned with Russia, such as Venezuela and Syria. This is just one part of a widespread "active measures" aka subversive campaign by the Russian government to sow discord among the US and its allies, alongside cyber-attacks, political warfare, intimidation, espionage, funneling money to front organizations, and disinformation — techniques similar to the ones used by the Soviets during the Cold War. It's gotten so bad to the point that it and [[https://sputniknews.com/ Sputnik, another Russian propaganda bullhorn]], were [[http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign lobbying tools in 2017]]. The registration would require RT to face intense scrutiny by the DOJ as a registered lobbyist. And it was done partly in response to the Russians' attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential elections, and because Putin signed a similar law in 2012 that required NGOs to register as foreign agents if they received outside funding.

* ConspiracyTheorist: Perhaps the most common criticism. RT devotes lots of coverage to conspiracy theories, giving airtime to truthers, birthers, and cranks warning of {{False Flag Operation}}s.

* PatrioticFervor: {{Subverted|Trope}}. RT doesn't spread its message with jingoistic imagery like domestic networks Channel One and Rossiya-1 and the [[BackedByThePentagon Ministry of Defence-owned]] Zvezda, but no less through its ongoing theme of juxtaposing other countries and political systems unfavourably to Russia.
* PropagandaMachine: Another criticism of RT is that it often gets a lot of flak for being a mouthpiece of the Russian government, blatantly advocating "useful idiots" aka {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s on its network by promoting a brand of virulent anti-Western criticism, while praising the Russian government and countries aligned with Russia, such as Venezuela and Syria. This is just one part of a widespread "active measures" (Russian: активные мероприятия) aka subversive campaign by the Russians to sow discord among the US and its Western allies, alongside cyber-attacks, political warfare, intimidating smaller neighbors and enemies, espionage, funneling money to front organizations, and disinformation — techniques similar to the ones used by the Soviets during the Cold War. It's gotten so bad to the point that it and [[https://sputniknews.com/ Sputnik, another Russian propaganda bullhorn]], were [[http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/350226-russian-network-rt-must-register-as-foreign-agent-in forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign agents in 2017]]. The registration would force RT to be openly labeled as a lobbying tool for the Russian government, and subject to intense scrutiny by the DOJ. This was done partly in response to the Russians' attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential elections, and partly because Vladimir Putin signed a similar law in 2012 that required nonprofits to register as foreign agents if they received outside funding.

* PropagandaMachine: Another criticism of RT is that it often gets a lot of flak for being a mouthpiece of the Russian government, blatantly advocating "useful idiots" aka {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s on its network by promoting a brand of virulent anti-Western criticism, while praising the Russian government and countries aligned with Russia, such as Venezuela and Syria. This is just one part of a widespread "active measures" (Russian: активные мероприятия) aka subversive campaign by the Russians to sow discord among the US and its Western allies, alongside cyber-attacks, political warfare, intimidating smaller neighbors and enemies, espionage, funneling money to front organizations, and disinformation — techniques similar to the ones used by the Soviets during the Cold War. It's gotten so bad to the point that it and [[https://sputniknews.com/ Sputnik, another Russian propaganda bullhorn]], were [[https://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Russia-Today-RT-Justice-Dept-foreign-agent/2017/09/13/id/813229/ forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign agents in 2017]]. The registration would force RT to be openly labeled as a lobbying tool for the Russian government, and subject to intense scrutiny by the DOJ. This was done partly in response to the Russians' attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential elections, and partly because Vladimir Putin signed a similar law in 2012 that required nonprofits to register as foreign agents if they received outside funding.

* PropagandaMachine: RT often gets a lot of flak for being a mouthpiece of the Russian government, blatantly advocating "useful idiots" aka {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s on its network while promoting a brand of virulent anti-Western criticism and praising the Russian government and countries aligned with Russia, such as Venezuela and Syria. This is just one part of a widespread "active measures" (Russian: активные мероприятия) aka subversive campaign by the Russians to sow discord among the US and its Western allies, alongside cyber-attacks, political warfare, bullying and undermining smaller neighbors and enemies, espionage, funneling money to front organizations, and disinformation — techniques similar to the ones used by the Soviets during the Cold War. It's gotten so bad to the point that it and [[https://sputniknews.com/ Sputnik, another Russian propaganda bullhorn]], were [[https://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Russia-Today-RT-Justice-Dept-foreign-agent/2017/09/13/id/813229/ forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign agents in 2017]]. The registration would force RT to be openly labeled as a lobbying tool for the Russian government, and subject to intense scrutiny by the DOJ. This was done partly in response to the Russians' attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential elections, and partly because Vladimir Putin signed a similar law in 2012 that required nonprofits to register as foreign agents if they received outside funding.

* PropagandaMachine: RT often gets a lot of flak for being a mouthpiece of the Russian government, blatantly advocating "useful idiots" aka {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s on its network while promoting a brand of virulent anti-Western criticism and praising the Russian government and countries aligned with Russia, such as Venezuela and Syria. This is just one part of a widespread "active measures" (Russian: активные мероприятия) aka subversive campaign by the Russians to sow discord among the US and its Western allies, alongside cyber-attacks, political warfare, bullying and undermining smaller neighbors and enemies, espionage, funneling money to front organizations, and disinformation — techniques similar to the ones used by the Soviets during the Cold War. It's gotten so bad to the point that it and [[https://sputniknews.com/ Sputnik, another Russian propaganda bullhorn]], were [[https://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Russia-Today-RT-Justice-Dept-foreign-agent/2017/09/13/id/813229/ forced by the USDOJ to register as foreign agents in 2017]]. The registration would force RT to be openly labeled as a lobbying tool for the Russian government, and subject to intense scrutiny by the DOJ. This was done partly in response to the Russians' attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential elections, and partly because Vladimir Putin signed a similar law in 2012 that required any nonprofit organization that received any foreign funding to register as a foreign agent.