RT (Russia Today): From Soft Power to the Weaponization of Information

Television channel RT (formerly Russia Today) was established in 2005 with the intention to promote a positive image of Russia abroad. However, after the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia, the channel pivoted its strategy, turning into a weapon of Kremlin propaganda and working to instill doubts in Western publics about Western state institutions. The channel’s structure and its relations with the government are a bright example of proxyship relations, the latter implying that government bodies and officials have a direct impact on the functioning and the output of the organization. RT was constructed as a kind of “Media Matryoshka,” consisting of state, non-commercial, and commercial divisions. These provide an opportunity for conducting influence operations while segmenting the audience, oftentimes conveying directly opposite parallel messages. The peculiar system of management and corporate ethics of the channel dates back to the Soviet past, being rooted in resistance and kontrpropaganda ethics. RT also makes use of modern legal methods of intimidating potential offenders of corporate rules. Its impact on audiences remains dubious, but the fact that its activity resulted in serious debates in the Western political establishment may warrant concluding that RT has achieved its objective of being a channel impactfully influencing international politics.