The increasing pressure put on Russian media by their professional UK counterparts is a sign of an information war. But the Russians are simply doing their jobs as Britons sit out on some stories, observers believe.
Last Sunday, one of the most respectable British newspapers upped the ante in the British stand-off with the Russian government. An establishment outlet that it is, the Times lashed out at Sputnik, a Russian government-funded news website, for its coverage of the hack of the Integrity Initiative (II), a British-funded operation to manipulate social media in a way favorable to London.
The newspaper also published names and photos of Sputnik staff members in what appears to be an attempt to shame them over working for Russia.
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In the case of the slowly unfolding Integrity Initiative scandal, it was the Russian media like Sputnik and RT, which did their job informing British citizens about a matter of public interest while their British counterparts ignored the story, independent journalist Luc Rivet, the former chief editor of the Belgian news website Le Peuple pointed out.
“It was true what was revealed by RT and Sputnik [about II] and that is the role of the press, even if the government doesnt like it. The British government sponsors stooges,” he told RT. “It is the war of secret services at best or at worst. So whats wrong? The Russians have won [this round].”
The II modus operandi is apparently to connect paid or unpaid individuals willing to back narratives that the British government likes and coordinate their efforts on social media to peddle them. Ironically, the Times branded Sputnik, an outlet that makes no secret of its affiliation with Russia, a “Kremlin stooge” in the headline, citing the words of a Scottish legislator.
Calling the other side names and accusing them of bias is a common thing in an “information war” and there is one currently underway between Russia and Britain, believes Russia analyst Marin Mccauley.
“Russia is the main target in Europe, so its not surprising that Sputnik is being picked out as RT had been in the past for their reporting. Many in the British media and establishment dont like the point of view and opinions, that are being expressed [there],” he said.
He added that the job of organizations like the Institute for Statecraft, the parent organization of II, “is to come up with arguments, which would negate what Sputnik has said, to counter Sputniks arguments and analysis. One way to do this is to say that Sputnik people are not all that bright, they are stooges and not well informed. Unfortunately this is normal tactics nowadays.”
Amir Oren, a veteran Israeli journalist, told RT that the Times journalists got involved in very questionable actions with the controversial publication, from a journalistic point of view.
“[They] are apparently not acting in a collegial way. The Times and other papers have chosen to present themselves as foes of their Russian colleagues,” he said, calling the apparent shaming of Sputnik employees “shady.”
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