RT, formerly known as Russia Today, is a Russian state-controlled television network that caters to an international audience.
Media assets
Television: RT International, RT France, RT America, RT UK, RT Arabic, RT Documentary, RT Actualidad, RT Deutsch
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
RT is operated by TV-Novosti, a non-profit entity that was established by the now-defunct RIA Novosti, a state-owned news agency. Additionally, RT serves as the parent company of Ruptly, a video agency that owns the video platform Redfish and the digital portal Maffick.
Source of funding and budget
RT is financed through subsidies provided by the Russian federal government. In 2020, RT received a state subsidy amounting to RUB 23bn (equivalent to approximately US$ 320m). For the period spanning 2022 to 2024, RT was to receive a total of RUB 82bn, representing the largest budget of all state media companies in Russia.
Editorial independence
There is a substantial body of documentation and research pertaining to RT’s propagandistic activities. This includes academic papers, media articles, and studies conducted by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In 2020, Politico published a report that shed light on the editorial process at RT. The report drew upon a study from Oxford University, which was based on interviews with former RT journalists.
To date, no internal statute or independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate RT’s editorial independence has been identified.
September 2024