Media expert: Russians do not believe Kremlin's propaganda, they make fun of stories


Media expert Pyotr Pomerantsev explains how you can resist the Kremlin’s propaganda.

Belsat: You research the media. Why do you think people actively believe the Kremlin propaganda?

Pyotr Pomerantsev: It is a very good question, if they really do. People from the few focus groups, that I read about say that they believe nobody, that it is all propaganda. Both what others and Kremlin are doing. But the Kremlin tells wonderful stories! One person said: “We know that it is all lies. But they (the pro-Kremlin media) are objective, because they have so many emotions. On the screen, reporters run around in the combat zone! “Russian news programs are not connected with reality. They tell the remarkable story of the crucifixion of children. And the people watch them for amusement.

Belsat: You also said that there is no Iron Curtain now, there is the Internet and open sources of information. How to make people use them?

Pyotr Pomerantsev: There are two approaches. One is called “media literacy.” It sounds really boring, but it is certainly a key. People studying at schools and universities need to be taught when they are being cheated or manipulated. The Kremlin has a huge budget. Neither the independent Russian-language media or Western media can even come close to it. But there are things that the Kremlin does not make news about. These are local issues, there is a lack of serious documentaries, which can be very exciting. You can have less money than the Kremlin, but cover topics that it is not able to report on.

Watch the latest Svet program above.

TWITTER