Zakharova: Witch Hunt Against RT in America Will Have Repercussions For American Media in Russia
"Moscow will take measures" was the official answer of MFA rep Maria Zakharova to US authorities, who went from a witch-hunt to an actual attack on the Russian media. We're talking about the RT channel and Sputnik informational agency. Both have large audiences in the US, and Washington interprets it their way.
Here's what was recently stated in the Washington Post. Looks like both media sources are implementing "Kremlin-controlled propaganda to undermine the faith in the US government". As usual, there is no proof. But it looks like nobody needs them, since all's fair in love and war. They're thinking of including RT into the list of foreign agents. What does that mean?
It means the following. First, this will make the channel constantly report to the US Justice Ministry about their financing sources. Second, they'll have to reveal their inner operations, to confirm their informational order with the US, so this order can be regulated. Or to pressure the journalists to exclude unwanted materials and news.
These two addenda are enough to understand that these initiatives are far from freedom of speech. Anastasia Efimova tried to figure out what Kremlin responded with.
- Hello, Nastya.
- Hello.
- As far as I know, there are almost four dozen US media reps in Russia.
- And, by the way, they don't disclose their financing sources yet.
Formally, there's nothing scary about it. Register as a foreign agent and just live your life. But, for the Russian RT channel, US Justice Ministry has by far more serious plans.
Margarita Simonyan, RT Director: "They've tried to fight us for years, with different measures. As soon as our audience really grew, they tried to fight us by ruining our reputation. Not a day went by without the largest US newspapers and western media in general printing or showing something bad about us. "Kremlin's hand, Russian propaganda". This didn't work, so they tried other ways. People were under critical pressure, so they didn't interview with us. That didn't work, either".
To make it work this time, along with making RT a foreign agent, RT is required to disclose personal journalist info, from personal phone numbers to home addresses. Why? So that they can be questioned by the FBI, like it happened to Sputnik's former employee, Andrew Feinberg. They looked for proof of Russian propaganda. They didn't find any. Looks like they didn't need them, after all.
Chris Roman, Euro-Rus Director: "US wants to know who works behind RT. This means their names, addresses, etc... I think that if bureaucracy takes its course, if US knows what everyone does, sanctions may follow. I know, I think, I know, they might even end up in prison. This isn't the first time, when a journalist in the West goes to prison for speaking truth. This won't be the first time".
Looks like Washington is trying to make Russian journalists' jobs in the US not just potentially dangerous, but simply impossible. Justice Ministry's demand to make RT a foreign agent doesn't leave a chance for an appeal. It's an ultimatum, either play by our rules, or get out of here.
This action defies the US Constitution, where the First Amendment guarantees Freedom of Speech and Press. However, this democracy isn't for everybody, as it seems.
Scott Bennett, retired PSYOP officer: "I think it's tremendously illegal and unconstitutional. This is a very sad and disturbing trend, when US starts such a witch-hunt. In this hunt, Russia Today, Sputnik, and channels like you are considered spies, or organizations, trying to ruin democracy, but it's an absolute lie".
It's interesting that, while attacking our colleagues in the US, Washington uses complete freedom for US media in Russia. Some are financed directly out of budget, some — through non-commercial entities. They promote anti-Russian propaganda. However, they don't disclose their finance sources. Neither do they register as foreign agents.
Maria Zakharova, MFA rep: "Russia is devoted to all international rules, to all appropriate regulations, when it comes to Freedom of Speech, we've proved it many times. When fighting without rules begins, when the law is twisted and is turned into a tool to destroy a TV company, then every step to destroy a Russian media rep will have an appropriate response".
For now, RT lawyers are trying to find a legal way to appeal the decision, to make a deal, even though the US side doesn't plan to strike any deals. There's a reason that the Atlantic Council, affiliated with NATO, directly calls upon foreign countries, Poland in particular, to plan a cyber attack on RT, to make a hacker's attack on a Russian resource. As Margarita Simonyan said, "The Freedom of Speech was killed of by those who came up with it in the first place".
That was Anastasia Efimova about Freedom of Speech.