Conspiracy Theories as a Russian Public Diplomacy Tool: The Case of Russia Today (RT)

Abstract

This article explores the use of conspiracy theories by the Russian international television channel Russia Today (RT). Based on Mark Fenster's definition of conspiracy theory as a populist theory of power, the article studies the process of how various conspiratorial notions in programmes broadcast by RT legitimise Russian domestic and foreign policies and, in turn, delegitimise policies of the American government. It argues that the conspiratorial component of RT's broadcasting appears as a political instrument in the context of the post-Cold War world and is applied to attract various global audiences with different political views.

“The stolen transition” - Conspiracy theories in post-communist and post-democratic Hungary

“…While negotiated transitions are based on compromises, populist narratives that embrace conspiracy theories tend to reject those compromises. Conspiracy theories are populist by nature, as they express the view that elites are secretly implementing a plot against the people (Yablokov, 2015). In line with this, support for conspiracy theories is higher among voters of populist right parties (Castanho Silva, Vegetti, & Littvay, 2017).…”

Believing in Conspiracy Theories: Evidence from an Exploratory Analysis of Italian Survey Data

“…On the other hand, the same attitudes can work as a control mechanism, which is instrumental in preserving democratic institutions, as far as these attitudes keep the public vigilant and the élites under scrutiny. After all, this latter approach is historically justified by the existence of real conspiracies (Olmsted 2009), including attempts made by public or private government-driven agencies to diffuse false conspiracy theories to cover real 'state crimes' (DeHaven-Smith 2013) or legitimise state policies (Yablokov 2015).…”

Posverdad, o la narración del procés catalán desde el exterior: BBC, DW y RT

“…El World Service cuenta ahora con una financiación mixta: en 2018 se paga con 254 millones de libras procedentes de la license, y con 85 millones provistos por el Foreign Office. Debe "promocionar Gran Bretaña y nuestros valores en todo el mundo" (Gob.UK, 2016, p. 39 (Yablokov, 2015).…”

“…Hay autores que ven RT claramente como un instrumento político en el contexto posterior a la guerra fría: ha ganado reputación de servir como máquina de propaganda del Kremlin, con una estrategia típica de los difusores de las teorías de la conspiración, de yuxtaponer el "nosotros", versus el "ellos"(Yablokov, 2015). El "ellos" es el Oeste, claro.…”