Is the Russia Today News Network (RT) a pro-capitalism news site?

[TrotskistMarx]

Dear friends, we are subscribed to Dish Network at home, and a couple of months ago they introduced into their basic channels The Russia Today News Network http://www.rt.com which is an alternative anti-mainstream news source. However even though they let members and leaders of different marxist movements participate in their programs, and even though The Russia Today News Network is more scientific, smarter, and more evidence-based than all the corporate mainstream TV news channels of America. But they don't really advocate socialism as the only solution for the crisis of Greece, Egypt, Spain, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Russia etc.

And by the way: What do you think about all the other progressive news websites and news sources, like counterpunch, commondreams, thenation.com, alternet.org, democracynow.org that are anti-war, anti-US imperialism, anti-zionism, anti-corporate politicians, but do not really advocate for marxism and for a socialist system as the solution for the economic crisis in most countries. But I think RT News Network is pretty cool, it doesn't commercials, and its a lot more scientific and a lot better than the corporate TV news networks of the USA

Here is more information about The Russia Today News Network (RT): http://rt.com/about/corporate-profile/

With first channel launched in December 2005, the RT network now consists of three global news channels broadcasting in English, Spanish and Arabic, RT America broadcasting from RT’s Washington studio and a documentary Channel RTDoc. With a global reach of over 430 million people, or 22% of all cable subscribers worldwide, RT news covers the major issues of our time for viewers wishing to question more. The best of our broadcast can be found at RT’s YouTube channel, where the number of views has already exceeded half a billion, making RT the first TV news channel to break this record in YouTube’s history.

Now RT has 21 bureaus in 16 states, with a presence in Washington, New York, London, Paris, Delhi, Cairo, Baghdad, Kiev and other cities and employs over 2,000 media professionals around the globe.

Audience and distribution
RT’s signal is carried by 22 satellites and over 230 operators, which allows some 430 million people to watch the channel in at least 100 countries. RT has over 7 million viewers in six European countries, including Germany, France, and Italy according to Synovate Research (Synovate research, 2009). In Great Britain, RT’s audience is over 2 million people, according to a Kantar Media survey (Kantar Media research, 2010). Moreover, in July 2010, RT began broadcasting 24/7 through Freeview, Britain’s largest digital terrestrial television network with an audience of over 55 million.

In the USA, about 50 million people in key urban areas can watch RT in English and Spanish via cable or satellite. In February 2011, RT began round-the-clock broadcasting in San Francisco and Chicago via U.S. cable TV operator Comcast, adding 6 million viewers to potential audience. In October 2011, round-the-clock broadcasting in Philadelphia added another 5 million people to RT’s U.S. audience reach. A Nielsen Media Research survey indicates that viewers in Washington and New York prefer watching RT to other international news channels such as the EU’s Euronews, France 24, Germany’s Deutsche Welle, the Middle East’s Al Jazeera English, or China’s CCTV News (The Nielsen Company Research, 2010). In Washington, for example, RT’s audience is 6.5 times that of Al Jazeera English and 5 times that of Deutsche Welle (The Nielsen Company Research, 2009).

In Asia and Africa, RT is just as popular. According to Synovate data, RT’s daily reach in the Republic of South Africa is 4.5 bigger than those of Deutsche Welle, France 24, and TV5 Monde taken together (Synovate EMS Africa, 2010). In Bangkok and Taipei, the Russian channel is watched more than Al Jazeera English (Synovate PAX ECI Q4´09).

Apart from regular news updates, RT offers a unique insight into many aspects of Russian history, culture and opinions. Our special projects are specifically tailored to accustom the international audience with the Russian perspective.



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[Omsk]

Is the Russia Today News Network (RT) a pro-capitalism news site?


Yes,of course.I though such a thing would not even classify as 'question'.

Just read their headlines.Or author columns.

[Ostrinski]

That's like asking if The Young Turks is capitalist.

[The Young Pioneer]

I agree with Omsk.

It's also pretty biased.

Though, I do enjoy RT's persistent criticisms of US actions and their positive light on Russia (at least, when this is given to a Western audience, it's a refreshing change from the post-McCarthyist anti-Russia nonsense).


Also:

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/files/original/1120stalin.jpg

[TrotskistMarx]

Hi, thanks for your answer. Even though I like The Russia Today News shows and their website http://www.rt.com/ and even though they are a thousand times better than the mainstream news TV channels CNN, FOX news, ABC, Univision and all the other corporate TV news sources. I think you are right about them being sort of soft-capitalist, third-way bourgeoise-reformist.

And that's the main problem of the left of the USA and even of the left of many other countries, that for some reason, anti-capitalist activists in the different organizations of all countries are a little bit shy or scared to advocate a marxist government of the working class, a dictatorship of the workers, a workers state, an 100% marxist political system in all countries of the world as the solution for the misery, poverty, hunger and problems of the majority of people of this world.

They instead advocate for a sort of Norway universal welfare state-capitalist system, with higher taxes on the upper classes, with free medicine, free universities, and other subdized government-services. But that is still capitalism.

I don't really know who funds The Russia Today News Network, but I think they are funded by the Russian Government. Because their websites, their internet power, their airpower is just too powerful and too strong to be funded by non-government, non-corporate organizations like grass roots populist movements.

I think that it is the task of the REAL MARXISM LEFT of this world, to create a great internet news site, with updated news from a marxist perspective, and to see if the real marxism left can get funds for a TV station, like Free Speech TV or Russia Today (RT). Because most marxism news sites, do not update their news on a regular basis. Of all the marxism internet websites, the one that updates their news on a regular basis is http://www.wsws.org and http://www.socialistworker.org

But most of the other marxism and labor news websites update their news sections like weekly and some every do it monthly

Thanks.




That's like asking if The Young Turks is capitalist.

[Omsk]

I agree with Omsk.

It's also pretty biased.

Though, I do enjoy RT's persistent criticisms of US actions and their positive light on Russia (at least, when this is given to a Western audience, it's a refreshing change from the post-McCarthyist anti-Russia nonsense).


Also:

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/files/original/1120stalin.jpg


Pfff.

I knew that before they were founded as a Network/Channel.

[TrotskistMarx]

Another thing I wanna say. I don't understand why the poor people of this world, who are the majority do not convert themselves to 100% MARXISM. Damn people react so slow to their reality problems. I mean marxism is free. They don't need to go to the supermarket to buy 1 pound of marxism.

And I think that we cannot blame poor people for not supporting socialism as the only escape out their existential hell. I think that the capitalist right-wing powers of this world have been too oppressive, too evil at crushing the marxism left. It is the task of the 100% marxists of this world to get stronger, to get more powerful in order to crush the ideological hegemony of the capitalist class

[The Young Pioneer]

Pfff.

I knew that before they were founded as a Network/Channel.

Of course you did. Doubt most of their audience knew, however. It's just neat they showcase such things.

[The Young Pioneer]

Another thing I wanna say. I don't understand why the poor people of this world, who are the majority do not convert themselves to 100% MARXISM. Damn people react so slow to their reality problems. I mean marxism is free. They don't need to go to the supermarket to buy 1 pound of marxism.

First, you don't convert to Marxism. It's not a religion.

Second, how did you learn about Marxism? The internet, the library, a local political party? You think the majority of "poor people of the world" have such resources, much less time to spend researching (if they are even able to read)?

In a capitalist world, nothing is free. Especially knowledge.

[gorillafuck]

of course Russia Today is pro-capitalist. Russia Today is just a pro-Russian news source.

[brigadista]

they all are!!! none of them tell the truth

[Goblin]

Is Stalins poetry any good?

[l'Enfermé]

I visit their web page(www.rt.com)daily, but they're not particularly unbiased(though pretty decent compared to Fox News, CNN, BBC, etc, etc.) and occasionally some stupid crap finds itself on the front page. It's an ok alternative news source, but only if you read news from other sources as well.

What shouldn't be forgotten is that it's owned by the Russian government, and as such it tends to act sometimes(by "sometimes" I mean a lot) as Putin's personal propaganda organ outside of Russia. But such is the case with all major media sources.

[Ocean Seal]

RT is a capitalist network.
The good thing about it is that they report pretty decently on US imperialism
But they don't criticize their own imperialism
For that you have to go to other bourgeois sources
Yay for conflicts within the bourgeoisie :thumbup1:

[¿Que?]

Have you seen their riot porn? It's pretty much some of the best out there.

[l'Enfermé]

Is Stalins poetry any good?
I've read some of his Georgian poetry translated into Russian. Not particularly good, but perhaps because poetry rarely translates well.

[TrotskistMarx]

I am not a specialist on TV and in media corporations. However I think and I suspect that the Russian Government is investing a lot and a lot of money into The Russia Today News Networks Corporations. Because if you read their *about* section that I posted in the other comments. They are growing in air power, they seem very modernized, and who knows if they might even destroy the hegemony of CNN News Networks which has been very discredited all over the world specially with the younger population who are more into alternative news than the older people.

The RT has lots and lots of stuff, I suspect that the Russian Government is pouring millions and millions of dollars into the whole Russia Today News Networks, their websites, all their shows like Max Keiser, Thom Hardtmann, along with their super advanced news technology

It seems to me that the Russian economy is pretty good at least a lot better than the bankrupt USA, Spain, Greece and other economies of this world that have been destroyed by a cabal of financial neoliberal bankers and cleptocrats

However even though the Russia Today News Networks (RT) are capitalists or at least in favor of a reformed-capitalism. I think that many of their news programs are very good at least as a form of entertainment.

But like you all said here, they do advocate and propose a sort of small business capitalist system, or at least a regulated Norway capitalist system. They haven't really talked about their favorite political economic system. But one of their shows "Capital Account", the lady of that program was labeling the bank-bail outs as socialism, and claiming that we should go back to "free market capitalism" (So I guess in that economics show The Russia News Networks exposed their true colors).

Anyways most of their main commentators are capitalists: Max Keiser, Gerald Celente, Thom Hardtmann (I think Thom Hardtmann is a progressive democrat, and FDR Democrat).

However the Russia Today News Network are not so evil and violent against Socialist Leaders, they do invite Socialist Marxist leaders to their shows every now and then. You will never see a Marxist Leader invited to CNN, FOX news, ABC news, CBS news, NBC news, Univision (real ultra-right-wingers) and Telemundo.


.

Thanks

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I visit their web page(www.rt.com)daily, but they're not particularly unbiased(though pretty decent compared to Fox News, CNN, BBC, etc, etc.) and occasionally some stupid crap finds itself on the front page. It's an ok alternative news source, but only if you read news from other sources as well.

What shouldn't be forgotten is that it's owned by the Russian government, and as such it tends to act sometimes(by "sometimes" I mean a lot) as Putin's personal propaganda organ outside of Russia. But such is the case with all major media sources.

[bad ideas actualised by alcohol]

Why again does Russia have a English-speaking news network?

[RedHal]

To counter the US media monopoly. China also has CCTV channels in English and other languages.

[Ned Kelly]

I think you should all read their coverage of the Russian election. That should answer your question. So pro - Putin I nearly threw up.

[Amal]

Another thing I wanna say. I don't understand why the poor people of this world, who are the majority do not convert themselves to 100% MARXISM. Damn people react so slow to their reality problems. I mean marxism is free. They don't need to go to the supermarket to buy 1 pound of marxism.

And I think that we cannot blame poor people for not supporting socialism as the only escape out their existential hell. I think that the capitalist right-wing powers of this world have been too oppressive, too evil at crushing the marxism left. It is the task of the 100% marxists of this world to get stronger, to get more powerful in order to crush the ideological hegemony of the capitalist class
One basic problem that you and others like are unable to understand that Marxism is the ideology of workers, NOT POOR PEOPLE. People may be poor for different reason, they may be unemployed or connected to production/service with low productivity. An industrial worker may have higher income and living standard than many "poor people", but still he/she is exploited. The reason for his/her higher income is the high productivity of the production/service with which he/she is attached. In comparison, a poor people may not be exploited because he/she him/herself is the producer/service provider. But, still poor because of the low productivity of his/hers means of production/service.
Poor people around the world, especially from third world countries are mostly illiterate and backward feudal mentality, especially true for Asian people, is still reigning high in them and that's why it's just a daydream that they will began to follow Marx.
WORKER ISN'T POOR AND POOR ISN'T WORKER.