Putin TV channel twists the thinking of western viewers

RT, a channel supported by President Putin, and has been accused of promoting a one-sided and anti-Western message
RT, a channel supported by President Putin, and has been accused of promoting a one-sided and anti-Western message
MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV\TASS

The Kremlin-backed television station RT is succeeding in turning viewers against the West, according to the first controlled experiment into the effects of watching the news channel.

Those exposed only to RT’s message became significantly more hostile to the western viewpoint — but the effect decreased when people were also shown BBC coverage.

The results will be seen as validating the growing enthusiasm of British and American politicians to promote news channels that provide an alternative to Russia’s message.

On Saturday The Times revealed how the Kremlin had launched a secret propaganda assault on Britain by setting up a bureau of its Sputnik international news service in Edinburgh.

The RT study — involving more than 1,000 English-speaking people — was conducted by Monica Richter at