Cross-posted from www.climatenewswatch.com:
RT (previously known as “Russia Today”), is a globally broadcast English-language news channel sponsored by the state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti. RT’s editorial practices have been questioned in the past, with some alleging that the network is a continuation of “…the old Soviet propaganda services.” One thing’s for sure, propaganda is alive and well on RT.
We’ve recently noticed that RT is producing some disconcerting reportage on global warming and disseminating it on the internet through its YouTube channel where it has become fodder for global warming skeptics trying to amplify the so-called “climategate” story, as well as general non-sense debate on the science of climate change.
Apparently Moscow, despite being a signatory to Kyoto is happy to seed and fuel climate skepticism among English-speaking audiences, interviewing and giving preferential air time to “academics” who are willing to say that global warming doesn’t exist – full stop.
From a propaganda POV, some of the video (see the whole series on RT’s channel) is less effective as the academics look like they were recently dug up from Lenin’s tomb, but that’s neither here nor there.
It’ll be interesting to see Russia’s negotiating position at Copenhagen. If RT is representative of the Kremlin’s politics, we shouldn’t hold our breath.
The most interesting and ironic thing about this story is that climate skeptics who are convinced that global warming theory is a communist plot are trumpeting Russia Today’s stories online as evidence for their cause – despite RT’s pedigree as a Russian propaganda service defending and promoting the world’s original “communist” regime.
Isn’t it ironic. Don’t ch’ya think?