Is there a tendency to gravitate toward conspiracy theories on RT News?

Yes, there is a significant tendency for RT News to gravitate toward conspiracy theories. Here are some key points that illustrate this:

Use of Conspiracy Theories as Strategy

RT has been known to pioneer and heavily utilize controversial opinions, alternative facts, and conspiracy theories as part of its news agenda. This approach is designed to undermine the legitimacy of political and social actors, particularly those in the West, and to spread mistrust and misinformation1.

Content and Approach

RT often covers stories that connect societal and political problems to corporate crimes, CIA plots, and the actions of the super-rich in collaboration with the US government. During events like the Skripal poisoning, RT spread multiple conflicting conspiracy theories to cast doubt on the official accounts, using social media posts and op-ed pieces to avoid legal repercussions1.

Populist Agenda and Misinformation

RT's strategy involves positioning itself as an underdog truth-seeker, exposing what it claims is corruption and deception by the ruling class. This is achieved through conspiratorial insinuations rather than outright allegations, and by giving a platform to a wide range of viewpoints, including those from affiliated journalists, bloggers, and retired intelligence officers1.

Independent Evaluations

Ad Fontes Media, which evaluates news sources for bias and reliability, has given RT low scores in both categories, indicating a high bias and low reliability. This suggests that RT's content often deviates from verifiable facts and objective reporting2.

Examples and Context

During significant events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 US Presidential elections, RT continued to spread false narratives and conspiratorial content, further solidifying its reputation for promoting conspiracy theories1.