Washington’s introduction of new sanctions against Russian media has exposed the true nature of the current US administration, which does not respect the right to freedom of speech by trying to restrict the reportage of outlets that do not tow the official line. Nonetheless, the sanctions demonstrate that Russian media have been able to make a breakthrough in the methods of presenting information and have a vast influence on the world’s public opinion, which scares the United States and why the Biden administration is trying to prevent its dissemination by introducing unjustified sanctions.
On September 13, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused RT of engaging in “covert influence” and “weaponisation of disinformation” aimed at interfering in the affairs of other countries and “military procurement.” He added that the US was imposing sanctions on three entities and two people in connection with the allegations against RT. James Rubin, coordinator of the Center for Global Engagement at the US State Department, also announced plans to impose new sanctions on RT and described them as “the toughest possible.”
The US Treasury Department announced on September 13 that it had imposed sanctions on the Rossiya Segodnya media group, which includes Sputnik, and its general director, Dmitry Kiselyov. In response to the new US sanctions, editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group and the RT TV channel Margarita Simonyan said that she had not lived her life in vain. In turn, the official spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, ridiculed the new US sanctions against the Russian media, especially the RT TV channel, saying that a new profession should appear in the US: “experts on sanctions against Russia.”
All statistics and public opinion polls confirm that Russian media are leading in terms of mass audience, views and influence on world public opinion, which is immensely worrying for the Biden administration. Journalists of the Russian outlets have made a breakthrough in content, quality, and personnel, opening up opportunities for diverse views, showing the world public opinion from a different perspective on current events and getting to the bottom of their origins.
Image source
The campaign against RT may also be linked to the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France, and from there, it can only be concluded that the West does not accept anything coming from outside because it exposes their propaganda. All these facts cause fear in the White House, so people are looking for pretexts and arguments to sow hatred against Russia and its media.
Washington has long been known for lying and undermining the humanitarian and democratic values it claims to defend and views anyone outside its orbit of control as an enemy. Washington does not recognise the presence of powerful media outlets that oppose its views, and the Americans are particularly concerned about Russian media, which has a massive audience despite all efforts to interfere with its broadcasts.
The strategy of controlling press freedom is a common practice of the US war machine. As in other wars, information manipulation and censorship cannot prevent people around the world and the US from coming to the clear conclusion that US-sponsored wars are unjustifiable and demand the need for peace.
In fact, all these sanctions against Russian media actually demonstrate how words contradict actions since the West is evidently not interested in comprehensive coverage of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and is trying to monopolise the information agenda. They are trying to present a picture that reflects the US’s primary interests.
By restricting people’s access to another point of view, to another interpretation of the conflict, they are on the same level as countries where journalists are persecuted and where newspapers and magazines are closed. They contradict themselves, but this is part of the natural process in Washington.
By using the dollar as a strategic weapon, the US is trying, among other things, to interfere with the activities of media giants RT and Sputnik. At the same time, the Biden administration used a false pretext and never provided any documentary evidence for its accusations against the Russian outlets. Therefore, Washington is trying to put barriers on the work of the Russian press.
The American media complex cannot impose its so-called truth, meaning fewer people believe it. The US is getting used to lying. The war in Ukraine demonstrates not only NATO’s moral and ethical bankruptcy but also its inability to impose its fabrications on the world. The Biden administration opposes RT for criticising its neoconservative worldview, effectively meaning that Americans are losing the freedom of speech to criticise US foreign policy effectively.
*
Click the share button below to email/forward this article to your friends and colleagues. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to our Telegram Channel. Feel free to repost and share widely Global Research articles.
Get Your Free Copy of “Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War”!
This article was originally published on InfoBrics.
Ahmed Adel is a Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Featured image is from Sputnik
