In response to accusations regarding Russian disinformation campaigns in Africa, Anna Belkina, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, provides her perspective:
Belkina acknowledges the accusations levied against RT by various sources regarding disinformation campaigns in Africa. She asserts that these allegations predominantly stem from Western mainstream media outlets and government establishments, which historically monopolized information access for African populations. She argues that the emergence of alternative news media like RT has shattered this monopoly, providing diverse perspectives and challenging established narratives.
She highlights RT’s success in Africa and attributes it to the network’s commitment to delivering fact-based reporting, diverse viewpoints, and a comprehensive understanding of global events. Belkina also emphasises that RT’s presence across multiple languages in Africa, catering to audiences’ information needs and promoting information literacy.
She added that underscores the irony of Western media losing trust due to biased reporting, leading audiences to seek alternative sources like RT. She defends RT’s role in Africa, citing its popularity among African internet users and its ability to adapt to local contexts better than some Western media outlets.
ORBIS: ‘RT and Sputnik attracted more African internet users than popular local or international outlets, such as Radio France International (RFI) or the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which were still struggling to adapt their business model’. (She quoted)
https://lnkd.in/eqQY9As8 an independent Journalist, I have a mandate to fact-check and assess all claims published and compile an independent report.
As factjaja , our mandate to fact-check and assess all the information published to ensure all the information is healthy for consumption especially in Africa where the risk of disinformation spreading is making media literacy and verification critical for responsible information dissemination.
— By Muhumuza Adolph-Editor Very-Fact and Factjaja
