Moscow lambasts UK for ‘slander’ of Russian media
Moscow has taken London to task over recent accusations directed at Russian media by a number of leading UK tabloids. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, British outlets are controlled and manipulated by politicians who use them for verbal attacks on “undesirables,” in this case Russian news outlets.
The statement came after The Guardian, Express, Telegraph and Daily Mail published stories in which they accused Russia’s Sputnik and RIA Novosti of spreading fake news about the supposed death of the British monarch, King Charles III. Unconfirmed reports of the king’s untimely demise circulated on social media on Monday, and RIA Novosti reached out to the royal press service. It later published a story confirming the reports were false.
British outlets were quick to accuse their Russian counterparts of spreading disinformation. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow, however, says the incident is an example of how the UK news cycle is directed by the government.
“At the right moment, the British authorities throw in a pre-approved version of events, accusing the undesirable media of spreading fake news. And here is a specific example… The Russian media were targeted for fact-checking,” the Foreign Ministry said. It alleged that the latest accusation against Russian media had secured the status of the UK as a “fake news production hub.”
The Russian ministry also commented on the coverage in Britain of the “disappearance” of another British royal, Kate Middleton.
Kensington Palace announced on January 17 that the Princess of Wales had undergone abdominal surgery. Although no reason was given for the procedure, all of Middleton’s planned events were postponed and she has not appeared in public for over two months, prompting a flood of speculation in the British press.
The Russian ministry said that example illustrated London’s chronic “lack of honesty,” and accused it of actively taking part in “the fabrication and circulation of misinformation... through media loyal to the authorities.”
“The ongoing conspiracy campaign in Britain, provoked by the long absence in public of the Princess of Wales… has once again highlighted the rotten nature of the British political establishment, based on its desire to completely control public opinion both in the country and far beyond its borders through mass media manipulation and fake news,” the ministry said. The statement went on to say that the British media and political system have “merged” to form “an ecosystem of lies and provocations.”
