The two faces of RT’s coronavirus propaganda: When it comes to Russia Today and the pandemic, coverage at home and abroad is worlds apart

As Russia confronts its latest wave of deadly coronavirus infections, the state media wages a war against homegrown vaccine skeptics. Journalists call them "halfwit anti-vaxxers" and "imbecile murderers." Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Russia Today, has raised questions about these individuals' basic "cognitive abilities" and accused them of poisoning the nation's solidarity, prompting allegations of hate speech against Russia's anti-vaccine community. These same people, however, adore Simonyan's main product: RT's reporting for foreign audiences. And it's no wonder why: When it comes to pandemic coverage at the network's English-language division and especially its German-language branch, Russia Today actively amplifies unscientific information about COVID-19 and features many guests who are openly hostile to the very idea of vaccination. As a result, RT's content for audiences abroad becomes material that Russia's own vaccine opponents cite as "proof" against the need for inoculation. Original Article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/11/11/the-two-faces-of-rt-s-coronavirus-propaganda