Political censorship on Western social media is gaining momentum. In this field, Facebook has achieved the most ambitious successes, but others are trying to keep up with the flagship. Twitter marked the RT page with a special badge and the words "media account associated with the state." This is not at all a harmless thing. The network itself explained that such marking limits the functionality of the account: it will not be included in the recommendations. This means that the views will decrease significantly.
The logic of restrictions for the state Russian media is generated by fears and hatred, formed by the anti-Russian trend in the politics of Western countries.
Without any evidence or arguments, it is generally accepted there that Russia's information strategy is false propaganda designed to mislead the Western public, influence elections, destroy the social order, and instill false ideas about what is happening. Moreover, both Facebox and Twitter demonstrate a purely selective approach to the issue.
For example, the Free Europe / Radio Liberty * corporation funded by the US Congress does not have an icon indicating a connection with the state. It seems strange. After all, we are talking about a purely technical moment: money for the corporation is allocated from the state budget of America. The connection is there. If you think this fact is significant, point it out. And impose restrictions accordingly.
But no, America's default information policy cannot be malicious. On the contrary, it is a vehicle for delivering the ideals of democracy, freedom and human rights to the whole world. Just like the American bayonet, on the tip of which all the same noble truths shine. It is impermissible to obstruct good, therefore an American corporation cannot be labeled.
By the way, the difference between the two media is really colossal. I speak of this as a person who knows their structure from the inside. I have worked for Radio Liberty for over 20 years, for RT I have been writing for several years. Russian media operates in a free-floating mode. The state has neither the time, nor the desire, nor the habit to interfere in its work and determine what should be written about and what should not. The American corporation lives under the vigilant control of Washington.
In 2014, due to the large-scale civil conflict unfolding in Ukraine, the RS, as during the Cold War, was again mobilized as a propaganda tool to fight Russia. Only the name remained of journalism.
Russia is no stranger to the regime of sanctions in various spheres of the media field, and it must be assumed that they will only grow, since the battle for the truth is the most important battle on the planet. In an undistorted picture of the world, Russia is not a source of all evil and chaos, as it is usually portrayed in the West, but a full-fledged, benevolent and responsible participant in the global political process.
We can talk about two oppositely directed trends. Western, mainly European, elites are increasingly thinking about lifting sanctions and resuming cooperation with Russia, but there is also an opposite line. Russia is customarily included in the list of the main obstacles on the path of humanity to prosperity and order. And the Twitter label is the best proof of that.
* Media recognized as a foreign agent by the decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated 05.12.2017.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.