Russian State-Funded RT Academy Trains African Journalists Amid Disinformation Concerns
The Kremlin-funded global news channel RT, facing bans and sanctions in Western countries for spreading disinformation, has launched a training program for journalists in Africa. The program, touted by RT as its most successful yet, reportedly attracted over 1,000 journalists and bloggers from 35 African countries. A BBC journalist enrolled in the course to investigate its content and observed over 300 participants in a dedicated Telegram channel. The program, conducted online over a month, included pre-recorded lessons and live webinars featuring RT presenters and senior managers, some of whom are sanctioned by Western governments for promoting Kremlin propaganda.
The course content included standard journalism training elements like interview techniques, story development, and conflict zone reporting. However, these lessons were interwoven with pro-Kremlin viewpoints and utilized RT reports as course material. One example cited was a lesson on breaking news that included an RT report from occupied Mariupol describing surrendered Ukrainians as “neo-Nazis and radicals.” The course also promoted RT as an “alternative news source” and criticized Western media, describing its journalism as “political warfare."
A particularly concerning aspect of the training was a seminar on debunking fake news, which ironically propagated Kremlin disinformation. The instructor dismissed the 2018 chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria, as “fake news,” contradicting findings by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Similarly, the instructor dismissed the Bucha massacre in Ukraine as a “well-known fake,” despite substantial evidence from multiple independent sources, including the UN, confirming the atrocities committed by Russian forces.
While some African journalists participating in the program expressed skepticism, others appeared receptive to the narratives presented by RT. One Ethiopian journalist, an admirer of Vladimir Putin, echoed RT’s claims about the Bucha killings being staged. Another participant from Sierra Leone acknowledged the problem of misinformation but suggested that every media institution operates with its own biases. This highlights the challenge of combating disinformation in a media landscape where trust in traditional institutions is eroded and alternative narratives gain traction.
RT’s increased focus on Africa follows its expulsion from many Western countries. The network has reportedly expanded its African bureaus, partnered with local television channels, and increased its reporting from the continent. Leveraging anti-colonial sentiments and historical ties between Russia and African liberation movements, RT seeks to cultivate a receptive audience for its messaging. This includes screenings of pro-Russian documentaries in collaboration with Russian Houses, official representatives of the Russian government abroad. These films often promote unsubstantiated claims and conspiracy theories.
Experts view RT’s training program as a strategic move to shape narratives and influence public opinion in Africa. Philip Obaji Jr., a Nigerian journalist, believes the program is part of a broader Russian strategy to promote Kremlin-aligned viewpoints on the continent by directly targeting journalists. Yevhen Fedchenko, head of the Ukrainian fact-checking organization StopFake, compares this tactic to Soviet-era methods of cultivating loyal networks and using them to disseminate propaganda and influence decision-making. These concerns raise important questions about media literacy, the role of foreign influence in shaping public discourse, and the ethical implications of such training programs.