ICYMI: Talking About Russian Propaganda in 2015

Angry Planet

Matthew Gault

War, Politics, Conflict, Government, History, News

4.3 • 882 Ratings

🗓️ 27 November 2017

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As Jason and Matthew sleep off their holiday induced Turkey Comas, War College presents an episode from the early days of the show. Here’s what we said back then—

The media in Russia is lively, often entertaining and largely state controlled. Still, an illusion of freedom remains key for the Kremlin to maintain its grasp over a country that spans 11 time zones.

In this episode of War College, we look at how Russian president Vladimir Putin crafts his message for both internal and external consumption.

For many in the West, watching Russian TV is like staring into a broken mirror. At first glance, networks such as RT seem like any other channel, but viewers who watch long enough are treated to a bevy of bizarre pundits and conspiratorial spin.

That’s by design.

We’re speaking with journalist, author and former Russian TV producer Peter Pomerantsev. His book Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible explores Putin’s postmodern dictatorship and how the Kremlin uses television to control the country.

“If Stalin was 75 percent violence and 25 percent propaganda,” Pomerantsev explains. “Putin is 75 percent propaganda and 25 percent violence.”

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Love this podcast support this show through the a cast supporter feature
0:05.1	It's up to you how much you give and there's no regular commitment just click the link in the show description to support now
0:13.0	Hello out there, War College listeners, it's Matthew,
0:16.0	and I'm here to introduce today's episode,
0:18.0	which is going to be a rerun because Jason and I spent Thanksgiving, eating turkey, and hanging out with our families.
0:26.0	So we're bringing you an episode today from the Archives.
0:28.6	It's one from December of 2015.
0:30.6	It's almost two years old, and it was covering what was then current events at the time
0:35.9	Interestingly though those events have come to shape our national discourse in a way. I don't think either Jason or I or even the guest really could have predicted.
0:46.1	The guest is Peter Pomeransov and we are talking about his book. Nothing is true and everything is possible.
0:53.8	And it's all about how Putin's propaganda machine works
0:58.0	and the way Russia destabilizes the very idea of truth and democracy to spread its soft power.
1:07.0	Now this was again back in 2015 these were kind of new and interesting ideas that not a lot of people were talking about, but we were.
1:15.0	And for my money, Peter's book on Russian propaganda is still one of the best around.
1:20.0	If you really want to understand the point of it, which was not in this previous election
1:24.2	cycle specifically to elect Donald Trump, it's much more complicated and I think much more
1:29.0	interesting and much more insidious than that.
1:31.5	So here I'll let Peter tell us take a listen to an episode from
1:35.1	2015.
1:38.1	If Stalin was 75% violence and 25% propaganda, Putin is 75% propaganda and 25%
1:47.0	Putin is 75% propaganda and 25% violence. said by. a weekly podcast that brings you the stories from behind the front lines.
2:05.0	Here are your hosts, Matthew Gull.
	...

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