(ABKHAZIA) – Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT, has publicly identified herself and television host Vladimir Solovyov as the leading propagandists in Russia. Speaking during a visit to Abkhazia, the Russian-occupied region of Georgia, Simonyan dismissed traditional journalistic standards of objectivity as “rubbish” and stated that her primary duty is to defend the interests of the Kremlin during the ongoing war.
When asked by an interlocutor to identify the “chief propagandist” in Russia, Simonyan named Solovyov first, placing herself in second position. She light-heartedly attributed this ranking to local customs in Abkhazia, suggesting that a woman should not be seen to precede a man. Despite her secondary ranking in this instance, she expressed significant pride in her reputation as a key figure in the media apparatus of the Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin.
Responding to international criticism that she oversees a government-run influence machine, Simonyan asserted that the title of “first propagandist” is an honour that must be earned. She rejected the concept of impartial reporting, describing it as a set of “mantras” taught by Western outlets such as the BBC. Simonyan claimed that during a 2005 visit to the BBC, she observed a poster advising staff not to let the truth obstruct a “good story”, though she provided no evidence for the claim.
The RT chief argued that the professional methodologies used by international news organisations are actually designed by foreign intelligence services to destabilise Russia. She maintained that media workers should view their roles through the lens of patriotism and national defence rather than adhering to universal journalistic ethics. This admission comes as Simonyan continues to face extensive international sanctions for her role in facilitating the Kremlin’s disinformation campaigns following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
