4 ms·

It was apparently $100k spent by RT to promote news stories. Why is it so unusual for a news company to spend money promoting news stories on social media sites

by alehul 9y ago

It was apparently $100k spent by RT to promote news stories. Why is it so unusual for a news company to spend money promoting news stories on social media sites? This is nothing out of the ordinary (including if a government did try small actions to impact an election), and yet it has become such an intense witch hunt during the 2016 election.

zeep 9y ago
They are just overdoing it with this Russian witch hunt, it will end up costing them the election again if they keep up with it...
- tw04 9y ago
  Who is "they"? If this isn't a bipartisan issue, that's a travesty and a mockery of our democracy. Another nation interfering in our elections shouldnt be a partisan issue.
  - Caveman_Coder 9y ago
    > "Another nation interfering in our elections shouldnt be a partisan issue." When you say "interfering," are you talking about buying ads?
    - tw04 9y ago
      Mueller's investigation has gone far beyond buying ads. But yes,I absolutely think it should be illegal for foreign nations to participate in our political process either through direct means (donations), or indirect (funding political ads), and I consider both interference in our elections.
      - echaozh 9y ago
        Do the foreign countries you want to ban from influencing US elections include other western countries like Canada, Britain or Germany? What about Mexico? What if Mexico also bought ads to promote legalizing undocumented immigrants from Mexico? What if the undocumented immigrants themselves bought ads, do they count as foreign or domestic?
pm90 9y ago
> Why is it so unusual for a news company to spend money promoting news stories on social media sites? Because its not a "news company", it is a known propaganda arm of the Russian Govt. masquerading as a news company. If it was an independent news agency, it would be OK.
- alehul 9y ago
  So where do you suggest we draw the line between what state-sponsored news is allowed vs forbidden to do? Should we only forbid them from buying advertising? Why not forbid their reporting of news altogether? Also, I don't think people have similar complaints about Al Jazeera's reporting on Russian election campaigns? Every major country does this, every election, to every other major country. It's something we live with and I don't get the overreaction.
  - pm90 9y ago
    > Every major country does this, every election, to every other major country. It's something we live with and I don't get the overreaction. Please don't normalize this kind of behavior. Every country does not do "this". There is no major news agency supported directly by US Federal Funds, except perhaps NPR, but that has been openly critical of the US all the time. And that is perhaps the test of truly independent news outlet: if its willing to criticize its own Government, if its able to do so, even when the information paints the Govt. in a really bad light.
    - blfr 9y ago
      NPR has been openly critical of the GOP all the time. I'm sure RT is willing to deliver a scathing criticism of Putin's opposition if anyone cares to listen.
    - rtpg 9y ago
      Pedantic, but Voice of America is basically a US "propaganda" outfit. But a lot of countries do not really have this. RT is totally at a different scale. It's clearly being used as a political outfit. Other state-owned media in many countries have rules about editorial independence. RT clearly does not.

by alehul 9y ago

zeep 9y ago

They are just overdoing it with this Russian witch hunt, it will end up costing them the election again if they keep up with it...

tw04 9y ago
Who is "they"? If this isn't a bipartisan issue, that's a travesty and a mockery of our democracy. Another nation interfering in our elections shouldnt be a partisan issue.
- Caveman_Coder 9y ago
  > "Another nation interfering in our elections shouldnt be a partisan issue." When you say "interfering," are you talking about buying ads?
  - tw04 9y ago
    Mueller's investigation has gone far beyond buying ads. But yes,I absolutely think it should be illegal for foreign nations to participate in our political process either through direct means (donations), or indirect (funding political ads), and I consider both interference in our elections.
    - echaozh 9y ago
      Do the foreign countries you want to ban from influencing US elections include other western countries like Canada, Britain or Germany? What about Mexico? What if Mexico also bought ads to promote legalizing undocumented immigrants from Mexico? What if the undocumented immigrants themselves bought ads, do they count as foreign or domestic?

pm90 9y ago

> Why is it so unusual for a news company to spend money promoting news stories on social media sites? Because its not a "news company", it is a known propaganda arm of the Russian Govt. masquerading as a news company. If it was an independent news agency, it would be OK.

alehul 9y ago
So where do you suggest we draw the line between what state-sponsored news is allowed vs forbidden to do? Should we only forbid them from buying advertising? Why not forbid their reporting of news altogether? Also, I don't think people have similar complaints about Al Jazeera's reporting on Russian election campaigns? Every major country does this, every election, to every other major country. It's something we live with and I don't get the overreaction.
- pm90 9y ago
  > Every major country does this, every election, to every other major country. It's something we live with and I don't get the overreaction. Please don't normalize this kind of behavior. Every country does not do "this". There is no major news agency supported directly by US Federal Funds, except perhaps NPR, but that has been openly critical of the US all the time. And that is perhaps the test of truly independent news outlet: if its willing to criticize its own Government, if its able to do so, even when the information paints the Govt. in a really bad light.
  - blfr 9y ago
    NPR has been openly critical of the GOP all the time. I'm sure RT is willing to deliver a scathing criticism of Putin's opposition if anyone cares to listen.
  - rtpg 9y ago
    Pedantic, but Voice of America is basically a US "propaganda" outfit. But a lot of countries do not really have this. RT is totally at a different scale. It's clearly being used as a political outfit. Other state-owned media in many countries have rules about editorial independence. RT clearly does not.