I don't think the level of manipulation is any different between Russia and the US. The only difference is the type of manipulation - US spooks need to found a

I don't think the level of manipulation is any different between Russia and the US. The only difference is the type of manipulation - US spooks need to found a company and use their connections to make influence - e.g. CNN - meaning they're more covert. Russian examples are more overt, because Russian culture simply allows for the embarrassment. Americans would rather not be confronted with the degree to which their government is oppressing them - so they hide it behind corporate entities designed to hide the true influence in the shadows.