Bulletins

RT America is closing down following worldwide backlash

The network is laying off most of its staff, CNN reported Thursday.

RT app
Accused by the West of spreading propaganda about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the network has been banned and restricted by a number of companies in recent days.
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

Russian government-backed broadcaster RT America is ceasing operations and laying off most of its staff, CNN reported Thursday. The closure of the network comes amid a near-worldwide backlash against RT and its local offshoots over its role in distributing Russian propaganda, which included a ban across Europe as well as major tech platforms.

CNN reported Thursday that the network’s general manager, Misha Solodovnikov, informed staff in an email that it would be closing down “as a result of unforeseen business interruption events.” RT America had been dropped by DirecTV as well as Roku in recent days, platforms like Reddit and Facebook had banned links to the outlet and Apple and Google had removed apps for the broadcaster from its app stores.

Janko Roettgers

Janko Roettgers (Twitter, Mastodon) used to be a senior reporter at Protocol, reporting on the shifting power dynamics between tech, media, and entertainment, including the impact of new technologies. Previously, Janko was Variety's first-ever technology writer in San Francisco, where he covered big tech and emerging technologies. He has reported for Gigaom, Frankfurter Rundschau, Berliner Zeitung, and ORF, among others. He has written three books on consumer cord-cutting and online music and co-edited an anthology on internet subcultures. He lives with his family in Oakland.

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Bulletins