A former Russian TV anchor revealed her journey from propaganda broadcaster to wanted terrorist.

By ALESSANDRA SCOTTO DI SANTOLO, World News Reporter

Jun 21, 2024

Farida Kurbangaleyeva was a Russian TV propaganda news anchor (Image: @NatalkaKyiv)

In a startling revelation that unveils the inner workings of Russia‘s state-controlled media, Farida Kurbangaleyeva, once a prominent news anchor on Rossiya 1 TV, has emerged from exile to expose the Kremlin’s media manipulation tactics.

Fleeing Russia in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea, Kurbangaleyeva, a native Tatar, now finds herself on Russia‘s wanted list for what officials allege is “inciting terrorism”.

Currently residing in Czechia, she continues her journalistic pursuits at Current Time, a media outlet known for its critical stance against Russian government policies.

Kurbangaleyeva’s account sheds light on a tightly controlled propaganda machine orchestrated by Vladimir Putin‘s regime. “The top management goes to the Kremlin and gets directives,” she said.

“But it’s not booklets or memos. Nothing is written on paper. The directives are given verbally.”

She detailed how instructions from the Kremlin would filter down through the ranks of VGTRK, Russia‘s state-owned media conglomerate, turning policy decisions into broadcast mandates.

“For example, ‘from now on let’s call the Ukrainian government Junta’,” she said. “This word needs to appear in our broadcasts. We need to emphasise that this is some kind of illegal military formation that seized the power in that country.”

Describing VGTRK as quasi-military institutions with rigid hierarchies and strict adherence to directives, Kurbangaleyeva highlighted the culture of fear and compliance among employees.

“The boss gives an order and then it trickles down from the top management to the TV hosts that appear on the screens and vocalise all that,” she explained.