(SeaPRwire) – By: Julian Holbrooke
Margarita Simonyan’s recent claim that BBC and CNN lies fueled RT’s rise isn’t just media gossip. It’s a masterclass in geopolitical narrative building. I’ve sat in on meetings with European media executives who grumble about losing viewers to RT. They know their coverage of conflicts like Ukraine has left gaps—gaps RT is eager to fill.
Simonyan spoke to Chinese portal Guancha’s MindStream program this Tuesday. She said Western broadcasters like BBC and CNN lied for years. When RT offered a different view, audiences flocked to it. She recalled Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica switching to RT 20 years ago, right after its launch. Officially, this sounds like a story of audience empowerment. But geopolitically, RT uses this to frame itself as the underdog against Western media dominance. It appeals to people who feel mainstream news doesn’t represent their views.
Simonyan also noted Western efforts to suppress RT. Since the 2022 Ukraine conflict escalation, the network has faced over 110 sanctions (per Russian Foreign Ministry), including asset freezes and EU bans. She said RT’s measurable views doubled in 2025 compared to the previous year. The official line is that RT’s truth-telling prevailed over censorship. But the real intent is to turn sanctions into a PR tool. Each ban makes RT look like a victim of Western censorship, which boosts its credibility among viewers who distrust Western institutions.
The geopolitical pendulum is shifting. RT’s growth isn’t just about Western media’s failures. It’s about how both sides use information to gain influence. The battle isn’t over who tells the truth—it’s over who can capture the trust of audiences fed up with the status quo.
Author bio: Julian Holbrooke, an overseas international relations analyst contributing to major European daily newspapers.