Margarita Simonyan — How mainstream propaganda works

The Western media’s starkly different reactions to the murders of two opposition figures – Russian politician Nemtsov and Ukrainian journalist Buzina – is a case study in biased reporting.

Following the killing of a well-known Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, US media outlets released over 100 articles, stories, live broadcasts and reports concerning Nemtsov’s relationship with the Kremlin, the progress of the investigation, as well as statements by Russian and foreign public officials – all in the space of just four days. The rate at which the stories were published only increased with each day that passed. Nemtsov’s funeral procession was extensively covered by CNN, Fox News, CBS News and ABC.

Following the killing of a well-known Ukrainian opposition figure Oles Buzina, leaders within the US media published about 20 articles in four days, the majority of which were short newswire notes. There were a handful of opinion pieces, too. Only Radio Liberty decided to report Buzina’s funeral on April 19 and even this was miniscule in content: a one-minute video and a few words about Kiev suspecting Russia being behind his death!
It’s all quite simple and highly effective.

May they both rest in peace. Senseless victims of a mad world.

(This is the whole editorial.)

I had the same thoughts. What she doesn't mention however is that the Western media immediately went off on "Putler" did it with zero evidence other than it happened in view of the Kremlin. Similarly, the Ukrainian spin on the assassination of Oles Buzina was also that Putin did it, and the Western media also picked up on this ridiculous claim.

RT

How mainstream propaganda works

Margarita Simonyan | Editor-in-Chief

In 2005, at 25 years old, Margarita was named Editor-in-Chief of RT, the first Russian round-the-clock English-language news channel. Later on, after the launch of RT in Arabic (Rusiya Al-Yaum) and RT in Spanish, she became Editor-in-Chief of the whole multilingual television news network. Margarita Simonyan is also the first Vice-President of Russia’s National Association of TV and Radio Broadcasters (NAT).

Impressive.

Anna Veligzhanina — Nemtsov's killer was hired by the commander of Dzhokhar Dudaev Battalion in Ukraine, Adam Osmaev

Fresh developments in the Nemtsov case.

Fort Russ
Nemtsov's killer was hired by the commander of Dzhokhar Dudaev Battalion in Ukraine, Adam Osmaev

Translated by Kristina Rus

If you read Russian, Anna Veligzhanina for Komsomolskaya Pravda

TASS — Zaur Dadaev rejects his involvement in Nemtsov’s murder

Cancel that. Zaur Dadaev retracts his confession to killing Boris Nemtsov. Says he confessed to save friend and has an alibi.

Getting more Byzantine all the time.

TASS
Zaur Dadaev rejects his involvement in Nemtsov’s murder

Kristina Rus — Nemtsov's murder - the official story: the Muslim trail

Plausible account, and one of the scenarios originally hypothesized based on motive. It appears to be an honor killing, which accounts for the perpetrator's immediate admission. This is a Byzantine world, though, so the last word is not yet in.

Fort Russ
Nemtsov's murder - the official story: the Muslim trail
Kristina Rus

Related

Was Kadyrov the target in Nemtsov's murder?

The Byzantine:

Nemtsov in a "Caucasian Knot"': Chechens, drugs, ISIS, Batman and Kolomoisky

Update:

Jury still out.

The Vineyard of the Saker
Nemtsov murder – more questions than answers
The Saker

Fort Russ — Nemtsov Murder: Case Closed?

Russian media is widely reporting that Nemtsov's murder was master-minded and carried out by Zaur Dadayev (pictured above) who had already made a confession. The motive for the killing was reported as Nemtsov's stance on the Charlie Hebdo incident, and his criticism of Islam, Muslims, and the President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov.
Kadyrov, for his part, sought take some of the heat off Dadayev, who after all was a decorated combat veteran who had risked his life in combat against Islamist militants in the Caucasus.

Is that the end of the story? We may never really know. On the face of it, the explanation offered is not wholly implausible. It may well be that Dadayev felt Kadyrov, who was quite outspoken in his criticism of Nemtsov and other Russian neo-liberals, might approve of this act even though he had not ordered it.

It is more likely that Dadayev is genuinely responsible for the crime, but that he is not revealing his true motives or instigators of the murder....

Fort Russ

Nemtsov Murder: Case Closed?

J.Hawk

Also

Red Pill Times
Suspect detained in the Boris Nemtsov murder has pleaded guilty to the crime. Another suspect officially charged

alexrpt

The Vineyard of the Saker
Important developments in the Nemtsov murder case (UPDATED)
The Saker

Interpreter — Suspects Detained from the North Caucasus in the Murder of Boris Nemtsov

More details here than in other reports.

Russia Update: March 7, 2015
Suspects Detained from the North Caucasus in the Murder of Boris Nemtsov
Interpreter_Mag

Mish — Rush to Judgment and Extremely Inaccurate Reporting

Mish debunks the propaganda about the Nemtsov murder in the New York Times.

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis 

Rush to Judgment and Extremely Inaccurate Reporting
Mike Mish Shedlock

Kristina Rus — CANVAS and Right Sector trail in the murder of Nemtsov

Broadening and deepening the plot.

Fort Russ
CANVAS and Right Sector trail in the murder of Nemtsov

Kristina Rus

Also

What do Banderite and Nemtsov's memorial rallies have in common?

The Remarkable Coincidences of John C. Tefft

Evgeny Fedorov: The Russian revolution has begun

Amanda Taub — The terrifying politics of Boris Nemtsov's murder

At least one American journalist gets that regime change in Russia would likely be something very different from the resurgence of liberalism that most in the US suppose. Rather, it would be a violent nationalist government bent on assertion of Russia's greatness and vengeful of slight, armed with parity in nuclear weapons.

Vox
The terrifying politics of Boris Nemtsov's murder
Amanda Taub

John Helmer — Boris Nemtsov – A Clue That He Didn’t Believe He Was At Risk Of Assassination, Or Of Catching His Death Of Cold

Delving more deeply into the facts of the Nemtsov murder.

Dances with Bears

Boris Nemtsov – A Clue That He Didn’t Believe He Was At Risk Of Assassination, Or Of Catching His Death Of Cold

John Helmer

Fort Russ

Nemtsov spent the last day under close surveillance by his killers--investigators

Translated from Russian by J.Hawk
(If you read Russian, The investigators have reconstructed the big picture of Nemtsov’s murder)


Red Pill Times
US spy agencies have stated that they played no role in the Boris Nemtsov murder
alexrpt


The Interpreter
Alexey Navalny On the Murder of Boris Nemtsov
Catherine A. Fitzpatrick

Fort Russ — Suspects named in Nemtsov's murder

The Nemtsov murder investigation has focused on the theory that the crime was organized by a Chechen militant commander Adam Osmayev, of the Dzhokhar Dudayev battalion, who also was named in the case concerning the attempt to assassinate Vladimir Putin. Investigators are allowing for the possibility that the militants, who fought against DPR and LPR, operated at the behest of Ukrainian secret services, since the murder of the opposition leader would have discredited the Russian leadership and destabilize the political situation.

Fort Russ
Suspects named in Nemtsov's murderTranslated from Russian by J.Hawk
(If you read Russian, Dudayev Battalion militants suspected in Nemtsov murder)

Bloomberg View — Nemtsov's Murder Defines Putin's Russia

The new narrative.

This one is actually funny: "The government has also licensed Russian nationalists and the security services to pursue a covert war in Ukraine, a connection Nemtsov was threatening to expose with a report on the Russian soldiers fighting and dying there."

The new talking point that you'll be hearing a lot of in the US media and among its UK poodle and European vassals: Putin is creating a nationalist (fascist) attitude of hatred in Russia. (Who'se projecting here?)

There is no evidence the Kremlin ordered Nemtsov's killing, and it would have as much to lose as to gain from such a public execution on one of the most closely surveilled sidewalks in Russia. Nevertheless, since Putin returned to the presidency in 2012, he has systematically stirred up hatred for his political opponents, tarring men such as Nemtsov as members of a treacherous “fifth column.” [oligarchs, neoliberals, Russian mafia and assorted American stooges] 

Most recently, pro-Kremlin legislator Dmitriy Sablin joined in creating the so-called Anti-Maidan movement, which brings together ultra-nationalists, Communists and a Hells-Angels-style motorcycle gang [sic] to counter opposition protests. The government has also licensed Russian nationalists and the security services to pursue a covert war in Ukraine, a connection Nemtsov was threatening to expose with a report on the Russian soldiers fighting and dying there. [fabrication]

Indeed, the most frightening interpretation of the liberal politician’s death is that the alliance of security service officers and ultra-nationalist thugs Putin has unleashed is now beyond his control.  [Think US deep state here.]

Nemtsov’s death may not change things in Russia; much of the population appears to be caught up in a nationalist fervor. [In American it's called "patriotism."] But outside the country, perhaps it can end any illusions that Putin's toughness is somehow a trait to be admired. He has taken Russia back to an old and discredited form of government. [I'm confused. Would that be Stalinism or Nazism?]

Bloomberg View
Nemtsov's Murder Defines Putin's Russia
The Editors

Another talking point is that Boris Nemstsov was incorruptible.

Stringer News (pictures, Russian text) via Fort Russ, translated by J. Hawk
 “The second level, more expensive, starts at $1500 for an evening"--or how Nemtsov rolled

Another talking point is that Nemstov was popular. His party was at the 1% level with no national representation. Moreover, he was generally unpopular owing to his position in the Yeltsin regime that had brought the oligarchs to power and resulted in massive deprivation in Russia. On the other hand, Putin is broadly created for reversing that direction and returning Russia to a path of prosperity and greatness. Russians do not blame Putin for the current economic crisis, which they attribute to the fall in the price of oil and Western sanctions, which they regard as grossly unfair and politically motivated to attack a rising Russia.

The Saker — Good news out of Russia – even the “non-system” opposition refuses to blame the Kremlin

Honestly, I never thought the day would come where I would have anything good to say about the Russian “liberal” or “democratic” “non-system” opposition but apparently this day has come today. To my surprise, all the leaders of this opposition have so far made very moderate and reasonable statement and all those which I have heard have apparently dismissed the notion that the Kremlin was behind the murder [of Boris Nemstsov]. Now this might be self-evident for most of us, but for the Russian “liberal” or “democratic” “non-system” opposition this is quite a change of tone.  Many have even said that this murder was a “provocation” (which in this context means “false flag”!) to destabilize Russia and create a crisis.  Even Irina Khakamada, normally a real crackpot, has said that this was either a “provocation” or the action of a small group of extremists....

The Vineyard of the Saker
Good news out of Russia – even the “non-system” opposition refuses to blame the Kremlin
The Saker

Michał Kacewicz — A Final Interview With Boris Nemtsov

Thought experiment" As you are reading this, replace "Russia" with the United States, "Putin" with the sitting US president as unitary executive, "inferiority complex" with "superiority complex." Is what Boris Nemtsov alleged is happening in Russia bear any relation to the US war hawks, neocons, military-industrial-congressional complex, and deep state.

Does this bear any resemblance to Saddam and the the lead up to the Iraq war?

Collision course developing.

Newsweek
A Final Interview With Boris Nemtsov
Michał Kacewicz