The article deals with issues of countering cyber-attacks (so-called trolling and hacking) in Internet broadcasting, and using social networks in info-competition and communication discourse in German-language on-air, by the example of International News Agency “Russia Today” (RT) and its website Sputnik. The topicality of the article is based on the fact that RT’s website Sputnik is a relatively new resource on the European information market. The author analyzes the cases and contexts of countering malware and targeted cyber-attacks on European German-language broadcasting agencies.
The study of RT’s and Sputnik’s journalists’ work shows that it is actively hindered by some Western countries, particularly the USA and the UK, which are obsessed by anti-Russian xenophobia and the unproved pre-conception of Russia’s interference with their internal affairs. These countries openly admit to be waging an outreach war against Russian broadcasting companies by means of hacking attacks. Russian multi-language broadcasting channel RT, founded in 2005, successfully reflects and transmits Russia’s official position on key issues of the international politics and countering cyber-attacks by foreign “trolls” and “hackers”.
A website is currently the most easily accessible among all digital communication channels, and its quality is easy to assess. Considering this, the author describes advantages of RT’s transition from social networks to its German-language site Sputnik. The measures taken in order to optimize its structure, adapt to mobile devices, and provide convenience of site navigation, enabled Sputnik to enlarge its geographic reach and enter the circle of foreign German-language social networks.
Keywords. Internet broadcasting, broadcasting, cyber-attacks, information war, trolling, hacking, German-speaking audience, management of news, International News Agency “Russia Today” (INA RT), website Sputnik, Internet media, social networks, RIA Novosti.
Michael B. Palmer, International News Agency. A History