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    3 Russian Crowdfunding Campaigns That Despise (and Are Fueled By) Media Propaganda

    by Khari Johnson
    March 25, 2015
    Title: Watching You, Watching Me. Credit: Todd Huffman

    The American government lies.

    The Russian government lies.

    “We need a new independent media to unite the best journalists by a common goal: to stop propaganda of hatred; to find a way to resist the madness that is tearing apart an entire country.” -Vladimir Yakovlev

    Whichever statement you believe more, wherever you fall on that spectrum, three crowdfunding campaigns by Russian media ventures are fueled by these convictions and quickly gaining ground with their supporters this week.

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    1. Stop Russian propaganda

    Journalist Vladimir Yakovlev, founder of Kommersant.ru, has raised more than $9,000 in the first two days of his Kickstarter campaign to create a news startup.

    “Now, more than ever, we need a new independent media to unite the best journalists by common goal: to stop propaganda of hatred; to find a way to resist the madness that is tearing apart an entire country, bringing it closer and closer to a horrible social disaster.”

    Yakovlev’s campaign was initiated in Palo Alto, Calif., according to Kickstarter.photo-original

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    2. Stop American propaganda

    Coming from a different point of view, Russia Insider wants to increase its efforts to oppose American foreign policy and what they call false characterizations of the Russian government by mainstream media in Europe and the United States.

    The website’s Kickstarter campaign passed the $5,000 mark 24 hours into their 30-day campaign. As of today, the campaign to raise $20,000 is at about $23,000 with three weeks to go. They plan to increase crowdfunding if their first campaign is successful.

    Depending on how you look at it, Russia Insider is pro-Russian propaganda or an independent citizen journalism venture.

    A depiction of a weeping Statue of Liberty recently published on the Russia Insider home page.

    Through the Cracks spoke to founder Charles Bausman in Moscow.

    “I think that you can interpret it as propaganda, or you can say, look, it reflects the opinion of a lot of articles on our site, which really argue that American foreign policy, in regards to Ukraine and Russia, is badly, badly mistaken,” Bausman said about the site’s content.

    Here’s the full story.

    3. Stop Autism… and American foreign policy and propaganda

    Russia Today (RT) Senior Political Correspondent and host of In the Now Anissa Naouai wants to send the U.S. State Department and “American corporate media empire” a message and fight Autism at the same time.

    That message: “Money can’t buy all the airwaves and RT is not the enemy,” her GoFundMe campaign pitch said.

    She asked people who “see through the propaganda” to donate $10,000 to the nonprofit Our Sunny World to fight Autism.

    The campaign was started in response to recent comments by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that the United States isn’t spending enough money to communicate the government’s message to Russia citizens.

    In a story published earlier this week, Time Magazine takes a closer look at Russian state-run media in a piece titled “Inside Putin’s On-Air Machine.” In her criticism, Naouai points at what some refer to as The Big Six, a small group of corporations who own the majority of American media.

    Khari Johnson (@kharijohnson) is founder and editor of Through the Cracks: Crowdfunding in Journalism. He has built news startups for the last decade.

    through-the-cracksThrough the Cracks: Crowdfunding in Journalism, where this story first appeared, is a news website that shares stories of innovation, reporting and storytelling made possible by the crowd. We also share resources and advice from journalists who have carried out successful campaigns. We’re pretty excited about crowdfunding’s ability to bring untold stories to light and support media entrepreneurs and news startups. To keep up with the latest visit throughcracks.com, follow @crowdjournalism on Twitter and check out their Facebook page.

    Tagged: crowdfunding kommersant media russia insider. russia today russian through the cracks

    35 responses to “3 Russian Crowdfunding Campaigns That Despise (and Are Fueled By) Media Propaganda”

    1. philbutler says:

      Hi Khari,

      I just wanted to take the time to say thanks for the team at Russia Insider. Unbiased mentions and reviews are what the fundamental value of the new digital landscape were based on. I just wanted you to know we are watching and mindful of the great work so many journalists are doing.

      Thank you again,

      Phil Butler
      Director of Product Russia Insider

      • Unbiased? Really ?

        All publications of “Russia Insider” are about Ukraine , EU and US -not about Russia and they all biased – they all held exactly same views as mainstream Russian government propaganda – never anything with different than Russian government point of view.

        Consistence? I don’t think so.

    2. philbutler says:

      Hi Khari,

      I just wanted to take the time to say thanks for the team at Russia Insider. Unbiased mentions and reviews are what the fundamental value of the new digital landscape were based on. I just wanted you to know we are watching and mindful of the great work so many journalists are doing.

      Thank you again,

      Phil Butler
      Director of Product Russia Insider

    3. Eric C. Anderson says:

      Hi,
      It´s a damn good thing we have RT and russian-insider to counter the idiotic propaganda spewed by neocon American sources. Only a fool would depend on mainstream USA media for information, given the Bush WMD lies, the Kerry Syria chemical attack lies, the MH17 lies, all the lies we put up with during the Viet Nam war. Only an idiot would turn on a TV set in America to try to become informed. Glad we have RT streaming here in Brazil to stay up to date with the news. Glad we have the internet and hundreds of alternative sources to counter neocon/American lies.
      I follow the news on all continents and in five languages. The American news outlets are only an object of ridicule.

      • Does it bother s you that they both financed and controlled by Russian government who oppresses and kills it’s own people and waging war against neighbors ?

        Yet, they talk mostly about injustices in Western countries and newer about Russia -despite names suggesting otherwise

        Doesn’t this sound hypocritical to you?

        • Eric C. Anderson says:

          Amerika has murdered a million or more people in its wars of aggression in the past 15 years. Some of us understand well the neocon agenda, the Wolfowitz doctrine, and do what we can to oppose it. Have fun sucking up USA propaganda.

    4. Eric C. Anderson says:

      Hi,
      It´s a damn good thing we have RT and russian-insider to counter the idiotic propaganda spewed by neocon American sources. Only a fool would depend on mainstream USA media for information, given the Bush WMD lies, the Kerry Syria chemical attack lies, the MH17 lies, all the lies we put up with during the Viet Nam war. Only an idiot would turn on a TV set in America to try to become informed. Glad we have RT streaming here in Brazil to stay up to date with the news. Glad we have the internet and hundreds of alternative sources to counter neocon/American lies.
      I follow the news on all continents and in five languages. The American news outlets are only an object of ridicule.

      • Does it bother s you that they both financed and controlled by Russian government who oppresses and kills it’s own people and waging war against neighbors ?

        Yet, they talk mostly about injustices in Western countries and newer about Russia -despite names suggesting otherwise

        Doesn’t this sound hypocritical to you?

        • Eric C. Anderson says:

          Amerika has murdered a million or more people in its wars of aggression in the past 15 years. Some of us understand well the neocon agenda, the Wolfowitz doctrine, and do what we can to oppose it. Have fun sucking up USA propaganda.

    5. Mainstream Media Propaganda says:

      CNN,

      Thank you for the Free Advertising and 24/7 Attention.

      CNN is our #1 recruiter. Thank you for doing all the work and making us popular.

      Sincerely,

      ISIS

      • Eric C. Anderson says:

        Eggs Ackley. CNN is your USA tax dollars at work, engulfing the world in the flames of World War Three.

    6. Mainstream Media Propaganda says:

      CNN,

      Thank you for the Free Advertising and 24/7 Attention.

      CNN is our #1 recruiter. Thank you for doing all the work and making us popular.

      Sincerely,

      ISIS

      • Eric C. Anderson says:

        Eggs Ackley. CNN is your USA tax dollars at work, engulfing the world in the flames of World War Three.

    7. Well, there is huge difference: when one independent Russian publisher in Russia trying to find money to counter official Russian government propaganda machine wit spends about a billion dollar a year brainwashing Russian people

      and

      Russia based newspaper under the wing of Russian government collecting money for exposing western media from Russia, but not telling true story about what actually happening in Russia itself.

      Hm … is it still to difficult for you to decide who to help ?
      I don’t think so.

      I personally would send money to Russian newspaper about Russia, instead of Russian newspaper about the West.

      • Eric C. Anderson says:

        I get it. You are part of those millions of dollars the State Department just received to spread USA propaganda. Let me guess … you are in Northern Virginia.

        • I’m Russian from Russia. Born and breed.
          However, I do travel a lot on business and I worked in different countries before.

          Judging by your illogical response to my very simple observation, you sounds like cheap Kremlin troll from Olgino – part of billion dollar a year Kremlin’s propaganda machine.

          Well, I’m not judging you, just don’t want to waste my time.

          So long

          • Eric C. Anderson says:

            Whatever, “Igor”. Go have fun with your State Department paycheck.

            • So, when famous Russian journalist who sees brainwashing of his people by government media decided to open new independent media to counter that brainwashing, by giving people real facts and objective views – even if they different from government views – this is some kind of plot by State Department ?

              Really?

              Are you some sort of pro-government brainwashing type of guy?

    8. Actually, Russia Today (RT) and its host Anissa Naouai – they are mainstream media government propaganda – paid directly and fully controlled by government.

      So, who exactly she is going to fight? Her boss who paid her salary ?

      Is she going to do it the way many before at RT did like Liz Wahl or Abby Martin or Sara Firth – by quitting on the air because they were ordered to tell the lie? Because they were controlled by Russian government ?

      Is she is going to do exactly that or somehow differently ?

    9. Actually, Russia Today (RT) and its host Anissa Naouai – they are mainstream media government propaganda – paid directly and fully controlled by government.

      So, who exactly she is going to fight? Her boss who paid her salary ?

      Is she going to do it the way many before at RT did like Liz Wahl or Abby Martin or Sara Firth – by quitting on the air because they were ordered to tell the lie? Because they were controlled by Russian government ?

      Is she is going to do exactly that or somehow differently ?

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