Russian government to spend millions on attracting foreign journalists loyal to Kremlin

The Russian government has allocated 80 million roubles (approximately US$952,000) to attract foreign journalists loyal to the Kremlin.

Source: Agenstvo (Agency), a Russian media outlet

Details: Agenstvo found evidence on the website documenting state procurement spending in Russia that Rossotrudnichestvo, the Russian Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, an autonomous Russian federal government agency under the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has allocated nearly 80 million roubles to holding two journalism competitions and award ceremonies in Moscow in 2023 and 2024.

Rossotrudnichestvo held the first such competition in 2022. The award, named Honest Regard, cost the state budget 40 million roubles (approximately US$476,000). The agency is looking for a contractor to organise the competition, which is expected to cost 38.7 million roubles in 2023 and 40 million roubles in 2024 (approximately US$476,000 and US$461,000, respectively).

Nearly a quarter of these sums (12.5 million roubles, or approximately US$149,000) allocated to this year’s competition will be spent on training; another 9.5 million roubles (approximately US$113,000) will be spent on souvenirs, processing applications, and the work of the judging panel. The award ceremony, which will be held in Moscow and include a dinner, will cost 11 million roubles (approximately US$131,000) and cover travel and accommodation in a 4-star hotel for 100 participants.

The tender documents specify that the contractor will inform journalists from 79 countries, including the United States and the European Union, about the competition. The prize fund will be 2.5 million roubles (approximately US$30,000).

According to the documents found by Agenstvo, the competition’s goals include encouraging journalists to produce "objective" coverage of humanitarian projects with Russian participation, broadcasting a positive agenda to strengthen Russia's influence, and raising awareness among foreigners about the role and participation of the Russian Federation in projects aimed at improving the quality of life of the population.

The report on the Honest Regard website lists five winners from 2022; each of them supposedly received 500,000 roubles (approximately US$6,000) from the 2.5 million rouble (approximately US$30,000) prize fund. A total of 118 journalists from 28 countries, including Ireland, France, Argentina, and Türkiye, are said to have applied.

Agentsvo noted that holding a competition for foreign journalists indicates the Kremlin’s reluctance to cut propaganda expenses even in the face of a growing budget gap. 

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