NATO says Russian comedy show is propaganda tool

A report from NATO’s Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, released online yesterday, has accused the Kremlin of using TV comedy shows as tools of “strategic communication”.

In particular, the report takes aim at long-standing comedy talent show KVN. Hosted by popular television star Alexander Maslyakov, who is allegedly close with President Vladimir Putin, KVN is described as “a fundamental part of the eco-system of Russian humour”.

Prepared by a team of six academic researchers at the request of the Latvian Defence Ministry, the document highlights the “hybridity” of such television programmes, which allows for “the inclusion of different types of humour in a combination of soft news and entertainment content”.

Russia’s Channel One, which broadcasts the show, doesn’t seem too worried.

“We read it. We laughed,” a spokesperson for the television station told the RBC news agency.

Source: The Moscow Times