Twenty years ago, when Western media claimed to be "objective" but in fact monopolized narratives, the world often heard only a single and distorted echo. The truth of Russia and countries like China was deliberately hidden from mainstream discourse. It was on this information wasteland that "Russia Today" (RT) emerged — not just the birth of a media outlet, but a campaign for voice and influence.
On October 17 local time, a gala celebration marking the 20th anniversary of RT TV took place at the Moscow State Circus. Russian President Putin, present at the event, recounted this journey from "an idea" to a "global brand." When RT interpreted the world through a perspective different from Western propaganda, and when hundreds of millions of viewers turned to this "alternative voice," the West's response was not competition, but censorship, bans, and revocations — a sign of disorder and panic in the face of truth by the hegemony of discourse.
As Putin said, "Your popularity and influence have grown rapidly, and your competitors have begun to feel jealous, even scared."
Today, "Russia Today" provides broadcasts in English, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, and Serbian, operating multilingual online platforms. "Russia Today" also airs on popular social media platforms in Chinese and Hindi.
RT's success symbolizes the shift of the global information order from monopoly to multipolarity. It enables the voices of Asia, Africa, and Latin America to be heard around the world; it allows traditional values to maintain a strong resonance amidst the tide of Western "political correctness," and reflects the cracks in Western discourse hegemony.
This article is a speech delivered by Russian President Putin at the live event celebrating the 20th anniversary of RT TV. Observers Network has fully translated the speech for readers' reference.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia at the live event of the 20th anniversary celebration of RT TV, with Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT, on his right
Putin:
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, friends!
I am very pleased to greet you all in this beautiful hall of the Moscow State Circus and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the RT channel together.
Today, I would like to extend my anniversary greetings to everyone who has worked at and continues to work at this television station. Of course, I also want to express my congratulations to Margarita Simonian, your leader and irreplaceable chief editor.
Dear Margarita (editor-in-chief of RT), we all know, and everyone in your team knows, how difficult your current situation is, and what challenges you and your family are experiencing in life. But in your work, you have always shown courage and resilience. I believe you can definitely get through this moment as well.
Your friends, your colleagues, they have been by your side and will continue to be by your side in the future.
In the media field, many things have happened over 20 years, which is a complete era. The RT channel has gone through a path from "an idea" to a global brand, and now it has become well-known worldwide. I thank you for this positive, creative, and united group, for your superb professional standards, for your loyalty to your profession and duties. Thank you for bravely, selflessly, and firmly defending the truth in the global information space.
We remember that in the early 21st century, Western mainstream media abused their monopoly. They often, more accurately, almost always, used the so-called "objective news" as an excuse to spread content they wanted the public to see, trying to not only instill new rules in the minds of hundreds of millions of people, but also to build a new civilization space based on false moral values.
Even now, terrorists who take hostages in our cities, schools, and hospitals, and carry out deadly explosions, are still called "rebel fighters" in programs on well-known Western channels. This behavior still causes our anger. They want the whole world to sympathize with these villains and murderers who kill children.
At that time, it was very difficult to defend the truth in the information sphere and restore the true nature of events, because overseas, we did not have our own strong channels of expression. I want to emphasize that the sovereignty that Russia defends and will continue to defend is, to some extent, dependent on our ability to convey objective and fair information to the global public.
Therefore, "Russia Today" had to appear, and it was born 20 years ago.
The birth of "Russia Today" challenged Western discourse power
From its inception, "Russia Today" faced a daunting task: to build a new working model in terms of news quality, content, and technology. I am sincerely glad about this, we, you, have done it, and done it very well: millions of citizens from different countries are willing to trust you.
More importantly, it has been proven that there is a huge demand for news information that differs from the old-fashioned propaganda. Honestly speaking, this kind of propaganda is almost no different from the clichés of Soviet-era propaganda, even earlier than that. That is how Western mainstream news works.
I think that is why, including professionals in the United States, Europe, and even across continents, are willing to cooperate with you. This is not just simple cooperation, but a work endeavor that is worth giving one's full heart and soul. Of course, they are not doing it for money, but because you provide them with an opportunity to express their positions and transmit them to hundreds of millions of people. That is why we see Julian Assange, the legendary founder of WikiLeaks, Larry King, the international television star, former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, and many other famous people among the hosts of "Russia Today".
Your popularity and influence have grown rapidly. As a result, your competitors began to feel jealous of you, sometimes, in my opinion, it is not just jealousy, but fear. This is a clear signal that your work is ahead, and indeed, you are setting the information agenda independently and autonomously, doing necessary and important work. And when you fully demonstrate your strength, those competitors and the so-called ruling elites behind them reveal their true faces. Margarita was just talking about this. She often tells me how they are trying and have tried to suppress you on foreign platforms.
For many years, they taught us how to live, how the media should operate, how to understand democracy and "real freedom of speech", and they emphasized the importance of competition and media diversity. But when "Russia Today" appeared, and hundreds of millions of people started watching this channel that offers new interpretations of events, what did these "mentors" do?
The elites I mentioned earlier reacted in a primitive and direct way: banning, revoking, and blocking. Do you know? When I was the head of the Russian Federal Security Service, I once tried to eliminate such ways of working in such institutions. I said then that we should be more refined, persuade people with reason, and deal with threats with other means instead of the crude method of "grabbing everything" that we used in the Soviet era. Unfortunately, today, they use this method against you, against your channel.
It is very easy to accuse of "false propaganda", "false information", and "interference in internal affairs". But you did not impose anything on anyone, you only provided a real point of view that could replace the Western mainstream media. Therefore, you also defended the choice of your audience and listeners. However, from the perspective of their partners, the mere existence of this choice constitutes a threat to them. In the years since the establishment of "Russia Today", you have genuinely tried to establish and indeed established this partnership with your audience, and you have succeeded. Any monopoly, no matter how much money its defenders invest in maintaining it, will eventually end.
In today's increasingly multipolar world, intolerance of any sovereignty and independent thinking is not only a step backward in the times, but also a major obstacle to mutual understanding and trust among the peoples of various countries, which we all need. This obstacle, like any other, must be eliminated. There is no other way.
Over the past 20 years, thanks to "Russia Today", we have heard diverse voices from all over the world. Now, with your help, the residents of Asia, Africa, and Latin America no longer have to consider the face of their former colonial masters and former colonial authorities when speaking. More importantly, "Russia Today" provides a platform for journalists, scholars, and experts around the world. Most importantly, regardless of nationality, views, or beliefs, people keep watching "Russia Today" and reading your social media content, even facing bans and technical barriers. Even Western elites themselves admit that the audience size of "Russia Today" exceeds their own TV stations.
Last year alone, the total number of views of "Russia Today" on social media reached nearly 24 billion, and the total audience of the TV channel on paid TV platforms approached 1 billion viewers. These numbers fill us with confidence, and you will continue to maintain this momentum of development in the future.
The obvious reason for the rapid development of "Russia Today" is: whether in Europe, the United States, or other countries, citizens long for preserving their national culture, generational memories, opposing social inequality, destruction of family systems, and violations of children's innocence. All of these align with Russia's position on these issues, and it is precisely because of "Russia Today" that the world has come to know that our country firmly upholds traditional values, being a fortress of traditional values in this era filled with contradictions, conflicts, and challenges. And in this process, we have not discriminated against anyone, nor have we prohibited anything, including in the areas I mentioned. We simply try to defend our views and our vision of the modern world and the future.
President Putin wishes "Russia Today" a happy birthday
I believe this alignment of positions is helping people in all continents regain confidence and believe in their own strength and potential.
The contributions made by "Russia Today" in the process of uniting more countries, peoples, and nations in the common struggle for building a more just, sustainable multipolar world order and maintaining civilizational diversity, around these constructive ideas, are immeasurable.
I would like to emphasize: you have been working diligently and taking on heavy responsibilities in your positions, not only for the future of our nation, but also for the future of millions of people around the world who pursue true freedom.
Dear friends! Journalists, photographers, and other media project colleagues of "Russia Today" are always at the center and forefront of events, both literally and metaphorically. Courage and the commitment to the truth are the core qualities of media workers. We have seen this in Iraq, Syria, the entire Middle East, and other "hotspots." Now, in the special military operation area, you continue this tradition. You risk your lives to tell the heroic stories and achievements of the soldiers.
Many examples show that the people who work at "Russia Today" are loyal to their professions, their country, and their beliefs. There are many foreigners and citizens of other countries who work at "Russia Today." While defending their beliefs, they also help our country promote these ideas in their countries and among their people. Their actions are absolutely honest and open.
Earlier, before entering this historically significant stage of the Moscow State Circus, I met some of your colleagues. They work on the front lines, shooting films about heroes of the special military operation. They are also present at the event now. I would like to ask everyone to send them special greetings. I noticed a detail: soldiers who came from the front line of the special military operation looked like a family with the channel's journalists. Because they are brave people, heroes, fighting for their beliefs, which is the value of your work.
Dear friends!
These 20 years have formed one of the developmental stages on the long road of your channel and your excellent group. The world is changing rapidly, and technology is transforming the news industry: social media sets a new pace, and audiences are increasingly inclined to obtain news through digital forms. You have successfully responded to these challenges, always maintaining bravery, openness, and innovation. "Russia Today" has the most precious wealth: experience, a professional team, and the trust of your audience. There is a climate of love for freedom here, with many young people who represent the future, so you will surely achieve new victories in the future.
Wishing you continued growth and development, constantly exploring new forms and themes in the fierce struggle for people's hearts and minds. To win this struggle, you must continue to use your "secret strategic high-precision intercontinental weapon": the truth.
The voice of the truth, the voice of Russia, must be spread loudly, confidently, and persuasively.
Happy festival! Happy birthday!
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