Resolution Against Russian Media: 'This is Beyond the Pale'

Brussels wants to cast Russian media outlets, including Sputnik and RT, in a bad light in the eyes of the international community, Professor Julian Jimenez, an independent journalist, said, commenting on a non-legislative resolution adopted by the EU Parliament on Wednesday.

The resolution is aimed at countering anti-EU media campaigns and misinformation ostensibly spread by both nations and non-state entities, including Russia and Daesh. The document says that the Russian government is allegedly "aggressively employing a wide range of tools and instruments" to weaken the European Union.

Jimenez described the initiative as an "absurdity."

"This is not only an attack on specific media outlets, but also an attempt to curb the freedom of information of the EU citizens. Evidently, it is not enough for them to abolish these media outlets. They want to embarrass them in the eyes of the international community," he said.

In Jimenez's opinion, this is the reason why the resolution placed Russian media alongside Daesh. He called this comparison insulting, adding that "this is beyond the pale." Sputnik and RT "share an alternative point of view on what is happening in the world with their audiences, while terrorists advocate death and destruction," he said.

The journalist credited both media outlets with providing information that has helped those interested to broaden their understanding of the world, key global trends and major event. He also mentioned that corporate media in the West cover stories through a single lens.

The resolution is based on a report authored by Anna Fotyga, a Polish member of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group.

Steps aimed against Sputnik and RT have caused the people behind these initiatives to appear "stupid" at the very least, the journalist noted.

Jimenez also mentioned an incident, involving US State Department spokesperson John Kirby and RT journalist Gayane Chichakyan, as another case in point. During a press briefing, Kirby said that he was not "going to put Russia Today on the same level" with "independent media outlets" after Chichakyan asked for specific details regarding the claims made by the department about Russian forces allegedly carrying out strikes against hospitals in Syria.

Jimenez described Kirby's response as "rude."

"At the same time these so-called 'independent' media outlets are never covering stories that could hurt the image of the West. This is why their readers have an incomplete picture of what is happening," he said, adding that sometimes they publish distorted information.

Jimenez also said that it was absurd to blame Russian media for allegedly destabilizing the situation in the European Union.

"Are they the ones to blame for growing poverty in the EU? Are they the ones lowering wages and cutting jobs? Are they the ones making medical care and education unaffordable? Don't the authors of this initiative think that those who are really responsible for these things are located significantly closer to Europe? One can only say that instead of tackling the issues themselves the EU leadership is fighting against the media outlets that cover these topics," he lamented.