CEO of TASS news agency: Americans, Europeans noticeably losing confidence in their media

Citizens’ trust in Western media is falling in the US and in the EU – as stated by TASS Director General Andrei Kondrashov during a round table of the World Association of Russian Press (WARP), held as part of the BRICS Media Summit in Moscow

Andrei Kondrashov cited data from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, which ‘came to a terrible conclusion’: only 40 percent of Americans trust their central media while 37 percent of Europeans in the EU actively accuse their central media of lying.

“There has not been such a distrust of the people towards the media for a very long time. 67 percent of Russians fully trust the media and over 80 percent trust with a reservation. The secret is very simply: unlike the European and American media, it has become easier for us to work than for them. We don’t have to lie and come up with some formulations. It’s a happy time for journalism in Russia, we do not have chains and handcuffs – unlike our Western colleagues,” said the TASS Director General.

Andrei Kondrashov drew attention to the fact that today many people living in Western countries have to look for some alternative sources of information. This means that there are very strong differences between the opinion of the people and the manuals the authorities provide their central media with.

“It’s difficult for the authorities of these countries. Today, the manuals that are issued by the central media in the West sometimes contradict the moods of the ordinary people so much that they simply cease to trust their media,” the TASS CEO added.

Andrei Kondrashov also said that TASS is ready to help Russian-speaking journalists who live and work abroad in checking the veracity of certain information.

“The TASS news agency – which stores millions of archived information messages and has a huge photo bank consisting of 55 million photos – is at your disposal. Moreover, we are launching an interesting technological idea at TASS, which will help us very quickly determine the geography of the origin of the news. Sometimes fakes appear in the media space, specially launched in order for the media to fall into a trap. If there is such a need, feel free to contact us, we will help,” Andrei Kondrashov underlined.

Media meetings have been held within the BRICS framework since 2015 –upon the initiative of China’s Xinhua news agency.

The BRICS Media Summit is taking place in Moscow from September 13th-17th, gathering the heads of the BRICS leading media structures, as well as the media of the states that expressed interest in expanding co-operation with this association. The event focuses on such topics as the role of the BRICS media community in strengthening stability in a multipolar world, alongside technological aspects of information interaction between the BRICS member states. The event is organised by the TASS news agency, which celebrates its 120th anniversary this year.

Many interesting historical exhibits related to the TASS history are also on display at the forum site.