The Justice Department has alleged that some of the biggest stars in right-wing social media were unknowingly part of a Russian operation to influence the 2024 US election. The personalities, including Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, Lauren Southern, and others, were paid millions of dollars by Russian state media producers to promote conservative narratives that furthered Russian interests. The indictment reveals how open the new media ecosystem is to infiltration and manipulation, with independent creators operating with little transparency.
Tenet Media, the Tennessee-based online media company at the center of the scheme, launched last year and featured commentators with established online presences in the conservative media ecosystem. Some of the commentators had backgrounds in mainstream media outlets before joining Tenet, and their influence extended well beyond YouTube, where they collectively had millions of subscribers. The influencers’ deals with Tenet varied, with some receiving large sums of money for creating videos for the platform.
The Russian funding and direction of Tenet aimed to exploit divisive narratives and push Kremlin interests, such as boosting Donald Trump’s candidacy and questioning support for Ukraine. Some of the narratives promoted by the influencers aligned with Russia’s goals, including fear mongering about migrant gangs. The influencers were not aware of the Russian funding, as they were told fake personas such as Eduard Grigoriann were behind the payments. The Justice Department stated that the commentators were victims of the scheme.
The Russian government has a history of tapping Americans for disinformation and influence operations to stoke divisions in the US. Russia has successfully leveraged social media and the internet to infiltrate American social movements and use real Americans unwittingly to promote its interests. After the 2016 US election, investigations revealed how Moscow had co-opted individuals to do its bidding, earning them the label of “useful idiots” in Soviet Cold War jargon. The situation is described as a front media operation, with influencers now being the most effective tools for spreading propaganda.
The Justice Department’s indictment against Tenet and its Russian funding sheds light on the manipulation of social media and the influence of online creators in spreading narratives that align with foreign interests. The case underscores the vulnerability of the new media ecosystem to infiltration and calls into question the transparency of influencer deals. The involvement of high-profile right-wing commentators in promoting Russian interests raises concerns about the impact of disinformation campaigns on public discourse and political outcomes.
As the story continues to unfold, it highlights the ongoing challenge of combating foreign interference in US politics and the need for greater vigilance in scrutinizing the sources of funding and direction behind online content. The fallout from the Tenet Media scandal underscores the importance of media literacy and critical thinking in evaluating the information and narratives presented by influencers on social media platforms. The Russian operation serves as a stark reminder of the risks posed by malicious actors seeking to exploit social media for their own agendas.
