Delegitimation of Western media through the “lying press” label

What it claims

Western media outlets and their correspondents are portrayed as biased manipulators spreading hatred against Russia and its leadership. By circulating videos of aggressive reactions toward journalists, the operation attempts to convince German audiences that “mainstream media” hide the truth and deserve contempt.

Target audience

Examples (paraphrased)

We paraphrase rather than quote: propaganda's exact wording is built to spread, so we carry the claim and not the craft. Each example cites the post it came from.

• A BBC correspondent in Moscow receives a well-deserved rebuff from passers-by who want to hit him for lying about the Russian president.

  Neues aus Russland (Alina Lipp), 12 Aug 2026 · Archived copy

• Western journalists only ask “nasty” questions, so Russians rightly ridicule and drive them away.

  Neues aus Russland (Alina Lipp), 12 Aug 2026 · Archived copy

We link archived copies rather than the posts themselves, so that checking our work sends no traffic to the source. Where a platform cannot be archived, we print the post's address instead of linking it.

Goal

Undermine the trust of German citizens in their own and international media outlets, fuel domestic division, and foster alienation from democratic institutions.

Techniques used

• Name Calling or LabelingUse of emotionally charged descriptions of journalists' work as “ugly” and “nasty.”
• Appeal to Fear / PrejudiceEndorsement of physical aggression against the press as a “natural” reaction to their activities.

The real grievance it exploits

The manipulation exploits a real decline in media trust among segments of German society, particularly amid the cost-of-living crisis and debates over the war, where certain groups feel unrepresented in the official discourse.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Notice how the aggressive behaviour of individuals is passed off as the “voice of the people” to intimidate journalists and justify censorship.

Sources (all time)

• Anti-Spiegel (Thomas Röper)Tier 1122,301 subscribers
  6 posts · 20 Aug – 1 Oct 2026

  • 1 Oct · t.me/antispiegel/15646
  • 30 Sept · t.me/antispiegel/15642
  • 28 Sept · t.me/antispiegel/15633
  • 16 Sept · t.me/antispiegel/15592
  • 16 Sept · t.me/antispiegel/15587
  • 20 Aug · t.me/antispiegel/15478
• Anti-Spiegel (website)Tier 1
  6 posts · 23 Sept – 1 Oct 2026

  • 1 Oct · anti-spiegel.ru/2026/was-der-spiegel-ueber-russlands-warnung-an-die-nato-verschweigt/
  • 30 Sept · anti-spiegel.ru/2026/wie-der-spiegel-russland-fuer-von-kiew-verursachtes-leid-verantwortlich-machen-will/
  • 30 Sept · anti-spiegel.ru/2026/die-neue-strategie-der-russischen-streitkraefte-scheint-aufzugehen/
  • 25 Sept · anti-spiegel.ru/2026/was-politik-und-medien-der-oeffentlichkeit-alles-als-hybriden-krieg-russlands-gegen-europa-verkaufen/
  • 24 Sept · anti-spiegel.ru/2026/was-der-ukrainische-staatshaushalt-fuer-2027-die-menschen-in-der-eu-kosten-wird/
  • 23 Sept · anti-spiegel.ru/2026/was-ist-dran-an-behauptungen-westlicher-medien-ueber-kriegsmuedigkeit-in-russland/
• RT DETier 126,070 subscribers
  2 posts · 4 Sept 2026

  • 4 Sept · t.me/rt_de/81456
  • 4 Sept · t.me/rt_de/81448
• UKR LEAKS (German)Tier 332,411 subscribers
  2 posts · 12 Aug 2026

  • 12 Aug · t.me/ukr_leaks_de/15702
  • 12 Aug · t.me/ukr_leaks_de/15700
• InfoDefense (German)Tier 352,326 subscribers
  1 post · 30 Aug 2026

  • 30 Aug · t.me/infodefGERMANY/25039
• Neues aus Russland (Alina Lipp)Tier 1161,818 subscribers
  1 post · 12 Aug 2026

  • 12 Aug · Archived copy