US State Department Labels African Stream as Russia’s Covert Disinformation Tool in African Media
For African audiences, this development underscores the importance of media literacy and the need to critically assess the origins of news and information consumed online
African Stream, a news media platform that produces stories about Africa, has come under scrutiny following recent revelations from the U.S. State Department. In a press release on September 13, 2024, the State Department outlined the global covert activities of Russian state-funded media, particularly RT (formerly Russia Today). According to the U.S. government, African Stream is one of the platforms secretly operated by RT to disseminate content while concealing its ties to Russian state influence.
RT’s Global Covert Operations
RT, which started as a media outlet, has now become a central tool in Russia’s international influence operations, according to the State Department. It is involved in covert activities such as cyber operations, military procurement, and election interference across various regions, including Africa. One of the ways RT is allegedly expanding its influence is through proxy platforms that appear independent but are operated by the Russian government or its affiliates. African Stream, which operates on multiple social media platforms, is one of these outlets.
The U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center has been monitoring Russia’s actions closely. It claims that RT leverages its extensive state funding to hire social media personalities and influencers, providing them with unbranded content to spread across various regions, including Africa. This tactic allows Russia to maintain plausible deniability while promoting its messaging in targeted areas.
African Stream’s Role in Russia’s Strategy
Per the U.S. government’s findings, African Stream is one of the tools RT uses to push its narratives on the African continent. The platform, according to its website, focuses on telling “African stories” and is active on various social media platforms, reaching audiences across the continent. While African Stream portrays itself as a media outlet committed to authentic African news, the U.S. government’s recent designations suggest that it may be part of a larger Russian effort to manipulate discourse in Africa and other regions.
The covert nature of these operations means that many African audiences may not be aware that the content they are consuming is indirectly influenced by Russian state actors. The U.S. government’s designation of RT’s activities as covert influence operations marks a significant escalation in efforts to expose the extent of Russia’s influence campaigns globally.
A Broader Geopolitical Context
The revelations about African Stream come amid a broader investigation into Russia’s interference in elections and other democratic processes worldwide. Russia has been accused of engaging in subversive activities not only in Europe and the Americas but also in Africa, where media influence can play a crucial role in shaping public opinion and political outcomes.
While the State Department emphasized that it supports freedom of expression and open discourse, it also made clear that covert influence activities like those allegedly conducted by RT cross the line into manipulation. The U.S. government is urging other nations to take action to curb the spread of covert operations disguised as independent journalism.
As African media outlets continue to grow and diversify, the emergence of platforms like African Stream raises questions about the source of their funding and the motives behind their content. For African audiences, this development underscores the importance of media literacy and the need to critically assess the origins of news and information consumed online.
