QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency, and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be very untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per-article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section for that source. See all Questionable sources.
- Overall, we rate Dzen.ru as Right-Center Biased and Questionable primarily due to state propaganda promotion, government censorship, and the use of unreliable sources.
Detailed Report
Reasoning: Propaganda, Poor Sources, Censorship
Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: Russia
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: TOTAL OPPRESSION
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Dzen.ru (Дзен) is a Russian news aggregator launched in 2000 by Yandex (Russia’s counterpart to Google) and is now owned by VK (VK runs Vkontakte, Russia’s counterpart to Facebook). Dzen.ru employs sophisticated algorithms to curate personalized content tailored to individual user interests. Dzen.ru compiles various news articles, videos, and texts from numerous sources, including popular bloggers. Dzen.ru headquarters are located in Moscow, Russia.
Read our profile on Russian media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
In December 2021, state-owned entities Gazprom and insurance company Sogaz acquired a majority stake in VK. Vladimir Kiriyenko, VK’s CEO, is the son of Sergei Kiriyenko, a Russian politician and a close ally of President Putin. Furthermore, In September 2022, Yandex finalized the sale of Dzen.ru (Дзен) to VK, a prominent Russian tech conglomerate.
Analysis / Bias
Our analysis of Dzen.ru’s content bias, particularly within the “News” section, is complex due to its algorithm-driven nature, which personalizes content based on user interactions. This personalization can create echo chambers, reinforcing users’ views without introducing diverse perspectives. Additionally, operating within Russia under Yandex and now VK means that Dzen.ru is subject to the Russian regulatory framework governing digital media and online content. This environment can impact the platform’s content policies, data privacy practices, and even the range of topics that can be freely discussed or promoted.
In review, the news sources aggregated on Dzen.ru cover a broad spectrum of topics, including international and domestic events, with a notable focus on political and social issues. For example, one article we analyzed discusses the doping case involving figure skater Kamila Valieva, citing various sources, including Finnish broadcaster Yle and Russian outlets like RBC and lenta.ru.
Another piece reports on President Putin’s inauguration of oncology centers, referencing various sources from the state-aligned RIA News to Kommersant, the latter of which may not be accessible from the USA. Additionally, the report on the rising syphilis cases in the United States utilizes credible sources such as Bloomberg. However, it also references sources like NewsFrol and AMITEL, whose credibility is not established. It’s important to note that the curation also involves sources like Tass and RT News, rated as ‘factually mixed’ by Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC).
Given the mix of source credibility and potential state influence, Dzen.ru holds a right-leaning bias in support of the government and is not always fact-based due to relying on sources who fail fact checks.
Failed Fact Checks
- None by a third-party fact checker; however they rely on the sources that have failed numerous fact checks.
Overall, we rate Dzen.ru as Right-Center Biased and Questionable primarily due to state propaganda promotion, government censorship, and the use of unreliable sources. (M. Huitsing 02/02/2024)
Source: dzen.ru
Last Updated on February 2, 2024 by Media Bias Fact Check
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