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 the purpose of 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 Katehon Far-Right Biased and Questionable based on promoting pro-Russian propaganda, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, false claims, poor sourcing, and a lack of transparency.
Detailed Report
Reasoning: State Propaganda, Conspiracy, Poor Sourcing, Pseudoscience, False Claims, Poor Sourcing, Lack of Transparency
Bias Rating: FAR-RIGHT
Factual Reporting: LOW
Country: Russia
Press Freedom Rating: TOTAL OPPRESSION
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Katehon is a think tank based in Russia and operated by Russian Oligarch Konstantin Malofeev. The U.S. Department of State describes Katehon as an anti-Western disinformation and propaganda website. Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev is known for his ardent support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he is often referred to as Putin’s Soros. He has an alleged connection with Europe’s far-right and far-left nationalist movements.
The U.S. first sanctioned Malofeev in 2014 for allegations that he helped finance Russian separatists in Crimea. In 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Malofeev for “threatening Ukraine” and providing financial support to Russian-backed Donetsk separatists. According to the Department of Justice, Malofeyev “hired American Citizen Jack Hanick to work for Malofeyev’s television network in Russia and Illegally transferred a $10 Million U.S. investment to a business associate.”
Jack Hanick is a former CNBC and Fox News employee. Konstantin Malofeev is also the chairman of the board of directors of the Tsargrad media group, known for promoting Russian Orthodox Christianity and support of President Vladimir Putin.
Read how the Russian Government influences Media.
Funded by / Ownership
Ownership information is not transparent; however, Katehon lists Konstantin Malofeev as President of its Supervisory board. The website does not run advertisements or solicit donations; therefore, funding is not transparent.
Analysis
Katehon’s owner and founder, Malofeev, is the founder of Tsargrad TV. Far-right political analyst Aleksandr Dugin is the editorial director of Tsargrad TV, which is known to invite people such as conspiracy theorist Alex Jones as a guest. Additionally, individuals leading Katehon are related to the Russian state and intelligence services. Further, other members of the board worth mentioning due to their links with the Russian state are Sergey Glazyev, former adviser of President Vladimir Putin; Andrey Klimov, Deputy of the State Duma (Duma is the lower house of the Russian parliament); Leonid Reshetnikov, retired intelligence general; and Alexander Makarov, retired Lieutenant-General of the Russian Federal Security Service.
Bias
In review, Katehon presents news in line with the Russian Government’s narrative. For example, they publish pro-Putin articles with intensely emotional headlines such as “Victory or Nothing.” A quote from the article reads, “With one gesture, he put everything on the line, and with the same gesture, he cut off the retreat. This is how history is made: all or nothing. This is how a man, a subject, a free sovereign ruler lives and acts.”
Further, they report favorably on former President Trump and often unfavorable toward his opponents, such as this “Donald Trump Or Nuclear War?” A quote from the article reads, “Hillary means war.” While “Trump embodies realism.” Furthermore, they also publish disinformation directed at Trump’s opponents, such as this “Phone Calls Between Biden And Ukraine’s Poroshenko Leaked; Details $1 Billion “Quid Pro Quo” To Fire Burisma Prosecutor.”
When it comes to sourcing, they often utilize conspiracy-pseudoscience sources such as ZeroHedge and credible sources such as Brookings Institution. They also publish videos from Far-Right American conspiracy theorists such as Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon (former adviser to then-President Trump).
Katehon has also promoted misinformation and conspiracy theories such as Genocide occurring to Russians in the Donbas, Ukrainian Nazism, and Covid-19 disinformation. In general, Katehon is a Far-Right biased think tank that routinely publishes misinformation, pro-Russian propaganda, and conspiracy theories.
Failed Fact Checks
- No record of fact-checks
Overall, we rate Katehon Far-Right Biased and Questionable based on promoting pro-Russian propaganda, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, false claims, poor sourcing, and a lack of transparency. (M. Huitsing (06/09/2022)
Source: https://katehon.com/
Last Updated on May 26, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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