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 VZ.ru as Right-Center biased and questionable based on its promotion of state propaganda, its use of poor sources, censorship, and several failed fact checks.
Detailed Report
Reasoning: Propaganda, Poor Sources, Censorship, Failed Fact Checks
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
Vz.ru, also known as “Vzglyad,” is a Russian-language news and analysis website. It focuses on a wide range of topics including politics, economy, society, and technology, offering news reports and opinion pieces. The site emphasizes Russian domestic and foreign policy, economic issues, and military developments, often reflecting a nationalist perspective.
Read our profile on Russian media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
VZ.ru is owned by the Expert Institute for Social Research which is associated with the Russian Presidential Administration headed by Anton Vaino. Revenue for VZ.ru primarily comes from advertising.
Analysis / Bias
In analyzing VZ.ru’s content and editorial stance, it’s important to consider the Russian media environment, characterized by state control over media narratives, especially on national issues.
VZ.ru produces news and analysis from a nationalist perspective, with nearly all stories favoring the Russian government. The website does not offer criticism of President Putin, but instead routinely praises him like this Putin was named the winner in the trade war between Poland and Ukraine. Like all others reviewed, this story relies on a mix of credible sources like Politico.eu and Russian propaganda sources like Ria Novosti.
VZ.ru frequently uses the state narrative that the invasion of Ukraine was justified to stop the spread of Nazism The UN responded to reports of Nazi symbols in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There is little evidence to support the Nazi narrative. When reporting on the USA, the articles are framed negatively like this How the son of a fireman became the head of Ukraine in the USA.
Like many other Russian media outlets, VZ.ru aligns with the government’s narratives on sensitive issues. They demonstrate a right-leaning bias and a mixed level of factual reporting, which is consistent with the challenges faced by media outlets in an environment with significant state influence over the media landscape.
Failed Fact Checks
- VZ.ru has failed numerous fact-checks.
Overall, we rate VZ.ru as Right-Center biased and questionable based on its promotion of state propaganda, its use of poor sources, censorship, and several failed fact checks. (D. Van Zandt 03/10/2024)
Source: https://vz.ru/
Last Updated on March 10, 2024 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources