Ridus (russian: Ридус) is an
online periodical newspaper with both editorial and user submitted content. Briefly serving as an activist outlet for
citizen journalism and skyrocketing in popularity among a young adult demographic, the outlet's original creators left within two years of its founding and its writing quickly drifted closer to government opinion; the publication is now largely seen as a
propaganda outlet of the Russian state.
Background
Ridus was launched in September 2011. It was created by a photoblogger Ilya Varlamov (who became an Art Director). The website was designed by
Art. Lebedev Studio
Art. Lebedev Studio is a design firm in Russia, founded in 1995 by Artemy Lebedev.
The studio creates industrial and graphic design for commercial entities and does not accept projects from private citizens and political or religious organizat ...
, and former employees of many Russian online publications became the editorial staff. Vyacheslav Varvanin became the Chief Editor.
The outlet first came to prominence a few months after its creation, during its coverage of the
2011-2013 Russian protests. On December 10, 2011, the website was viewed more than a million times in one day, and by the end of the month, the outlet was ranked tenth in the citation rating of Medialogia Internet resources.
The paper was later suspected of collaboration with the
Presidential Administration of Russia
The Presidential Executive Office of Russia or the Presidential Administration of Russia ( rus, Администрация Президента Российской Федерации, Administratsiya Prezidenta Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the ex ...
, after repeated publications of pro-government youth movements and affiliated figures. By 2013, all of the founding staff of Ridus had left the organization, and the outlet descended further into support of the government. The site began to regularly publish compromising materials on opposition political figures, and against this background, it was removed from Medialogia ratings. In April 2013, Maxim Deputatov left the paper, after which the editorial policy of Ridus became even more pro-government.
Among other controversies, the paper has published such unsubstantiated claims as Vesyoly Molochnik milk cartons promote homosexuality to children, that Russian shelling of a kindergarten in
Donbas
The Donbas or Donbass (, ; uk, Донба́с ; russian: Донба́сс ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. Parts of the Donbas are controlled by Russian separatist groups as a result of the Russo-Ukrai ...
during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
was a "Ukrainian psyop", and that American laboratories in Ukraine were collaborating with Ukrainian forces to deploy
biological weapons against Russia.
Awards and recognitions
*
Runet Prize
Runet Prize (russian: Премия Рунета) is a national award of the Russian Federation. Its founder is Russian governmental agency FAPMC which oversees country's mass media.
First awarded in 2004, the prize honors top Russian languag ...
— 2011.
See also
*
Kristina Potupchik
*
Young Guard of United Russia
The Young Guard of United Russia (russian: Молодая гвардия Единой России, Molodaya gvardiya Yedinoy Rossii; MGER) is the youth wing of the United Russia party. Founded in 2005, it uses the name of the famous Young Gua ...
*
Society of Blue Buckets
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://ridus.ru
Russian-language websites
Russian news websites
Citizen journalism websites