BBC revives and backfires shortwave radio posts in Ukraine

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While Russia is trying to interrupt the flow of information in Ukraine by attacking its communication infrastructure, the British news organization BBC, II.

The BBC said this week it will use radio frequencies that can travel long distances and are accessible from portable radios to broadcast World Service news in English four hours a day in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, and parts of Russia.

“The first casualty of war is that the truth is often told,” BBC director-general Tim Davie said in a statement. “In a conflict where disinformation and propaganda are rampant, there is a clear need for factual and independent news that people can trust.”

Tuesday, Russian bullets It hit the main radio and television tower in Kiev. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov wrote on twitter He said Russia’s aim is to “break the resistance of the Ukrainian people and army”, starting with “breaking the link” and “spreading massive FAKE messages that the Ukrainian country leadership has agreed to renounce.”

Shortwave radio has been the medium of choice for reaching listeners in conflict zones for decades and has been used to send them crackling messages. soldiers in the Gulf Warsend codes spies in North Korea and while pontificating through the Iron Curtain the Cold War. But with the internet, more modern forms of radio eventually pushed the shortwave. in favor of; BBC retires shortwave broadcasts in Europe 14 years ago.

In the last week of February, views of the BBC’s Ukrainian-language site had more than doubled from the same period a year ago, to 3.9 million visitors, the broadcaster said on Wednesday. BBC also provides news coverage in the country through its website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, Viber and Espreso TV.

The broadcaster said millions of Russians are also turning to the BBC. The company said the audience for the BBC’s Russian-language news website hit a record 10.7 million last week, tripling its weekly average so far in 2022. Visitors to the BBC’s English website from Russia increased by 252 percent to 423,000.

Domestically, the BBC also publishes updates on Telegram, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Other western news outlets also experienced an increase in viewership. Visits to The Guardian’s digital platforms from Russian and Ukrainian viewers increased 180 percent compared to January.

The BBC’s coverage led to complaints from Russian officials. Spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, said in the briefing she published: RT, Russian media outlet backed by the KremlinHe said Russia was the victim of “unprecedented information terrorism” “dedicated to discrediting Russian actions” and “creating hysteria around the Ukrainian events”.

“She plays a decisive role in undermining Russian stability and security,” Ms Zakharova said of the BBC, without providing evidence.



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