"Fuel to the fire: The Russian campaign to influence the media in Argentina"

A network of Russian disinformation allegedly invested $283,000 to "inject" at least 250 articles into more than 20 Argentine media outlets.

The content mainly consisted of bad news and critical comments about the economic situation in Argentina, the social and human cost of fiscal austerity measures, and the increasing diplomatic tensions with progressive governments in the region – nothing that stood out from the daily coverage.

But many articles included favorable references to Russia and opposed to the United States. There were also distortions, exaggerations, and false news.

The media allegedly involved present differences in terms of audience, resources, and editorial lines: Infobae, Realpolitik, Ámbito, C5N, Diario Con Vos, El Destape, Big Bang News, Diario Registrado, A24, Dos Bases, La Patriada Web, En Orsai, Sección Ciudad, El Ciudadano Web, Política Argentina, Tiempo Argentino, Grito del Sur, El Cronista, Osorno en Vivo (Chile), Infocielo, Data Clave, Agenda Urbana, Ciudadano Agro, Contraste MDP, and En la Mira del Poder.

openDemocracy, Forbidden Stories, and Filtraleaks, which collaborated on this investigation, contacted all the media outlets and managed to interview editors, directors, or journalists from 15 of them.

Many requested not to be identified. All denied any involvement with money or Russian campaigns. Most sources explained that the articles had been offered for free by a third party, described as a “press agency,” “consultant,” or “intermediary.” Several admitted they were published with little editorial control.

All interviewees expressed surprise at the high sums allegedly paid by the Russians, in a country where journalists' salaries are below $700.

Two separate sources acknowledged that they received payments for publishing some of the articles, which they received from an intermediary, but for amounts much lower than those recorded in the Russian documents.