Russian news agency launches three English-language newswires

International news agency Rossiya Segodnya (Russia Today) has announced the launch of three English-language newswires, which will focus on Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet Republics and Baltic states.

The thematic newswires are part of the news agency’s ambition to engage more directly with the needs of their readers. “[These] will allow us to meet the varying requirements and interests of our clients,” said Dmitry Gornostayev, Rossiya Segodnya’s deputy editor-in-chief and director of news.

Rossiya Segodnya was launched in December last year at the request of President Vladimir Putin. It is the result of a merger between Russia’s biggest state-owned news agency RIA Novosti and radio station Voice of Russia. Known for its independent-minded coverage, RIA Novosti’s workforce was cut to half, around 1,000 employees, with many viewing the closure of the news agency as part of wider efforts to control Russian media.

Controversial conservative broadcaster Dmitry Kiselyov, who has courted controversy with his outspokenly homophobic statements, was appointed director of Rossiya Segodnya.

Source: RIA Novosti