Former Kremlin TV journalist: Russia's regime relies on propaganda and fear

Marina Ovsyannikova, a former journalist for Russia's state-controlled Channel One, asserts that Vladimir Putin's regime relies on a combination of pervasive propaganda and fear to maintain its grip on power. Living in exile in France, Ovsyannikova told The Telegraph that most Russians are trapped within the Kremlin's controlled information system and are too afraid to challenge authority.

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I believe this regime is based on two things: strong propaganda and fear.

"I believe this regime is based on two things: strong propaganda and fear," she stated. Ovsyannikova expressed skepticism about the likelihood of widespread public protests destabilizing the government. "I do not expect protests from ordinary people. They are very afraid. If change comes, it will likely result from an elite conspiracy against Putin," she added.

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I do not expect protests from ordinary people. They are very afraid. If change comes, it will likely result from an elite conspiracy against Putin.

Ovsyannikova, 47, spent 19 years at Channel One, witnessing its transformation into a propaganda instrument as the Kremlin's media control tightened. "When I came to Channel One, it was an absolutely normal television station. We broadcast news from all over the world. But, step by step, the rules changed, and more and more topics became forbidden," she recalled.

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When I came to Channel One, it was an absolutely normal television station. We broadcast news from all over the world. But, step by step, the rules changed, and more and more topics became forbidden.

Towards the end of her tenure, the newsroom was prohibited from presenting any positive information about Western countries. "We couldn't say anything positive about Europe, Western Europe, or the United States, and we had to present Putin as Russia's savior. If something went wrong, we had one rule: Putin is good, and officials are to blame," she explained. Ovsyannikova admitted she understood the nature of the system for years but stayed because she couldn't find other work in Russia.

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We couldn't say anything positive about Europe, Western Europe, or the United States, and we had to present Putin as Russia's savior. If something went wrong, we had one rule: Putin is good, and officials are to blame.