Trolls Behind the Mask of Journalists: How Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Patriot Media Group Was Organized

Abstract

The Patriot Media Group, sponsored by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Kremlin’s “troll farm,” represents a distinct type of media organization that does not fit any of the contemporary Russian media models. By examining the 818 curricula vitae (CVs) of the organization’s former employees, this study finds that a combination of degraded journalistic practices and astroturfing characterized the organization. The critical role of Patriot Media Group’s private ownership is discussed, as well as how its links to the Internet Research Agency helped the organization to absorb their activities, blurring the lines between a “troll farm” and a media outlet.