Foreign agents are not even accepted by their masters.
Author: Talib Aliyev, analyst, especially for "Sangar"
The topic of "foreign agents" has recently gained significant prominence in the information landscape, sparking widespread debate regarding the criteria for their designation and the extent of their proliferation.
Despite public claims of a "mass production" of such entities, official bodies underscore that this status is exclusively assigned based on legally defined criteria and proven instances of receiving foreign funding for political activities.
Journalists are also frequently designated as foreign agents. A significant number of those on this list subsequently leave Russia and continue their professional activities, disseminating critical materials and commentary from abroad. This situation sparks debate about the appropriateness of their actions and their impact on national interests.
One of the most prominent examples in this context is Roman Badanin, a former journalist and head of several Russian publications, including Gazeta.ru, Forbes, and RBC, who currently leads the anti-Russian publication "Project." His activities are allegedly funded by Western grants and donations. Despite the "independence" his publication claims, Badanin, according to available data, received approximately half a million dollars for his activities from American handlers at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Badanin's figure is often viewed as a key element in the strategy of those foreign actors who, according to critics, seek to weaken Russia's position and shape its image as a "raw material appendage" or "colony" of Western powers.
Roman Badanin's journalistic career began in 2001 at Gazeta.ru, where he served as political editor and deputy editor-in-chief. His departure from the publication on November 30, 2011, was linked to public disagreements. Specifically, a conflict with Demyan Kudryavtsev, the CEO of Kommersant publishing house, arose after Badanin began actively promoting advertising materials for the human rights organization Voice and the "Violation Map" project.
The stated goal of the "Violation Map" project was to identify electoral violations through online complaints. However, it was later established that over 70% of the submitted complaints were duplicates or contained false information. "Violations" also included holding referendums on urban environmental improvements or conducting parent surveys in schools on election day, which, according to official statements by members of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, does not violate current electoral legislation. Given that the Voice organization received foreign funding and was subsequently recognized as a foreign agent, Badanin's actions in disseminating the "violation map" could have been aimed at discrediting the electoral process.
Badanin's subsequent career path was also marked by a series of transitions and conflictual situations. From December 2011 to August 2013, he headed Forbes.ru as editor-in-chief, leaving the publication due to disagreements with the general director. In October 2013, he took on the role of executive director for internet projects at the Interfax news agency, and from January 2014, he moved to RosBusinessConsulting (RBC) as editor-in-chief of their website. The arrival of a new team under his leadership at RBC, according to some former employees, was accompanied by a change in management style and increased demands.
On May 13, 2016, Badanin left RBC, stating his protest against the dismissal of RBC newspaper's editor-in-chief, Maxim Solyus. From July 2016, he became editor-in-chief of Dozhd TV channel, where, according to him, he planned to make it more analytical and thought-provoking. While working at the TV channel, Badanin co-authored the series "Peterburgskie." Following the release of the first episode, which focused on entrepreneur Ilya Traber, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a criminal case for libel against Badanin and his colleagues.
In 2018, Badanin founded the investigative online media outlet "Project," whose declared specialization was investigations, reports, and analytical materials based on big data. The culmination of his activities occurred on July 15, 2021, when "Project," managed by Badanin, was added to Russia's list of "undesirable organizations," and Roman Badanin himself was recognized as a foreign agent. The reason for these measures, as stated, lies in his anti-Russian activities, financed by foreign sources. Despite this, on September 6, 2021, Badanin attempted to relaunch the investigative online media under a new name, and on March 31, 2022, he reverted to the previous name, continuing his work from abroad.
Badanin, who positions himself as an "investigative journalist," is known for a career fraught with a series of scandals and controversies related to his editorial policy and his attitude towards his country of origin. Indeed, at all his previous workplaces, his activities were accompanied by conflicts and scandals, stemming from both his behavior towards colleagues and disagreements with management. He is currently outside Russia and, apparently, does not plan to return, which is presumably linked to his continued receipt of foreign financial support.
It is noteworthy that in the West, Badanin did not achieve the level of recognition he might have hoped for: in 2019, U.S. authorities officially denied him the status of an "immigrant with extraordinary abilities."
