BBG Watch Media
Russia’s state media outlet RT beat U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America (VOA), which departing VOA Director David Ensor and VOA Public Relations describe as “the nation’s international state broadcaster,” 1,500 to 1 in Facebook Likes on news reports about a white police officer in South Carolina charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black man that was caught on video.
While getting 1,500 Facebook “Likes” to VOA’s one, RT news report has been actually online a shorter time than the report on the VOA website.
VOA was still more than an hour behind BBC, Russia’s SPUTNIK news agency and more than two hours behind other U.S. news organizations in reporting on the easily verifiable arrest and official indictment in this case.
VOA also did not post its own original news report on this highly significant news story but reposted instead with some delay a report from Reuters. RT was also behind BBC and SPUTNIK in posting its news report but quickly made up for its delay in audience engagement through social media. VOA is based in Washington, DC; RT is based in Moscow.
The Reuters report on VOA was showing only one (1) Facebook “Like,” 12 Tweets and one (1) comment as of 1:26 AM ET Wednesday.
RT report was showing 1,500 Facebook “Likes,” 402 Tweets and 144 comments as of 1:44 AM ET Wednesday.
Incredibly, as this BBG Watch report is being written, the VOA English news website homepage does not include the South Carolina story among VOA’s top nine news items of the day. It is only number four news story on VOA’s UNITED STATES NEWS page.
On RT’s homepage it is number three top among RT’s four top news stories. On RT’s USA NEWS page, it is number one news story. It is also number one news story on the BBC News website homepage and on BBC’s US & CANADA NEWS page.
The Voice of America is not showing any video for this story on its English news website. Both BBC and RT are showing videos.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 1:44 AM ET UPDATE
As of this time the South Carolina shooting story has become a number two item without any image, not among top VOA news stories, but only way down on the VOA English news website homepage in the listing of USA News. BBC, on the other hand, is leading its home, world and other pages with South Carolina, including video of the shooting. VOA used Reuters, with no video of the shooting (which BBC now has up).
VOA Homepage Top Stories Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 1:19 AM ET
BBC Homepage Top Stories Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 1:22 AM ET
As of 1:26 AM ET Wednesday, Russia’s RT has its South Carolina story as number three in its top news stories lineup on its homepage, “Murder charge for S. Carolina cop who shot black man 8 times in back (GRAPHIC VIDEO) | RT.”
RT Homepage Top Stories Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 1:26 AM ET
RT report includes GRAFIC VIDEO, which is noted next to the headline on RT’s homepage. As of 1:26 AM ET Wednesday, VOA is still using the Reuters report with no video. The VOA English news website homepage does not include the South Carolina story among VOA top nine news stories of the day. It is only number four news story on VOA’s UNITED STATES NEWS page.
On RT’s homepage it is number three top among RT’s four top news stories. On RT’s USA NEWS page, it is number one news story. It is also number one news story on the BBC News website homepage and on BBC’s US & CANADA NEWS page.
The Reuters report on VOA is showing only one (1) Facebook “Like,” 12 Tweets and one (1) comment as of 1:26 AM ET Wednesday.
RT report is showing 1,500 Facebook “Likes,” 402 Tweets and 144 comments.
VOA Report Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 1:38 AM ET
RT Report Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 1:44 AM ET