Russia's News Agency Allegedly Looking To Rebrand Stalin

Stalin – he gave woman equal rights in Russia! Admittedly, that also meant the right to be massacred horribly as a portion of the 20 million people he purged. But it would seem the Russian government would have you focus on the former rather than the latter. To that end, they’re holding discussions with PR firms, looking to rebrand Stalin as kind of a good guy, according to EUobserver.

In addition to taking pitches on how to generally improve the image of Russia abroad (clue: this is not the right way to go about it), Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reportedly met with PR firms in Brussels to hear ideas for a campaign to rehabilitate Stalin. RIA Novosti denies the reports, but acknowledges working with an agency mentioned in the story, RJI Companies: 

RIA Novosti has not launched any new project on Russia's image; the agency conducts its current activities with the aim of holding a variety of news and expert events in foreign countries and the former Soviet Union, as well as in Russia.

But according to EUobserver, Moscow-based newspapers such as Novaya Gazeta claim that the campaign is already underway in Russia.Continue reading...