The Manipulative Narratives of Russian State Media Surrounding Alexei Navalny's Death

State media in Russia has shown little or no coverage of the reported death of opposition figure Alexei Navalny, maintaining their usual practice of ignoring government critics. The initial reports on state television channels, which have the largest audience in Russia, were delayed and perfunctory. It took nearly 45 minutes and an hour respectively for Channel One and Rossiya 1 to mention Navalny's death. These reports lacked any context about Navalny's background or why he was imprisoned. One channel even referred to him only as "Navalny" without mentioning his full name, while assuring viewers that a thorough investigation into his death would be conducted. When a liberal politician attempted to offer condolences on the topic of Navalny's death during an appearance on another state TV channel, he was swiftly interrupted by the host who deemed it irrelevant to their discussion. However, social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram, a popular news source, have been inundated with news of Navalny's reported death. Posts about Navalny on Telegram have garnered hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of views in a matter of hours. Despite Navalny's team not yet confirming the news, many influential figures sympathetic to his cause expressed disbelief and sorrow. Former Russian oligarch turned Putin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky wrote on Telegram, "If this is true, then regardless of the official reason, Vladimir Putin personally bears responsibility for the premature death." Other opposition figures echoed similar sentiments. Some pro-government figures have insinuated that the West or Russian opposition, rather than President Putin himself, would benefit from Navalny's sudden death. Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT, a state international broadcaster, dismissed Western reactions and claimed that people had long forgotten about Navalny and that his death would benefit opposing forces. It is expected that President Putin will secure a fifth term in the upcoming elections, as he has actively suppressed opposition. Anatoly Kuzichev, a presenter on Channel One, suggested that Navalny had been forgotten by his associates and speculated that his death may have been an accident or an act of sabotage. Similarly, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova insinuated that Western leaders' swift response revealed their biased conclusions before a forensic examination had taken place.