Jakarta. As artificial intelligence reshapes newsrooms and audiences increasingly consume information through social media and digital platforms, international broadcasters are racing to redefine their role in a fragmented media landscape.

In this interview, RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan discusses the transition from traditional television to digital-first journalism, the opportunities and risks posed by artificial intelligence, the challenge of rebuilding public trust in media, and the growing importance of Southeast Asian audiences, including Indonesia, in the evolving global information ecosystem.

1. RT has grown from a single English-language channel into a 10-language global network that recorded 40 billion online views in 2025. How do you see the shift from traditional broadcasting to digital-first consumption reshaping the future of international news?

I doubt there is any news organization today that underestimates the importance of a digital-first approach. Our particular advantage is that RT, launched in 2005, was born directly into the digital world. Compared with many of our peers, we are relatively young and avoided the painful transition from old-school newsroom culture.

Rather than simply embracing the latest technological developments, we have consistently been among the first news organizations in the world to adopt them.

In 2015, RT published the world's first news video shot in panoramic 3D format and launched the dedicated RT360 VR app. Two years later, RT released the first 360-degree footage filmed in outer space during a spacewalk by Russian cosmonauts. We have also created award-winning augmented reality television broadcasts, transporting viewers into events from long ago or far away through the integration of 3D graphics that extend from the screen into the studio.

On YouTube, RT became the world's most-watched TV news network in 2020, reaching a record 10 billion views and more than 16 million subscribers, ahead of the news channels of the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Euronews and Fox News.

We have been working with artificial intelligence technologies for several years. Initially, we used Western models, but we are actively developing our own. Our team enjoys experimenting with these tools. For example, we created a project in which President Putin delivers his famous speeches, including the Munich speech, in English using his own AI-generated voice. The result is remarkably difficult to distinguish from the original. There are dozens of such speeches.

2. What do traditional broadcasters need to do to remain relevant in an era dominated by short-form content and algorithm-driven platforms?

While it has always been important in our industry to be first to market, many news organizations either ignore the importance of having a distinct point of view or are reluctant to embrace one.

They are often content to repeat the same stories and talking points under the banner of noble-sounding ideals such as impartiality. Or perhaps they are simply unwilling to depart from the establishment line. Either way, audiences around the world have grown tired of this echo chamber.

RT prides itself on being a source of alternative perspectives and underreported stories. That is what keeps our audiences coming back.

On the technological front, AI is becoming an essential tool for optimizing newsroom processes. It is already transforming newsrooms around the world. In addition to producing results and solutions that previous generations of technology could scarcely imagine, it saves considerable time and labor.

However, amid this technological race, it is important not to lose your core identity — or your audience.

3. How do you see AI tools influencing newsrooms, both in terms of opportunities and risks?

AI is both enormously helpful and unpredictably dangerous.

On the one hand, it significantly accelerates many newsroom processes, from interview transcription and video editing to translation and event planning. On the other hand, it has never been easier to fall victim to fake images and manipulated footage, particularly in a 24-hour news environment.

Today, these tools are accessible to almost everyone, giving them the ability to influence narratives far beyond their place of origin. AI is already affecting human behavior, and it is possible that it will eventually influence humanity itself in ways no previous technology has.

4. RT Academy and RT School have trained more than 10,000 people. What skills do young journalists need most today?

A media professional today needs to be a little bit of everything: a field reporter, an editor and a social media specialist. Our courses cover all of these skills and more.

It is my strong belief that journalism is not learned in the classroom. How can someone spend years studying the rules of an industry that changes every week? Journalism is learned in the field and in the newsroom.

The most important quality for a journalist is honesty. Journalism is a profession that carries enormous responsibility. People discover the truth through your eyes, through your writing and through what you show them.

A journalist must also be curious and genuinely interested in people and their stories. Honesty, responsibility and self-discipline are essential qualities in any profession, but for journalists they should be fundamental.

And perhaps one more thing: a sincere affection for what we call ordinary people. If you keep these values in your heart, you can become a great journalist. Everything else can be learned on the job.

5. What insights has RT gained from its growing engagement with Southeast Asian audiences, particularly in Indonesia?

We are pleased to see that audiences in the ASEAN region do not view the world through the simplified lens of Western dogma. People in Southeast Asia do not appreciate being lectured; they seek broader perspectives.

These audiences are not passive. They have their own voices and political narratives. ASEAN countries do not want to serve merely as arenas for geopolitical competition. They want to be recognized as independent actors.

This aligns with RT's editorial approach, which aims to provide a platform for perspectives that mainstream Western media often simplify or marginalize. At the same time, we do not impose our opinions on anyone; we simply offer material for reflection.

Indonesian audiences are pragmatic, knowledgeable about history and attentive to issues of sovereignty, development, integrity and justice in the global order. There is considerable interest in international affairs in Indonesia, but audiences also want to understand how these developments affect Global South countries more broadly, including issues such as development, trade, energy security, food security and the changing balance of power.

Indonesia is a vast country with a young, socially engaged and growing population. It is an important player in the Islamic world, a member of the G20 and now also part of BRICS.

RT has established partnerships with several Indonesian television channels, expanded content exchanges, conducted workshops and delivered lectures at major universities. Our experience suggests that there is sustained demand for international journalism that examines global events independently and explores their relevance to Southeast Asian societies.

We have had similar experiences in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia, where we work with local partners in comparable ways.

For us, ASEAN countries are not simply distribution markets. They are sources of important stories that deserve international attention. We aim not only to bring our content to Southeast Asia but also to introduce Southeast Asian perspectives to audiences around the world.

6. How do you personally define editorial independence in a state-funded international broadcaster?

Our journalists report what they witness firsthand. Our hosts express their opinions openly.

We have professionals who previously worked for organizations such as the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera and other internationally recognized media outlets. They joined RT voluntarily, and many of them say they have never experienced greater editorial freedom than they do at RT.

7. Trust in media is declining globally. What is the most effective way to rebuild it?

RT succeeded and continues to grow, despite numerous obstacles, because we filled what we saw as a trust gap left by established Western media in many parts of the world. All we had to do was tell the truth.

This trend appears to be continuing. A recent BBC study found that trust in the BBC's own content has remained largely unchanged over the past four years, while trust in RT has increased significantly.

We are proud to move against the broader trend.