Putin’s Favorite Journalist: Pavel Zarubin & Kremlin Propaganda

Pavel Zarubin, a regional journalist who was once an idealist, is now the only reporter with close and regular access to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Most Russians know the president’s life and work thanks to Zarubin’s reports.This is the story of how a young provinces journalist became a key figure of Russian propaganda.

Every Sunday night, millions of Russians tune in the television program “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin”.

The program offers viewers an unusually intimate vision of Putin’s daily life and is one of the largest audience programs in Russia. The presenter is Pavel Zarubin, who presents enthusiastic and very detailed stories of the activities of the president week after week, from vital summits to trivial details.

In the last seven years, the 44 -year -old journalist has followed Putin everywhere.

During his coverage of the Trump-Poutin summit in Alaska, Zarubin offered details about the Russian presidential plane, the red carpet that Putin stepped on and even about how the sink of the US military base was like where the summit was held.

The Man Behind Putin’s Polished Image: How a Kremlin program Revived his popularity

Following a period of unrest sparked by deeply unpopular pension reform and widespread protests, the Kremlin sought a new strategy to bolster President Vladimir Putin’s image.The solution? A carefully crafted media program, “Moscow. kremlin. Putin,” spearheaded by journalist Andrey Zarubin.

The program quickly established a distinct style: intimate glimpses into Putin’s daily life, focusing on seemingly mundane details. Zarubin’s reports highlight moments like Putin deftly catching a fallen pencil or repairing his watch bracelet with a pen, meticulously avoiding any engagement with broader political issues.

This approach didn’t go unnoticed. Russian political analysts and television critics observed the emergence of a new cult of personality being built around the president. As the program’s viewership grew, so too did putin’s popularity.

While Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov maintains the program was an original idea of the state-run VGTRK channel, with Zarubin contributing to the format, the BBC’s investigation reveals a different story. Three sources within the Kremlin suggest the program was, in fact, developed by Kremlin officials themselves.

According to Dmitry Skorobutov, a former VGTRK employee, discussions about the program began two years prior to its launch, prompted by declining public interest in Putin. “We needed to revive the public’s interest in [Putin],” Skorobutov explained, describing Zarubin as “a servile person who meets orders… You say something and he does it… without questions, without reflecting.” He added that Zarubin’s compliance caters to the “main spectator,” the intended audience for the carefully curated image.

The term “main spectator” reflects a state television mindset – a passive viewer easily swayed by carefully constructed narratives. “Moscow. Kremlin.Putin” exemplifies this strategy, offering a highly controlled and personalized portrayal of the Russian president, designed to restore and maintain his public standing.

From Autonomous Journalist to Kremlin Correspondent: The Evolution of Pavel Zarubin

Pavel Zarubin, now a prominent figure in Russian state media, began his career as a determined and principled journalist in the provincial city of Ekaterinburg.Colleagues remember a serious and motivated reporter, one who wouldn’t hesitate to criticize others if he felt their work lacked integrity. He demanded thoroughness and resisted compromise.

Zarubin was a vocal supporter of NTV, an independent television network that faced a meaningful shift in direction during Vladimir Putin’s first presidential term. When a pro-Kremlin acquisition threatened NTV’s independence, journalists at the network, along with their colleagues in regions like Ekaterinburg, rallied in opposition.

One instance especially reveals Zarubin’s early convictions. When a group of Ekaterinburg journalists decided to withdraw their support for NTV, Zarubin reacted with intense emotion, even to tears, according to a source who knew him well. “How could they do it? They destroyed yourself. They destroyed everything that was possible, everything that was sacred to us,” he reportedly lamented.

The source further recounts that when Zarubin was suggested to make a similar concession to advance his career, he firmly refused, stating, “No, never. I would never do that.”

Integrating to the system

[image of a three-person filming team, including a young Pavel Zarubin, next to a video camera. Zarubin wears a blue shirt and looks through the viewfinder. A man in a red jacket operates the upper part of the camera. They are outdoors with a city skyline in the background.]

Noting

The BBC spoke with ten journalists from the presidential group who worked with Zarubin at different times. Almost all of them said he did not stand out in anything from the rest of the reporters who covered Putin’s activities.

One of the journalists said that, in those years, Zarubin “did not like Putin as much as now” and that, for example, he could joke about the famous custom of russian president to be late while waiting for him for several hours.

Then there was a series of altercations that put Zarubin in the spotlight.

In 2015, Zarubin caught his attention when he was expelled from Minsk’s peace conversations after shouting to the president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, accusing his troops of bombing civilians in Donbás, a narrative promoted by the Kremlin.

A year later, Lithuania expelled the Tsarubin team for trying to enter an opposition forum without accreditation. the incident became a confrontation with the chess champion and critic of Kremlin, Garry Kasparov.

Putin’s New Press Access: The Rise of Dmitry Zarubin

For years, access to Russian President Vladimir Putin was tightly controlled, often filtered through carefully curated events and statements. Now, a single journalist, Dmitry Zarubin, has emerged as the primary conduit for direct details, enjoying unprecedented access to the Kremlin.

Zarubin, a reporter for the state-owned Rossiya-1 television channel, underwent months of quarantine – described as living within a “clean zone” – to gain this level of access, according to reports from two journalists within the presidential press pool. he is now the sole reporter with permanent access to Putin.

This access has translated into invitations to events previously closed to the press. Zarubin has been present during Putin’s conversations with former US President Donald Trump, traveled in the presidential aurus car, and even filmed inside Putin’s Kremlin apartment, where he was served kefir and blueberries with honey.

His access extends to international trips as well. Notably, Zarubin recently reported from the floor, while squatting, during Putin’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang – an event typically held behind closed doors.

Often, Zarubin’s reports offer exclusive glimpses into Putin’s activities, shared via his Instagram account, @zarubinreporter, and broadcast on Rossiya-1. This shift in media strategy raises questions about the Kremlin’s evolving approach to information control and its willingness to grant a single journalist such a unique and privileged position.

Russian State TV Journalist Pavel Zarubin’s shift in reporting on Ukraine

Pavel Zarubin,a prominent journalist for Russian state television channel Rossiya-1,has increasingly adopted rhetoric aligned with the Kremlin’s narrative on the conflict in Ukraine,according to a recent report by the BBC. The report details a noticeable shift in Zarubin’s reporting, moving from previous coverage to framing the conflict as stemming from the “aggressiveness of Europe” and referring to kyiv as “the Ukrainian part of the Russian people.”

Zarubin, known for his interviews with high-ranking Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, has become a key figure in disseminating the Kremlin’s perspective on the war. A Russian official familiar with Zarubin told the BBC that the journalist is simply doing his job and believes he isn’t violating any principles. The official suggested Zarubin’s approach reflects a broader trend,stating,”He loved his profession,and he still loves her. It’s just that he follows trends.Before it was fashionable to believe in freedom of expression. Now it is so.”

The BBC notes that Zarubin declined to respond to repeated requests for comment.

This shift in Zarubin’s reporting aligns with the increasing control over media narratives within Russia since the start of the conflict.independent journalism has been severely restricted, and state-controlled media outlets consistently promote the Kremlin’s viewpoint, often portraying Ukraine and the West negatively. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66874999