Skip to content

Why did a popular UK news site run anonymous propaganda about Russian oil?

Exclusive: The London Economic praised BP’s stake in Russia’s state-owned Rosneft and ran other flattering articles about controversial people and firms

Why did a popular UK news site run anonymous propaganda about Russian oil?
Vladimir Putin with the CEO of Rosneft, Igor Sechin.
Published:

A popular UK news website has launched an internal review over its decision to run a flattering anonymous article about BP’s investment in a Russian state-owned oil firm.

The website, the London Economic, is also investigating two other similar cases of alleged ‘reputation laundering’ following an investigation by openDemocracy.

The London Economic claims to be “independent”. It is owned by a venture capital firm and chaired by a former oil and gas executive with links to the Conservative Party, and boasts of promoting a “kinder, more compassionate politics”.