Kevin Rothrock

‘Conspiracy theories’: What Americans and Russians reveal about themselves in the stories they tell about each other

Kevin Rothrock

Conspiracy theories in America and Russia are booming and even converging today. What do these false narratives say about the two countries\' politics and cultures?

‘The Information Nation’: Kremlin researchers and forensic journalists intersect at Russia’s black market for leaked personal data

Kevin Rothrock

Kremlin computer researchers and forensic journalists are natural enemies, but both groups sometimes rely on illegally traded leaked databases. Meduza asked three reporters to explain how these Internet black markets...

‘Academic Freedom’: The fight over political activism inside Moscow`s Higher School of Economics

Kevin Rothrock

An in-depth look at controversial amendments to the internal rules and regulations on political activism by students and faculty at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, perhaps the best university in Russia.

‘Starting WWII’: Today`s war of words between Russia and Poland over the history of the late 1930s

Kevin Rothrock

Four historians explain why assigning blame in WWII is more complicated than it seems and how the fight over memory in Russia and Poland muddies the path to the truth.

‘Russians in America’: Russian immigrants and visitors in the U.S. discuss the 2020 Democratic primaries

Kevin Rothrock

Americans worried about election interference talk constantly about “the Russians.” Here\'s what Russian people living the U.S. think about that.

‘Executive power in Russia’: How we know what we know about Kremlin politics and what to expect from Putin`s new Constitutional shakeup

Kevin Rothrock

Vladimir Putin has proposed a redistribution of executive power in Russia. Or has he? Let\'s dive deep into the politics of the Kremlin and the presidential administration.

‘Instead of her face, I saw a pizza’: How women in Russia are fighting back against sexual assault

Kevin Rothrock

What compels rape survivors in Russia to come forward publicly? Are women’s rights advocates optimistic about making the country safer for women? How should we even talk about sexual assault? Tune in for a discussion...

‘The Naked Pravda’ premiere trailer: Meduza’s new English-language podcast

Kevin Rothrock

The Naked Pravda highlights how Meduza’s top reporting intersects with the wider research and expertise that exists about Russia.

‘Tabloids and an inferiority complex’: The business and political strategy behind the media`s biased Russia coverage

Kevin Rothrock

A recent study by Russia\'s state media says half of Western reporting about Russia is “negative.” It turns out that a single tabloid journalist writes a big chunk of these stories.

‘RuNet Sovereignty’: How Russia is trying to isolate its Internet segment from the rest of the world, maybe

Kevin Rothrock

More crippling regulations and censorship saddles the Russian Internet every year, but it remains a space for surprisingly free speech and remarkable profits. How?