{{Short description|Russian pro-government news website}} {{Infobox television channel | name = Life | logo = Life Russia logo 2016.png | logo_caption = Life logo since 2016 | launch_date = {{start date|2013|09|02|df=y}} | closed_date = 18 August 2017 | picture_format = 16:9 SDTV, HDTV | owner = News Media Holding<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.advisen.com/documents/AMX/20140403/02/201404030250INTERFAXINTXRBUS_950140-AADTLQXI_991.8.xml|title=Rostelecom to enter media business, tried to buy stake in Lifenews|work=Interfax Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire|date=2014-03-04|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006104605/http://news.advisen.com/documents/AMX/20140403/02/201404030250INTERFAXINTXRBUS_950140-AADTLQXI_991.8.xml|archive-date=2014-10-06}}<br />{{cite news|url=http://top.rbc.ru/retail/03/08/2014/940616.shtml|title=Lifenews Габрелянова обошел запрет на рекламу для платных телеканалов|publisher=RBC|date=2014-08-03|access-date=2014-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805234425/http://top.rbc.ru/retail/03/08/2014/940616.shtml|archive-date=2014-08-05|url-status=dead}}<br />{{cite news|url=http://kommersant.ru/doc/2538381|title=За частоты перед Отечеством|publisher=Kommersant|date=2014-08-04}}<br />{{cite web|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/russia-media-tycoons-expand-kremlins-help|title=Correction: Russia's Media Tycoons story|publisher=Associated Press|date=2013-10-19}}</ref> | country = Russia | language = Russian | headquarters = Moscow, Russia | website = {{URL|life.ru}} }} {{Infobox website | name = Life.ru | logo = Life News Newsdesk.jpg | logo_size = <!-- default is 250px --> | logo_alt = | logocaption = Life newsdesk | screenshot = | screenshot_size = <!-- default is 300px --> | screenshot_alt = | caption = | collapsible = | collapsetext = | url = {{URL|http://life.ru}} | commercial = | type = News | registration = | language = Russian | num_users = | content_license = | programming_language = | owner = | author = | editor = | launch_date = September 2009 | revenue = | current_status = active | footnotes = }}
'''Life''' (stylized as '''L!FE''', formerly '''LifeNews''') is a Russian pro-government news website owned by {{Interlanguage link|Aram Gabrelyanov|ru|Габрелянов, Арам Ашотович|hy|Արամ Գաբրելյանով|uk|Габрелянов Арам Ашотович}} and published by {{Interlanguage link|News Media (company)|lt=News Media Holding|ru|News Media Holding}}.<ref name=":0" /> Its offices are in Moscow. The brand is most commonly associated with the now-defunct LifeNews channel.
== Life News ==
The television channel LifeNews and its mobile application were launched in September 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|title=С миру по нитке|url=https://expert.ru/2013/09/11/s-miru/|access-date=2020-10-07|website=expert.ru}}</ref> The broadcasting licensee for the television channel was Media Content LLC, whose beneficiaries were Aram Gabrelyanov and the oil merchant "Surgutex".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Телеканал Life. Досье|url=https://tass.ru/info/4491725|access-date=2020-10-06|website=ТАСС}}</ref> According to the open statistics of LiveInternet, the daily audience of the LifeNews online informational publication in 2013 was 200-250 thousand viewers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LifeNews занялся телевидением|url=http://tdaily.ru/news/2013/09/03/lifenews-zanyalsya-televideniem|access-date=2020-10-06|website=tdaily.ru}}</ref>
LifeNews came to prominence by actively covering events in Donbas in 2014, taking a strong pro-Kremlin position. The channel would see its ratings rise through 2014, to a peak of up to 30 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.ru/news/250491-rostelekom-zaplatit-za-reklamu-na-telekanale-lifenews-okolo-200-mln-rublei|title="Ростелеком" заплатит за рекламу на телеканале Lifenews около 200 млн рублей|work=Forbes|date=2014-02-04}}</ref> On July 1, 2014, LifeNews TV channel broadcast digitally in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol as a part of the third (regional) multiplex.<ref>{{Cite web|title=В Крыму и Севастополе началось вещание российских мультиплексов|url=https://digital.gov.ru/ru/events/31437/|access-date=2020-10-06|website=Министерство цифрового развития, связи и массовых коммуникаций Российской Федерации|language=ru}}</ref> Notable journalists at the channel included Semen Pegov, who would go on to found the ''War Gonzo'' project.
The nascent channel found itself the centre of a scandal in July 2014, after they reported in a positive tone that the anti-Ukraine 'rebels' in east Ukraine had shot down a Ukrainian military jet. The jet soon turned out to be a civilian passenger jet, MH17, and LifeNews quickly moved to delete, and erase their initial report, and then produce further reports blaming Ukraine for the fatal shootdown.<ref>{{cite news |title=When Russia Backed Forces Boasted They Shot Down a Ukrainian Military Plane |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/when-russia-backed-forces-boasted-they-shot-down-a-ukrainian-military-plane-that-was-actually-mh17/30056279.html|access-date=2022-06-30}}</ref>
The channel continued broadcasting as usual, but after the MH17 scandal, had taken a reputational hit, in Russia, and internationally. In September 2014 Ukraine's National Council of Television banned 15 Kremlin-run channels, including LifeNews, for what they claimed was war propaganda.<ref>[http://uatoday.tv/politics/ukraine-bans-russian-propaganda-tv-shows-369100.html uatoday, 20 September 2014]</ref>
On December 17, 2014, LifeNews Editor-in-Chief Anatoly Suleymanov confirmed large-scale redundancies by January 1, 2015, due to restructuring by the News Media holding company.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://meduza.io/news/2014/12/17/life-news-podtverdil-massovoe-uvolnenie-sotrudnikov|access-date=2020-10-07|website=meduza.io|title=Life News подтвердил массовое увольнение сотрудников }}</ref> In 2015, News Media cut around 15 to 17 percent of the employees of LifeNews.<ref>bloombergview 23 January 2015 [http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-01-23/putin-s-propaganda-industry-tightens-its-belt putins propaganda industry]</ref>
In late 2016, LifeNews announced that they were removing journalists from their transmissions, and switching to a 'streaming' format. On August 18, 2017, the channel announced its closure, and stopped broadcasting. According to the strategy of the holding company News Media, they would in future focus on extended streaming on the Internet and social networks, to replace 'outmoded' TV broadcasting.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Источник: 18 августа телеканал Life работает последний день|url=https://tass.ru/ekonomika/4491588|access-date=2020-10-08|website=ТАСС}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Life уведомил операторов о своем закрытии|url=https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/18/08/2017/5997065b9a7947b934a37134|access-date=2020-10-08|website=РБК|date=18 August 2017 |language=ru}}</ref><ref>[https://www.svoboda.org/a/28684374.html TV channel Life stops broadcasting, all the employees will be fired]</ref> As such, LifeNews is defunct.
=== Internet publication Life.ru === In 2009 the internet publication of LifeNews.ru was launched.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Life |url=https://www.eurotopics.net/en/177298/life |access-date=2020-09-30 |website=Eurotopics |language=en}}</ref> At the same time the projects LifeSports and LifeShowbiz of the news media holding company were launched, which were both closed in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-08-19|title=Пропагандистський канал остаточно зник з ефіру|url=https://www.volyn.com.ua/news/83929-propagandistskiy-kanal-ostatochno-znik-z-efiru.html|access-date=2020-09-30|website=www.volyn.com.ua}}</ref> Life.ru News Media, which controlled the domain of Life.ru, had the following owners: 75% of shares was owned by a closed fund "Media+", which was associated with the "National Media Group" (NMG), businessman Yuri Kovalchuk, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 25% was controlled by General Director {{Interlanguage link|Aram Gabrelyanov|ru|Габрелянов, Арам Ашотович|hy|Արամ Գաբրելյանով|uk|Габрелянов Арам Ашотович}}. In 2018 Gabrelyanov announced his retirement from life.ru; according to Meduza and project publications because of a tense relationship with First Deputy Presidential Administration Alexei Gromov and the NMG management.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://meduza.io/feature/2018/09/20/vliyatelnye-lyudi-kotorye-nachinayut-davit|access-date=2020-09-30|website=meduza.io|title=Влиятельные люди, которые начинают давить Как Арам Габрелянов покинул «Лайф», а потом вернулся — и при чем тут Ковальчуки и Кремль. Расследование «Медузы» }}</ref>
In 2016 LifeNews.ru was renamed as life.ru<ref>{{Cite web|title=Телеканал Life прекращает работу. Что стало с медиа-империей Арама Габрелянова|url=https://www.znak.com/2017-08-18/telekanal_life_prekrachaet_rabotu_chto_stalo_s_media_imperiey_arama_gabrelyanova|access-date=2020-09-30|website=www.znak.com|archive-date=2021-02-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218161758/https://www.znak.com/2017-08-18/telekanal_life_prekrachaet_rabotu_chto_stalo_s_media_imperiey_arama_gabrelyanova|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was planned as Russian equivalent of Buzzfeed.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Арам Габрелянов запустит аналог Buzzfeed|url=https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/19/01/2016/569d11fa9a794776343dcd9c|access-date=2020-09-30|website=РБК|date=19 January 2016 |language=ru}}</ref>
The new project merged the former LifeNews and Super websites.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://meduza.io/news/2016/04/18/lifenews-i-super-ru-ob-edinilis-v-layf|access-date=2020-10-01|website=meduza.io|title=Lifenews и Super.ru объединились в «Лайф» }}</ref>
On September 17, 2018, Suleymanov and Life.ru editor-in-chief Alexander Potapov left the project, with Nikita Magutin (Mash) and Raul Smyr (LifeCorr) leaving at the same time. Aram Gabrelyanov returned to News Media as General Director, with Arseniy Hovhannisyan becoming the new Chief Editor of Life.ru, who previously held a similar position at Izvestia.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Кашеварова|first=Анастасия|date=2018-09-17|title=Из "Лайфа" и Mash ушло все руководство|url=https://dailystorm.ru/news/iz-layfa-i-mash-ushlo-vse-rukovodstvo|access-date=2020-10-01|website=Daily Storm|language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Проекты Mash и Life.ru одновременно покинули все руководители|url=https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/17/09/2018/5b9fdb869a7947289032da7c|access-date=2020-10-01|website=РБК|date=17 September 2018 |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Фролов|first=Андрей|date=2018-09-17|title=Руководители Life, Mash и News Media одновременно объявили об уходе из своих проектов — Медиа на vc.ru|url=https://vc.ru/media/45912-rukovoditeli-life-mash-i-news-media-odnovremenno-obyavili-ob-uhode-iz-svoih-proektov|access-date=2020-10-01|website=vc.ru}}</ref>
== Radio Life Sound == On July 1, 2013, Aram Gabrelyanov, the owner of Life, became the General Director of the radio station "Russian News Service" (RNS), which had been set up in 2001. On July 4, 2016, as part of the reorganization of the Life brand, RSN was renamed as Life Sound.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Фролов|first=Андрей|date=2016-07-04|title=Радиостанция "Русская служба новостей" переименовалась в "Life #звук" — Офтоп на vc.ru|url=https://vc.ru/flood/16666-life-zvuk|access-date=2020-10-13|website=vc.ru}}</ref> On August 14, 2017, the radio station stopped broadcasting.<ref name=":1" />
== Ownership == Life is owned by general director Aram Gabrelyanov. The Gabrelyanovs operate in different sectors of Russian life from showbusiness to the security services. According to an article in ''The Moscow Times'' an influence on their recent success has been loyalty to the Kremlin. "The father, Aram Gabrelyanov, refers to President Vladimir Putin as the "father of the nation". One of Putin's oldest friends spent $80 million to become a key shareholder in the Gabrelyanovs' holding company, News Media, providing it with a flood of cash for investment.'<ref name="mt13" /><ref>{{Cite web|title = The tabloid king who shapes how Russians sees the world|url = http://mashable.com/2015/06/16/lifenews-mastermind/|website = Mashable|access-date = 2015-06-16|first = Christopher |last = Miller |date=June 16, 2015}}</ref>
==Criticism== LifeNews is notable for a servile attitude toward the Kremlin and a proximity to the Russian security services.<ref name="mt13">{{cite news|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/kremlin-helps-media-moguls-expand/488181.html|title=Kremlin Helps Media Moguls Expand|date=October 21, 2013|work=The Moscow Times|access-date=5 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://mashable.com/2015/05/01/russia-lifenews-founder-loves-nyc/|title=Russia's pro-Putin media darling loves his new life in Brooklyn — minus the hipsters|last=Miller|first=Christopher|date=May 2, 2015|work=Mashable|access-date=4 November 2015}}</ref>
While broadcasting news about events during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, LifeNews was derided for claiming to have found the business card of Dmytro Yarosh at the site of a battle in the Donbas. Ukrainians quickly created an internet meme called the ''Yarosh business card'' ({{langx|uk|Визитка Яроша|Vyzytka Yarosha}}) and called the reporting "propaganda worse than that of Nazi Germany".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150126035909/http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201404211938-0023657 Ukrainians turn Russian 'evidence' into meme]. Al Jazeera. 21 April 2014</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150126040037/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/20/us-ukraine-crisis-slaviansk-clash-idUSBREA3J0FS20140420 Mystery gunfight in east Ukraine sparks blame, counter-blame]. Reuters. 20 April 2014</ref><ref>{{cite news |date= April 21, 2014 |title= 'Yarosh's business card' sparks new Internet meme |newspaper= Kyiv Post|url= https://www.kyivpost.com/multimedia/photo/yaroshs-business-card-kremlin-propaganda-spawns-a-new-internet-meme-344412.html/ |archive-date= April 21, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140421141310/https://www.kyivpost.com/multimedia/photo/yaroshs-business-card-kremlin-propaganda-spawns-a-new-internet-meme-344412.html/ | access-date= August 25, 2022 |url-status= dead }}</ref> When the number on the card was called, it reached an unaffiliated elderly woman, casting further doubts on the claims of LifeNews.<ref>[http://korrespondent.net/ukraine/3673500-vyzytka-yarosha-okazalas-pravdoi Визитка Яроша оказалась правдой]</ref> In September 2014, the National Television Council of Ukraine banned 15 channels operated by the Kremlin for alleged war propaganda, including Life News.<ref>{{Cite web|title=В Україні заборонили 15 російських телеканалів|url=https://lb.ua/society/2014/09/09/278847_ukraine_zapretili_15_rossiyskih.html|access-date=2020-10-13|website=LB.ua|date=9 September 2014 }}</ref> In September 2014, YouTube blocked the LifeNews video channel due to third-party complaints about copyright infringements.<ref>{{Cite web|title=YouTube заблокировал аккаунт телеканала LifeNews|url=https://tass.ru/obschestvo/1443832|access-date=2020-10-13|website=ТАСС}}</ref>
In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shooting in January 2015, it aired a piece from one of its regular contributors and 'expert political analysts' that said the terrorist attack had been carried out by the US against France in order to further an anti-Russian agenda.<ref name=Vox150108>{{cite web |url= https://www.vox.com/2015/1/8/7514439/charlie-hebdo-russia-cia |title=Major Russian TV network says US intelligence carried out the Charlie Hebdo attack |first= Max |last= Fisher |work= Vox |date= 8 January 2015 }}</ref> These claims were treated as little more than conspiracy theories meant to build pro-Putin support in American media.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/1/8/7514439/charlie-hebdo-russia-cia|title=Major Russian TV network says US intelligence carried out the Charlie Hebdo attack|work=Vox|access-date=2017-09-28}}</ref>
According to the Security Service of Ukraine, it is a paramilitary organization.<ref>[http://24tv.ua/news/showNews.do?lifenews__ne LifeNews are not journalists, but a specific militant formation, SBU]{{dead link|date=May 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. Ukraine 24. 5 July 2014</ref> Andrew Levus, SBU, called members of the LifeNews channel "specific special operations combat units of information".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150126025236/http://24tv.ua/news/showNews.do?lifenews__ne_zhurnalisti_a_konkretniy_boyoviy_pidrozdil__sbu&objectId=461117 LifeNews agents acknowledged that they are not really journalists, - SBU]. Ukrayinska Pravda. 20 May 2014</ref>
== Disinformation campaign == === Famine in Switzerland === During the events of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the stop of Russian gas flow to some European countries, the news portal published an article and a video by the Russian journalist Petrova living in Lausanne claiming Switzerland is preparing for a "winter of hunger". In the video the journalist states that the country could face running out of water and electricity in a couple of days and the suspension of public transport. As evidence she shows the information brochure "Kluger Rat – Notvorrat" by the "Federal Office for National Supply (BWL)" claiming that this was sent to the entire Swiss population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://life.ru/p/1536168|access-date=2022-11-10|title=Россиянка из Швейцарии показала Лайфу гайд по выживанию зимой, который власти рассылают жителям|publisher=Life|website=life.ru|date=2 November 2022 |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Russische Journalistin sieht die Schweiz am Rand einer Hungerkrise|url=https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/russische-journalistin-sieht-die-schweiz-am-rand-einer-hungerkrise-788607240561|date=2022-11-08|access-date=2022-11-12|author=Philippe Reichenaus|publisher=Tages-Anzeiger|website=tagesanzeiger.ch|language=de}}</ref> However the BWL rejects these claims stating that this brochure was printed years before and has nothing to do with the current winter. It also was never sent to the entire Swiss population. After the article was published the journalist published a statement denying the support of any disinformation campaign against Switzerland and that "she was a victim of Russian propaganda herself". She claims a former colleague asked her to make a video about the brochure and she didn't know that the video was released.<ref>{{cite web|title=Russische Journalistin sieht sich als Opfer russischer Propaganda|url=https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/russische-journalistin-sieht-sich-als-opfer-russischer-propaganda-563351946344|date=2022-11-09|access-date=2022-11-10|author=Philippe Reichenaus|publisher=Tages-Anzeiger|website=tagesanzeiger.ch|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iamexpat.ch/expat-info/swiss-expat-news/russian-propaganda-claims-switzerland-headed-famine-winter|website=iamexpat.ch|language=en|title=Russian propaganda claims Switzerland is headed for famine this winter|date=2022-11-09|access-date=2022-11-10}}</ref>
== Awards == * LifeNews television channel ** 2013 Golden Ray ''(ru)'' (Russian national award among non-terrestrial thematic channels broadcast in Russia in Russian only by satellite, cable and Internet operators )— Television Channels: News and Political Journalism category<ref>{{cite news|url=http://izvestia.ru/news/560323|title=Life News получил "Золотой луч"|newspaper=Izvestia|date=2013-11-08|language=ru}}<br />{{cite news|url=http://www.rusnovosti.ru/news/290171/|title=Член жюри конкурса "Золотой луч" назвал телеканал LifeNews самым современным|publisher=РСН|date=2013-11-08|language=ru}}<br />{{cite news|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/what-the-papers-say-nov-11-2013/489335.html|title=What the Papers Say, Nov. 11, 2013|newspaper=The Moscow Times|date=2013-11-12|quote="5. Anna Lyalyakina article headlined "Life News gets 'Golden Ray'" says television channel Life News has won a contest among satellite and internet broadcasters; p 1 (230 words)."}}</ref> ** 2014 Big Digit — Business and News Channel category<ref>{{cite news|url=http://izvestia.ru/news/564864|title=Life News признан лучшим информационно-деловым телеканалом|newspaper=Izvestia|date=2014-01-30|language=ru}}<br />{{cite news|url=http://lenta.ru/news/2014/01/30/bigdigit/|script-title=ru:Премию «Большая цифра» получили «Москва-24» и «Амедиа Премиум»|publisher=Lenta.ru|date=2014-01-30|language=ru}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website}}
{{Television in Russia}}
Category:24-hour television news channels in Russia Category:Defunct television channels in Russia Category:Russian-language television stations Category:Television channels and stations established in 2013 Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2017 Category:Russian news websites Category:2009 establishments in Russia Category:2013 establishments in Russia Category:2017 disestablishments in Russia Category:Russian brands Category:Propaganda in the Russo-Ukrainian war