A State-Aligned Media Collective

A media group composed of at least a half dozen former state-media employees, affiliates, and funding recipients presents as grassroots voices while advancing narratives that align with authoritarian government positions.

state media
information epidemiology
data
FIMI
Authors
Affiliations

E. Rosalie Li, M.A.

Information Epidemiology Lab

Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (’22)

Samantha Kutner, M.A.

Coalition for a Safer Web

Published

January 26, 2026

Abstract
The Sovereign Media Collective is an expanding Kenya-based group of outlets—African Stream, Black Agenda Report, Kawsachun News, Orinoco Tribune, Venezuelanalysis, Qiao Collective, and Vox Ummah—that share a broadly anti-imperialist ideology and align with the position of countries hostile to democratic governments. The groups’s formation was announced on Progressive International’s website on June 20, 2025, two days before African Stream announced it would shut down by July 1, 2025; the collective formally began operations in October 2025. This report examines professional histories, state media affiliations, government relationships, and travel to authoritarian states. We find a recurring pattern in which journalists with prior employment or affiliation with state media organizations—including RT (formerly Russia Today), PressTV, TeleSUR, and CGTN—subsequently produce content through outlets presented as independent. This pattern is consistent with prior research findings, including a 2023 analysis documenting Russian state media employees and affiliates publishing under ostensibly independent bylines, obscuring institutional origins.

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Overview

The Sovereign Media Collective (SMC) presents itself as a coalition of independent, grassroots outlets representing marginalized communities. Available evidence reveals a more complex picture: former state-media affiliates, narrative alignment with authoritarian governments, and prohibitions on criticism of specific favored countries.

Terminology Note: The Collective added two additional outlets since we began this report. They are not included, but we are aware of them. Additionally, our analysis distinguishes between “member outlets” (the seven formally announced members) and the broader “analytical dataset,” which includes Progressive International and the Sovereign Media website, totaling nine sources for network-level analysis.

Outlet names such as Kawsachun (Quechua), Vox Ummah (“voice of the Muslim community”), and African Stream invoke identity and sovereignty while advancing narratives aligned with governments opposed to democratic states.

  • Five of seven SMC member outlets have documented state media connections through former RT (formerly Russia Today), PressTV, TeleSUR, or CGTN employees or contributors, and/or acknowledged government funding.

  • A former Venezuelan diplomat founded one member outlet; the spouse of a former Venezuelan diplomat runs another.

  • One outlet’s editorial policy explicitly prohibits criticism of Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China.

  • Network figures have traveled to Russia, China, Nicaragua, Syria, and Venezuela for conferences, government inaugurations, and official delegations between 2014 and 2025.

  • According to its own reporting, Black Agenda Report (BAR) was the only U.S.-based outlet invited to China’s Belt and Road Journalists Forum in July 2025.

  • The collective launched two days before African Stream’s shutdown, reconstituting shared infrastructure from Nairobi, where African Stream was also based.

Across the examined outlets, we found five features that were common among these outlets. These features appear in different combinations and degrees, and their presence alone does not imply formal coordination.

  • Coverage tends to be consistently favorable toward governments subject to U.S. or E.U. sanctions, including Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. In some cases, this consistency is reinforced by explicit editorial guidance limiting criticism of specific governments, producing predictable defensive framing across stories.

  • A history of financial or institutional relationships recur across the ecosystem. These include publicly disclosed government funding, fiscal sponsorship through intermediary organizations, employment or contributor relationships with state-affiliated media outlets (such as PressTV, RT, and CGTN), and recognition from organizations aligned with sanctioned governments. Taken together, these relationships may shape editorial incentives and boundaries, even absent direct editorial direction.

  • Participation in state-organized or state-facilitated delegations is another common feature. Such travel—documented to destinations including Moscow, Damascus, Nicaragua, China—provides participants with access to official sources and managed environments that are not typically available through independent reporting. This access can confer perceived firsthand authority while constraining the range of observable perspectives.

  • Narrative alignment is evident across outlets, with recurring frames and terminology appearing in coverage of international conflicts and domestic unrest. Conflicts are frequently described using similar constructions (external “proxy wars”), while allegations of state abuse are often framed as exaggerated, fabricated, or politically motivated.

This convergence is reinforced through shared authorship, republishing arrangements, and overlapping networks.

Figure 1: Top 15 narrative themes by prevalence (full time range)

Some outlets have names that emphasize grassroots, popular, or sovereign perspectives. Such presentation can increase audience trust by signaling proximity to social movements, even where reporting closely parallels official state narratives.

Cross-Platform Histories and the Collective

These six individuals have published with at least one SMC member and demonstrate a systematic pattern of multi-state media engagement that extends beyond occasional guest appearances to sustained professional relationships across state-controlled outlets from Iran, Russia, China, and Venezuela. The significance lies not in any single connection, but in the cumulative pattern of access, employment, and narrative alignment across authoritarian media ecosystems.

When These Outlets Were Backlinked

State media backlinks to these outlets appear episodically rather than continuously, clustering around moments of heightened geopolitical salience rather than being distributed evenly over time. These spikes coincide with periods when international narratives are most contested—such as armed conflicts, diplomatic crises, or moments of political stress in Western countries—indicating that amplification is driven by topical relevance rather than sustained editorial interest in the outlets themselves.

The Nature of the Backlinking

The observed pattern reflects selective, reactive amplification rather than long-term citation behavior. State media do not treat these outlets as standing reference sources; instead, individual articles are surfaced when their framing aligns with an immediate narrative need. This produces short bursts of backlinks separated by long gaps, consistent with content-based opportunism rather than evidence of continuous coordination or formal institutional partnerships.

What the Content Looks Like

Articles that attract state media backlinks are typically English-language, outward-facing, and oriented toward international audiences, often advancing critiques of the United States or allied governments. In this context, backlinks function less as conventional source attribution and more as third-party validation, allowing state media to reinforce preferred narratives through nominally independent voices during key news cycles. In the backlink dataset, this signal is rare (about 0.5% of backlinks under the affiliated.csv-based definition).

How Alignment Happens

The recurring alignment between state media and these outlets appears to be enabled by several structural conditions:

  • Editorial orientation: Certain outlets maintain positions that consistently avoid criticism of sanctioned or aligned governments, producing predictable narrative alignment.

  • Financial and professional dependencies: Government funding, employment relationships with state media, or recognition from pro-regime organizations create incentives that can shape editorial boundaries.

  • Delegation and access dynamics: Participation in organized travel or delegations to sanctioned countries—often under host-government control—provides “eyewitness” credibility while constraining information environments.

  • Narrative convergence: Repeated use of shared frames (e.g., “U.S. proxy wars,” “false flag operations”) produces alignment in terminology and interpretation across otherwise distinct outlets.

This interactive view is designed for exploration (zoom, pan, hover, search). To keep the graph readable and functional, it is restricted to high-connectivity bridge domains.

Figure 2: Interactive domain–source network (filtered to high-connectivity bridge domains)

Examining the Collective

African Stream: An RT Operation According to the State Department

On September 13, 2024, Secretary of State Antony Blinken publicly stated that African Stream is “secretly run by RT” and “secretly funded by Russia.”1 Within hours, the Kenya-based outlet was deplatformed from YouTube, Meta, and TikTok—losing 460,000 YouTube subscribers, 839,000 Instagram followers, and 99,000 Facebook followers. Nine months later, on June 22, 2025, African Stream announced it would shut down, citing financial collapse following deplatforming.2

The Stanford Internet Observatory’s September 2024 report, “African Stream: Russia’s Latest Covert Influence Pipeline,” documented that CEO Ahmed Kaballo worked for seven years at Iran’s PressTV as a presenter and journalist and served as a “political analyst” for RT. Stanford identified six additional staff members with state media backgrounds:3

  • Chicago-based reporter currently working for CGTN (China) with TRT (Turkey) experience.
  • Washington, DC, reporter with more than two years at RT
  • Kenya-based reporter formerly at CGTN
  • Nigerian reporter who freelanced for RT, TRT, and Radio France Internationale
  • Zambian reporter previously with TeleSUR (Venezuela-funded)

Venezuelanalysis: Husband of Former Venezuelan Diplomat Founded with State Funding

In 2007, founder Gregory Wilpert acknowledged that the site received funding from Venezuela’s Ministry of Culture.4 Wilpert served as Director of TeleSUR English programming from March 2014 to September 2015, directly managing Venezuela’s state media English operations from Quito, Ecuador.5

His wife, Carol Delgado Arria, has held multiple Venezuelan diplomatic posts: Consul General in New York (2008-2014), Ambassador to Ecuador (2014-2018, expelled in diplomatic dispute), and currently Consul General in Funchal, Portugal (2023-present, ambassador rank).6

Orinoco Tribune: Founded by Former Venezuelan Diplomat

Founder Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza served as Venezuelan Consul General in Chicago for several years before founding the outlet in 2018. He was also part of aporrea.org’s foundational editorial team.7

The outlet’s About page explicitly states editorial policy prohibiting criticism of specific states:

“We will reject all content which replicates smear campaigns, imperialist narratives regarding Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Russia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), People’s Republic of China, and many other countries which have not bowed to the U.S. global dictatorship.”8

Rodríguez-Espinoza could also be found on Chinese state media as recently as January 2026.9

Kawsachun News: Union Federation Media with State Media Staff

Kawsachun News emerged “in May 2019 at the height of the struggle against the U.S.-backed coup,” according to its website.10 Major international media described the event as a coup that led to the removal of Morales in 2019, though it did not specify that the United States was to blame.11

Co-founder Camila Escalante was a presenter and anchor at TeleSUR English for several years and has been a PressTV Latin America correspondent since 2021.12 Co-founder Ollie Vargas has contributed to MintPress News, The Grayzone, and red. media, an RT subsidiary that the European Union shut down.13

Black Agenda Report: State Media Appearances and State-Sponsored Events

While BAR has no documented direct state funding, its editors maintain relationships with state media and government-aligned organizations. Executive Editor Margaret Kimberley has been a regular guest on RT’s CrossTalk program and has appeared on CGTN, PressTV, and Al Mayadeen.14

BAR editors have participated in state-sponsored delegations to Russia, Nicaragua, and China between 2014 and 2025. These trips have included a Moscow conference hosted by the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia,15 election observation and inauguration attendance in Nicaragua through the Black Alliance for Peace,16 and multiple visits to China hosted by the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE).17 In July 2025, according to BAR, it was the only U.S.-based outlet among 100 media representatives invited to China’s Belt and Road Journalists Forum.18

Qiao Collective: Anonymous Operation Aligned with Beijing

Qiao Collective has not disclosed its governance structure, full membership, or funding sources. When The Nation inquired in 2022, the collective declined to identify any individual members by name or explain how it is governed.19

Despite this opacity, Charles Xu has been publicly identified as a member. At a December 2020 CODEPINK-People’s Forum panel, Xu spoke on behalf of the organization, stating: “I’d like to start by thanking the People’s Forum for organizing this event, and by positioning ourselves as Qiao Collective.”20 Xu is a physics PhD student and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.21

Xu has author pages on Globetrotter Media and People’s Dispatch, both projects of the Tricontinental Institute directed by Vijay Prashad.22 No state media employment has been documented.

The collective consistently promotes Beijing’s positions on Xinjiang, framing international condemnation as Western disinformation.23 On Hong Kong, Qiao has framed the protests as U.S.-backed and linked to NED influence rather than a homegrown democratic movement.24 On Taiwan, Qiao promotes Beijing’s “One China” policy and characterizes cross-strait tensions as U.S. provocation.25

Vox Ummah: Muslim Anti-Imperialist Platform

Vox Ummah is a Muslim and Islamic anti-imperialist media and analysis platform, at least partially founded by James “Fergie” Cox-Chambers Jr. per his public statements.26 Its stated mission is to center “imperialism” as a major global injustice and to provide reporting and commentary aligned with that worldview.

Contributor Shabbir Rizvi writes for PressTV (Iran’s English-language state broadcaster),27 Al Mayadeen (a Lebanese outlet aligned with Hezbollah),28 and Liberation News (the newspaper of the Party for Socialism and Liberation).29

Travel and State Relationships

Documented trips to authoritarian states reveal sustained engagement with governments facing Western sanctions, combining conference appearances, state media interviews, and meetings with officials.

Russia

  • December 2014: The Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia (AGM), led by Alexander Ionov, hosted the conference “Right of Peoples to Self-Determination and Building a Multipolar World” in Moscow. A five-member United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) delegation attended and addressed the conference, with members giving interviews to Russian media and meeting with Palestinian Ambassador Dr. Fa’ed Mustafa at the Palestinian Embassy.30 Oleg Tsarev (Speaker, Parliament of Novorossia) and Alexander Kofman (Foreign Minister, Donetsk People’s Republic) also attended. Margaret Kimberley, with Black Agenda Report, attended the event.

China

Network figures have made delegation visits to China hosted by the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE), which operates under the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, or Friends of Socialist China, an international socialist coalition that aligns with the Chinese state (republishing content from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for example).31

  • November 2023: Danny Haiphong visited Xinjiang with the “China Is Not Our Enemy” delegation, subsequently publishing content disputing genocide allegations.32

  • April 2024: Friends of Socialist China delegation visited Beijing, Zhejiang, and Jilin. Participants included Danny Haiphong, Margaret Kimberley (BAR), and Fiona Sim (Black Liberation Alliance).33

  • May–June 2025: A CNIE-hosted delegation traveled to Xi’an, Yan’an, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, and Shanghai, attending the Fourth Dialogue on Exchanges and Mutual Learning Among Civilisations. Delegates met with Vice President Han Zheng and IDCPC Minister Liu Jianchao.34 Participating organizations included: Friends of Socialist China, Progressive International, Black Alliance for Peace, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Communist Party of Britain, Workers World, and Bronx Anti-War Coalition.

  • July 2025: Margaret Kimberley attended the Belt and Road Journalists Forum in Jiangxi Province; Black Agenda Report stated that is was the only U.S.-based outlet among 100 invited media representatives.35

Nicaragua

  • November 2021: Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) sent election observers, including Margaret Kimberley. Camila Escalante (Kawsachun News) also attended.36

  • January 2022: Margaret Kimberley of Black Agenda Report attended Daniel Ortega’s inauguration.37

  • July 2022: Members of a delegation affiliated with Black Agenda Report and the Alliance for Global Justice attended events in Nicaragua marking the July 17–19 anniversaries of the Sandinista Revolution, including public celebrations and speeches by President Daniel Ortega.38

  • July 2023: Ahmed Kaballo (African Stream, PressTV) produced a documentary countering “Western” media coverage of the Sandinista government.39

Syria

  • September 2019: The Syrian government hosted the 3rd International Trade Union Forum on Breaking Economic Sanctions. U.S. attendees included Max Blumenthal and Anya Parampil (The Grayzone), Ajamu Baraka (Black Alliance for Peace), Rania Khalek (Redfish and BreakThrough Media), and members of the Syria Solidarity Movement.40

Venezuela

  • February 2025: A coalition including Friends of Socialist China, Orinoco Tribune, Kawsachun News, and the International Manifesto Group organized a delegation for Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration.41

State Media

State Media Employment and Regular Appearances

Several figures within the Sovereign Media Collective maintain ongoing professional relationships with state-controlled media outlets from Russia, China, and Iran. These relationships range from formal employment to regular contributor status and recurring guest appearances.

Documented employment relationships establish direct institutional ties:

  • Camila Escalante has served as PressTV’s Latin America correspondent since 2021, while also producing content for Kawsachun News.42
  • Ahmed Kaballo worked at PressTV for seven years prior to founding African Stream and has been described as a political analyst for RT.43

Several figures appear repeatedly across state media platforms in varying capacities:

  • Margaret Kimberley appears on RT programming (including CrossTalk) and has appeared on CGTN and Al Mayadeen.44
  • Danny Haiphong has authored commentary for CGTN and Beijing Review and has circulated remarks described as delivered to a UN Security Council session in August 2023.45
  • Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza appeared on CGTN as recently as January 2026.46

Shared Infrastructure

The Sovereign Media Collective was publicly announced via Progressive International (PI), which published the initial statement on June 20, 2025, ahead of the collective’s operational launch on October 1, 2025.47 Before the SMC announcement, PI listed Qiao Collective and Black Agenda Report as media partners, indicating pre-existing relationships.48

The collective operates from Nairobi as a shared services hub providing training, strategic media support, content production, and pre-packaged “strategic messaging kits” to member outlets.49 This is the same location out of which African Stream operated.50 This centralized infrastructure enables resource pooling and continuity following platform enforcement or deplatforming actions. Individuals associated with the network have also received recognition from pro-Assad organizations, further situating the collective’s operational ecosystem within authoritarian-aligned political networks.51

Examples of Aligned Content

The relationships documented above (employment histories, funding, delegation travel, and shared infrastructure) are reflected in editorial output. Across outlets, documented abuses are frequently framed as “Western propaganda” while state narratives are presented as authentic grassroots perspectives.

China: Systematic Defense of Beijing’s Positions

  • Xinjiang: Qiao Collective systematically disputes Uyghur genocide allegations and frames criticism of Beijing’s policies as imperialist slander and U.S.-led propaganda, directing readers to its “Attacks on Xinjiang” reference hub and related materials.52

  • Hong Kong: Qiao Collective portrays the 2019-2020 pro-democracy movement as U.S.-backed—linking it to National Endowment for Democracy (NED) influence and framing it as serving U.S. imperialist interests rather than a homegrown democratic movement.53

  • Taiwan: Qiao promotes Beijing’s “One China” policy and characterizes Taiwan’s democratic institutions as illegitimate, treating cross-strait tensions as the result of U.S. provocation rather than Chinese military threats and diplomatic coercion.54

Russia/Ukraine: Dismissing Invasion and War Crimes

  • Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Black Agenda Report has characterized Russia’s 2022 invasion as a “U.S. proxy war,” echoing Kremlin talking points that NATO expansion justified military intervention.55 Coverage minimizes documented war crimes, civilian targeting, and evidence of systematic atrocities in occupied territories.56

  • MH17 False Flag Claims: Ajamu Baraka called the 2014 MH17 shootdown—which killed 298 civilians and was attributed by the Joint Investigation Team to Russian-backed separatists—a “false flag” operation.57

  • Novorossiya Support: Network figures have participated in Moscow conferences supporting “Novorossiya” (New Russia), an irredentist concept used to justify Russian territorial claims in eastern Ukraine.58

Syria: Casting Doubt on Assad’s War Crimes

  • Damascus Forum Participation: In September 2019, Ajamu Baraka traveled to Damascus for the 3rd International Trade Union Forum in Solidarity with Workers and People to Break the Economic Sanctions, an event hosted by the Syrian government.59 Baraka attended the same event as Max Blumenthal and Rania Khalek, both of whom have denied or minimized evidence of Assad’s use of chemical weapons, barrel bombs, and systematic torture.60

  • Awards from Pro-Assad Organizations: Both Baraka and Gregory Wilpert (Venezuelanalysis founder) have received awards from pro-Assad organizations.61 Baraka has been described by Syrian opposition activists as “an apologist for Assad’s genocidal regime” for dismissing evidence of war crimes.62

  • Dismissing Chemical Weapons Evidence: Network coverage frequently frames documented chemical weapons attacks as “false flags” or “unproven allegations,” despite extensive verification by the OPCW and UN.63

Iran: Defending the Islamic Republic

  • PressTV Connections: Multiple network figures have extensive employment histories with PressTV, Iran’s state-controlled English-language network. Ahmed Kaballo worked at PressTV as a presenter/journalist, while Camila Escalante has served as PressTV’s Latin America correspondent since 2021.64

Nicaragua: Legitimizing Authoritarian Consolidation

  • Election Observation: Black Alliance for Peace sent delegates to observe Nicaragua’s 2021 elections.65 The Organization of American States adopted a resolution criticizing the elections and urging further action.66

  • Inauguration Attendance: The 2022 inauguration delegation met with officials from multiple sanctioned regimes.67

Footnotes

  1. Blinken, Antony J. “Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks to the Press.” U.S. Department of State, September 13, 2024. web.archive.org/web/20250301001801/https://2021-2025.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-remarks-to-the-press-29/↩︎

  2. Empire Watch. “Ahmed Kaballo: Africa Stream Challenged Power, Amplified Africa. Empire Shut It Down.” YouTube, October 9, 2025. youtube.com/watch?v=wnbbdW0sjTQ↩︎

  3. Grossman, Shelby, and David Thiel. “African Stream: Russia’s Latest Covert Influence Pipeline Targeting Africa.” Stanford Cyber Policy Center, September 17, 2024. cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/news/african-stream

    PressTV. (2024, September 22). Prospect for new Africa with Ahmed Kaballo [Image]. PressTV; PressTV. presstv.ir/Detail/2024/09/22/733728/Prospect-for-a-New-Africa-with-Ahmed-Kaballo↩︎

  4. Nelson, B. (2011, July 7). Response to the Venezuelan Government’s Attacks on The Silence and the Scorpion. Brian Nelson - Author. brianandrewnelson.com/RebuttalWilpertReview.html

    Rohter, L. (2010, June 26). Oliver Stone’s Latin America. The New York Times. nytimes.com/2010/06/26/movies/26stone.html↩︎

  5. Torres, Jeanfreddy Gutiérrez. “Portals of Lies: The International Swarm of ‘Independent Media’ at the Service of Chavista Narratives.” ProBox, March 24, 2023. proboxve.org/en/2023/03/24/portales-de-la-mentira-como-es-el-enjambre-internacional-de-medios-independientes-al-servicio-de-las-narrativas-chavistas-2/↩︎

  6. Nelson, B. (2011, July 7). Response to the Venezuelan Government’s Attacks on The Silence and the Scorpion. Brian Nelson - Author. brianandrewnelson.com/RebuttalWilpertReview.html↩︎

  7. Rodríguez-Espinoza, Jesús et al. “About Us.” Orinoco Tribune. orinocotribune.com/about-us-draft/↩︎

  8. Rodríguez-Espinoza, Jesús et al. “About Us.” Orinoco Tribune. orinocotribune.com/about-us-draft/↩︎

  9. CGTN (Director). (2026). Venezuelan journalist recounts how the attacks unfolded in Caracas [Broadcast]. In CGTN. news.cgtn.com/news/2026-01-03/Venezuelan-journalist-recounts-how-the-attacks-unfolded-in-Caracas-1JDpuORJ4mQ/p.html↩︎

  10. About. (2019). Kawsachun News. kawsachunnews.com/about-us↩︎

  11. Bjork-James, C. (2024). Tactics of Political Violence in the 2019 Bolivian Crisis: Return of the Catastrophic Stalemate? Bolivian Studies Journal, 188–226. doi.org/10.5195/bsj.2024.320

    Bolivian army chief urges Morales to step down. (2019, November 10). BBC News. bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50369591

    Bolivia’s Evo Morales flees “coup” for exile in Mexico and leaves chaos in his wake today. (2019, November 12). CBS News. cbsnews.com/news/bolivia-evo-morales-flees-coup-exile-mexico-leaves-chaos-in-his-wake-today-2019-11-12/

    Fain, E., Issaev, L., & Korotayev, A. (2024). Coupvolution as a Mechanism of Regime Change in the Sahel. In J. Besenyő, L. Issaev, & A. Korotayev (Eds.), Terrorism and Political Contention: New Perspectives on North Africa and the Sahel Region (pp. 133–150). Springer Nature Switzerland. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53429-4_7↩︎

  12. PressTV. Camila Escalante. PressTV. Retrieved from presstv.ir/aboutus/details/102↩︎

  13. Vargas, Ollie. The Funambulist Network profile. April 29, 2020. thefunambulist.net/network/ollie-vargas

    MintPress News. (2025, July 10). Latin America Rising, with Ollie Vargas [Video recording]. youtube.com/watch?v=Ki5H9xtO7PU

    Parampil, A., & Norton, B. (2020, October 22). How Bolivia fights fascism – It takes more than the ballot box—The Grayzone. thegrayzone.com/2020/10/21/bolivia-fascism-coup-election/

    Vargas, O. Oliver Vargas, Author at red. Media. Red. Media. Retrieved from thered.stream/author/olvvags/

    Vargas, O. Ollie Vargas Archives. Peoples Dispatch. Retrieved from peoplesdispatch.org/tag/ollie-vargas/↩︎

  14. Al Mayadeen English [MayadeenEnglish]. (2025, February 5). In an interview for #AlMayadeen, Margaret Kimberley, Executive Editor and Senior Columnist at Black Agenda Report, described USAID as a dual-purpose agency; providing aid while acting as an arm of U.S. intelligence to serve its geopolitical interests. Citing Syria as a prime t.co/WMkF5nrOWA [Tweet]. Twitter. x.com/MayadeenEnglish/status/1887060306473504789

    Kimberley, M. (2022, August 15). Racism in the U.S. [Patreon]. Patreon. patreon.com/posts/racism-in-u-s-70551391

    Kimberley, M. (2018, April 14). Margaret Kimberley on Presstv [Youtube]. web.archive.org/web/20190422001905/youtube.com/watch?v=LxlcLYAr1wc. youtube.com/watch?v=LxlcLYAr1wc

    On Contact: The Black Agenda. (2021. RT International. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from rt.com/shows/on-contact/542630-ajamu-baraka-radical-black-press/

    Progressive International. (2025, June 27). Report: Delegation to China, May-June 2025 [Blog]. Report from the CNIE Delegation to Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, and Shanghai in China.; Progressive International. progressive.international/movement/article/2025-06-27-report-delegation-to-china-may-june-2025/en/↩︎

  15. Dores, Bill. “Moscow Conference Stands with Novorossiya, Palestine and Black America.” Workers World, January 2015. workers.org/2015/01/17910/↩︎

  16. Black Alliance For Peace. “BAP Remarks at Nicaragua Electoral Companion Press Conference.” November 12, 2021. blackallianceforpeace.com/bapstatements/2021/11/12/remarks-at-electoral-companion-press-conference

    Kimberly, Margaret. “Nicaragua in the Multipolar World.” Black Agenda Report, January 12, 2022. blackagendareport.com/nicaragua-multipolar-world↩︎

  17. Friends of Socialist China. “Report: Delegation to China, May-June 2025.” July 9, 2025. socialistchina.org/2025/07/09/report-delegation-to-china-may-june-2025/↩︎

  18. Kimberly, Margaret. “Black Agenda Report At the Belt and Road Journalism Forum in China.” Black Agenda Report, July 23, 2025. blackagendareport.com/black-agenda-report-belt-and-road-journalism-forum-china↩︎

  19. Klion, David. “What Should the Left Do About China?” The Nation, January 2022. thenation.com/article/world/china-left-foreign-policy/↩︎

  20. CODEPINK. “CODEPINK Co-Founder Jodie Evans Speaks with Charles Xu from @qiaocollective and @NoColdWar…” X (formerly Twitter), May 2025. x.com/codepink/status/1927507784062435407

    Xiao, Sheila; Evans, Jodie; Sperling, Erik; Chow, Tobita; Xu, Charles; Hurley, Molly. “Teach-In: U.S. Aggression on China: What Can We Do.” The People’s Forum, December 2020. peoplesforum.org/events/teach-in-us-aggression-on-china-what-can-we-do/↩︎

  21. Cal Tech. “Cal Tech Educational Profiles” (Charles Xu, Graduate Student, Preskill Group). IQIM, 2016. iqim.caltech.edu/profile/charles-xu/↩︎

  22. Xu, Charles. Author pages.

    Peoples Dispatch: peoplesdispatch.org/author/charles-xu/

    Globetrotter Media: globetrotter.media/author/charles-xu/↩︎

  23. Hioe, Brian. “The Qiao Collective and Left Diasporic Chinese Nationalism.” New Bloom Magazine, June 22, 2020. newbloommag.net/2020/06/22/qiao-collective-nationalism/↩︎

  24. Qiao Collective. Hong Kong framing statements.

    Qiao Collective (@qiaocollective). “We must resist the Western left’s attempts…” X (formerly Twitter), May 2020. x.com/qiaocollective/status/1266404928056168449

    QiaoCollective. “Behind the Molotovs and protest art…” Facebook Reel, 2025. facebook.com/reel/1601113461264532↩︎

  25. Qiao Collective. “Taiwan: An Anti-Imperialist Resource.” 2024. qiaocollective.com/education/taiwan↩︎

  26. Vox Ummah. “About.” voxummah.com/about/

    Fergie Chambers[@jccfergie]. (2025, March 28). Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem I’m really proud to have played a small part in creating this exciting project: @VoxUmmah a new online media platform dedicated to promoting a message of Muslim Anti-Imperialism, launching today! Please follow and share! [Tweet]. Twitter. x.com/jccfergie/status/1905637357895774266↩︎

  27. Rizvi, Shabbir. “Policy of Erasure: UN Marks ‘Genocide Prevention Day’ by Unmarking Gaza and Sudan.” PressTV, December 10, 2025. presstv.ir/Detail/2025/12/10/760391/policy-erasure-un-marks-genocide-prevention-day-unmarking-gaza-sudan↩︎

  28. Al Mayadeen English. “Shabbir Rizvi” author profile. english.almayadeen.net/authors/shabbir-rizvi↩︎

  29. Rizvi, Shabbir. “Guantánamo Bay: 21 Years of Crimes Against Humanity.” Liberation News, February 6, 2023. liberationnews.org/guantanamo-bay-21-years-of-crimes-against-humanity/↩︎

  30. Dores, Bill. “Moscow Conference Stands with Novorossiya, Palestine and Black America.” Workers World, January 2015. workers.org/2015/01/17910/

    Lombardo, J. Report on UNAC’s trip to Russia. NEPAJAC, 2015. nepajac.org/rusrpt1.html

    Iosbaker, J. “U.S. anti-war activists in Moscow, meet with Palestinian ambassador to Russia.” Fight Back! News, 2014. fightbacknews.org/articles/us-anti-war-activists-moscow-meet-palestinian-ambassador-russia↩︎

  31. Martinez, C. (2024, May 6). Delegates from Britain, Ireland and the US learn about the past, present and future of Socialist China [Blog]. Friends of Socialist China. https://socialistchina.org/2024/05/06/delegates-from-britain-ireland-and-the-us-learn-about-the-past-present-and-future-of-socialist-china/

    Friends of Socialist China. (2025, July 9). Report: Delegation to China, May-June 2025 [Blog]. Friends of Socialist China. https://socialistchina.org/2025/07/09/report-delegation-to-china-may-june-2025/

    Friends of Socialist China. (2025, September 9). BRICS countries seek common stand on ‘tariff wars.’ Friends of Socialist China. https://socialistchina.org/2025/09/09/brics-countries-seek-common-stand-on-tariff-wars/

    Delegations Archives. (2025, October 24). Friends of Socialist China. https://socialistchina.org/category/delegations/↩︎

  32. Haiphong, Danny. “I Witnessed Xinjiang.” Friends of Socialist China, November 2023.↩︎

  33. Martinez, C. “Delegates from Britain, Ireland and the U.S. learn about the past, present and future of Socialist China.” Friends of Socialist China, 2024. socialistchina.org/2024/05/06/delegates-from-britain-ireland-and-the-us-learn-about-the-past-present-and-future-of-socialist-china/

    Friends of Socialist China. China Proves That a New World Is Possible! Delegates Report Back from China, 2024.↩︎

  34. Friends of Socialist China. “Delegates from Britain and the U.S. build friendship with China.” June 2025. socialistchina.org/2025/06/11/delegates-from-britain-and-the-us-build-friendship-with-china/

    Progressive International. “Report: Delegation to China, May-June 2025.” June 2025. progressive.international/movement/article/2025-06-27-report-delegation-to-china-may-june-2025/en/↩︎

  35. Kimberley, Margaret. “Black Agenda Report At the Belt and Road Journalism Forum in China.” Black Agenda Report, July 23, 2025. blackagendareport.com/black-agenda-report-belt-and-road-journalism-forum-china↩︎

  36. Black Alliance For Peace. “BAP Remarks at Nicaragua Electoral Companion Press Conference.” November 12, 2021. blackallianceforpeace.com/bapstatements/2021/11/12/remarks-at-electoral-companion-press-conference↩︎

  37. Kimberley, Margaret. “Nicaragua in the Multipolar World.” Black Agenda Report, January 12, 2022. blackagendareport.com/nicaragua-multipolar-world

    President Ortega’s reelection shows, Nicaraguan people see a bright future. (2022, January 19). Workers World. workers.org/2022/01/61228/↩︎

  38. Kimberley, M. (2022). NicaNotes: Celebrating Revolution in Nicaragua [Tumblr]. Alliance for Global Justice. afgj.org/nicanotes-07-28-2022↩︎

  39. Kaballo, Ahmed. Nicaragua documentary, July 2023.↩︎

  40. Admin. (2019, September 8). 3rd International Trade Union Forum kicks off in solidarity with Syrian people and workers. Syrian Arab News Agency. https://archive.sana.sy/en/?p=172926

    Harris, R. D. (2019). On the Road to Damascus: International Conference in Syria on Sanctions and Its Blowback. https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/09/on-the-road-to-damascus-international-conference-in-syria-on-sanctions-and-its-blowback/

    Lucas, S. (2019, September). A Syrian Refugee: The Western “Tourists” Whitewashing the Assad Regime and My Country. https://eaworldview.com/2019/09/a-syrian-refugee-the-western-tourists-whitewashing-the-assad-regime-and-my-country/

    Johnson, Max. “Tyranny’s Mouthpiece.” Quillette, October 26, 2019. quillette.com/2019/10/26/tyrannys-mouthpiece/

    Khalek, Rania. “Syria chemical attacks: Smoke and mirrors, truth and lies.” June 24, 2018. raniakhalek.com/4835-2/↩︎

  41. International Manifesto Group. “Maduro’s Inauguration in 2025.” January 21, 2025. internationalmanifesto.org/defending-the-bolivarian-revolution-delegates-report-back-from-venezuela/↩︎

  42. PressTV. Camila Escalante. PressTV. Retrieved from presstv.ir/aboutus/details/102↩︎

  43. Grossman, Shelby, and David Thiel. “African Stream: Russia’s Latest Covert Influence Pipeline Targeting Africa.” Stanford Cyber Policy Center, September 17, 2024. cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/news/african-stream↩︎

  44. Al Mayadeen English. Margaret Kimberley appearances. english.almayadeen.net/

    RT. CrossTalk episode page (example). Rumble, 2024. rumble.com/v5j4oft-crosstalk-october-surprise.html

    CGTN. “Academics and activists join forces to prevent ‘new Cold War’” (Margaret Kimberley). newseu.cgtn.com/news/2020-07-26/Academics-and-activists-join-forces-to-prevent-new-Cold-War–SqolkmNkT6/index.html

    Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish). (2025, February 5). In an interview for #AlMayadeen, Margaret Kimberley, Executive Editor and Senior Columnist at Black Agenda Report, described USAID as a dual-purpose agency; providing aid while acting as an arm of U.S. intelligence to serve its geopolitical interests. Citing Syria as a prime t.co/WMkF5nrOWA [Tweet]. Twitter. x.com/MayadeenEnglish/status/1887060306473504789

    Friends of Socialist China. (2022, March 26). Margaret Kimberley: Countries struggling against U.S. domination are inevitably turning to China. Friends of Socialist China. socialistchina.org/2022/03/26/margaret-kimberley-countries-struggling-against-us-domination-are-inevitably-turning-to-china/

    Friends of Socialist China. (2022, March 26). Margaret Kimberley: Countries struggling against U.S. domination are inevitably turning to China. Friends of Socialist China. socialistchina.org/2022/03/26/margaret-kimberley-countries-struggling-against-us-domination-are-inevitably-turning-to-china/

    Kimberly, M. (2025, December 12). Press Conference Challenging Trump’s Venezuela No Fly Zone [Blog]. Black Agenda Report. blackagendareport.com/press-conference-challenging-trumps-venezuela-no-fly-zone↩︎

  45. CGTN. Danny Haiphong author pages / commentary examples:

    news.cgtn.com/news/2023-05-31/U-S-attempts-to-curb-China-s-development-inevitable-path-to-failure-1kg43njKwIU/index.html

    Beijing Review. Danny Haiphong commentary examples:

    beijingreview.com.cn/Opinion/Voice/202501/t20250123_800390884.html

    No Cold War. “Danny Haiphong: My speech at the UN Security Council” (Aug 2023). newcoldwar.org/danny-haiphong-my-speech-at-the-un-security-council/↩︎

  46. CGTN. “Venezuelan journalist recounts how the attacks unfolded in Caracas.” January 2026. news.cgtn.com/news/2026-01-03/Venezuelan-journalist-recounts-how-the-attacks-unfolded-in-Caracas-1JDpuORJ4mQ/p.html↩︎

  47. Sovereign Media Collective. (2025, June 20). Their Aim Is Silence—Ours Is Truth [Blog]. Progressive International. progressive.international/wire/2025-06-20-their-aim-is-silence–ours-is-truth/en/

    Sovereign Media Collective. (2025, October 1). Sovereign Media on Instagram: “ANTI-IMPERIALIST COALITION SOVEREIGN MEDIA LAUNCHES TODAY Today, We Launch Sovereign Media, an Anti-Imperialist Coalition Bringing Together Voices from the Global South and the Global North Who Refuse to Bow to Censorship or Empire. From Black Agenda Report, Qiao Collective, Kawsachun News, Orinoco Tribune, Venezuelanalysis, Naam, and Vox Ummah, We Are United in One Mission: To Tell the Stories the Mainstream Buries and to Give a Platform to the Struggles of the Oppressed — from Africa to the Americas, Asia to Europe and Beyond. Sovereign Media Is Not Just a Media Project. It Is a Grassroots Effort Born from Progressive Movements, Fighting for Truth, Dignity, and Sovereignty. #AntiImperialism #SovereignMedia #IndependentMedia #GlobalSouthVoices” [Post]. Instagram. instagram.com/sovereign_media_/reel/DPRjt6lCn7i/↩︎

  48. Black Agenda Report. (2025). Progressive International. https://progressive.international/members/878f4baf-0c09-41b2-ac05-008c3c480b1c-black-agenda-report/en/

    Qiao Collective. (2025). Progressive International. https://progressive.international/members/fd819446-abaf-4259-9faf-cdecd68109e7-qiao-collective/en/

    This is world war in slow motion. (2025). Progressive International. https://progressive.international/wire/2025-10-30-this-is-world-war-in-slow-motion/en/↩︎

  49. Sovereign Media Collective. “About Us.” October 1, 2025. sovereignmedia.online/about-us↩︎

  50. Grossman, S., & Thiel, D. (2024, September 17). African Stream: Russia’s Latest Covert Influence Pipeline Targeting Africa [Blog]. Stanford Cyber Policy Center. cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/news/african-stream

    Timothy Osoro. (2025, June 22). Nairobi-Based Media Outlet Announces Its Closure After ‘Censorship’ by U.S.. Kenya Times. thekenyatimes.com/latest-kenya-times-news/nairobi-based-media-outlet-announces-its-closure-after-alleged-censorship-by-us/↩︎

  51. Davis, C. (2019, September 30). Pro-Assad Lobby Group Rewards Bloggers On Both The Left And The Right. Bellingcat. bellingcat.com/news/2019/09/30/pro-assad-lobby-group-rewards-bloggers-on-both-the-left-and-the-right/

    Serena Shim Award. serenashimaward.org

    Serena Shim Award. (2020). BAR Editors Receive Serena Shim Award. Black Agenda Report. blackagendareport.com/bar-editors-receive-serena-shim-award

    Testa, R. G., Jessica. (2013, October 2). The Inside Story Of One Website’s Defense Of Assad. BuzzFeed News. buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/the-inside-story-of-one-websites-defense-of-assad

    Serena Shim Award. (2020). BAR Editors Receive Serena Shim Award. Black Agenda Report. blackagendareport.com/bar-editors-receive-serena-shim-award↩︎

  52. Qiao Collective. “Attacks on Xinjiang.” qiaocollective.com/attacks-on-xinjiang

    Qiao Collective (@qiaocollective). “Check out our Xinjiang report, now updated with separate pages for reference! We have provided reference pages for attacks on Xinjiang, the debate on Xinjiang at the UN, and the response of the people of Xinjiang to imperialist slander.” X (formerly Twitter), April 2021. x.com/qiaocollective/status/1378078830519279617

    Qiao Collective (@qiaocollective). “There’s no doubt U.S. propaganda about Xinjiang, HK, “whistleblowers,” would disappear tomorrow if China removed caps to Western financial ownership… U.S. weaponizes “human rights” to enforce economic vassaldom.” X (formerly Twitter), April 2021. x.com/qiaocollective/status/1385286909568552960↩︎

  53. Qiao Collective. Hong Kong framing statements.

    Qiao Collective (@qiaocollective). “The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions was created by the NED in the 1990s…” X (formerly Twitter), September 2021. x.com/qiaocollective/status/1439780489733234690

    Qiao Collective (@qiaocollective). “We must resist the Western left’s attempts to rebrand the Hong Kong protests…” X (formerly Twitter), May 2020. x.com/qiaocollective/status/1266404928056168449

    Qiao Collective (@qiaocollective). “Just a reminder… the only reason the HK protests are so well-resourced is because they are backed by… and have received $29 million from the U.S.” X (formerly Twitter), June 2020. x.com/qiaocollective/status/1267520980651577345

    QiaoCollective. “Behind the Molotovs and protest art…” Facebook Reel, 2025. facebook.com/reel/1601113461264532↩︎

  54. Qiao Collective. “Taiwan: An Anti-Imperialist Resource.” 2024. qiaocollective.com/education/taiwan↩︎

  55. Kimberly, Margaret. “Ukraine Terrorism and the Question of U.S. Involvement.” Black Agenda Report, June 4, 2025. blackagendareport.com/ukraine-terrorism-and-question-us-involvement↩︎

  56. Examples of content minimizing Russian war crimes:

    Baraka, Ajamu. “Ukraine: A New Consensus on Whiteness?” Black Agenda Report, April 20, 2022. blackagendareport.com/ukraine-new-consensus-whiteness

    Friends of Socialist China. “Margaret Kimberley: Countries struggling against U.S. domination are inevitably turning to China.” March 26, 2022. socialistchina.org/2022/03/26/margaret-kimberley-countries-struggling-against-us-domination-are-inevitably-turning-to-china/

    Kimberley, Margaret. “Freedom Rider: The Causes of World War III.” Black Agenda Report, July 30, 2014. blackagendareport.com/content/freedom-rider-causes-world-war-iii

    Luqman, Jaqueline. “Who Will Hold the U.S./E.U./NATO Accountable For Its Many War Crimes?” Black Agenda Report, April 13, 2022. blackagendareport.com/who-will-hold-useunato-accountable-its-many-war-crimes↩︎

  57. Resnick, Gideon. “The Green Veep’s False-Flag Flirtations.” The Daily Beast, August 17, 2016. thedailybeast.com/the-wild-beliefs-of-ajamu-baraka-jill-steins-green-party-running-mate↩︎

  58. Dores, Bill. “Moscow Conference Stands with Novorossiya, Palestine and Black America.” Workers World, January 2015. workers.org/2015/01/17910/↩︎

  59. Harris, R. D. (2019). On the Road to Damascus: International Conference in Syria on Sanctions and Its Blowback. TRANSCEND Media Service. transcend.org/tms/2019/09/on-the-road-to-damascus-international-conference-in-syria-on-sanctions-and-its-blowback/

    Lucas, Scott. “A Syrian Refugee: The Western ‘Tourists’ Whitewashing the Assad Regime and My Country.” EA WorldView, September 17, 2019. eaworldview.com/2019/09/a-syrian-refugee-the-western-tourists-whitewashing-the-assad-regime-and-my-country/↩︎

  60. Johnson, Max. “Tyranny’s Mouthpiece.” Quillette, October 26, 2019. quillette.com/2019/10/26/tyrannys-mouthpiece/

    Khalek, Rania. “Syria chemical attacks: Smoke and mirrors, truth and lies.” June 24, 2018. raniakhalek.com/4835-2/↩︎

  61. Davis, C. (2019, September 30). Pro-Assad Lobby Group Rewards Bloggers On Both The Left And The Right. Bellingcat. bellingcat.com/news/2019/09/30/pro-assad-lobby-group-rewards-bloggers-on-both-the-left-and-the-right/

    Serena Shim Award. serenashimaward.org

    Serena Shim Award. (2020). BAR Editors Receive Serena Shim Award. Black Agenda Report. blackagendareport.com/bar-editors-receive-serena-shim-award

    Testa, R. G., Jessica. (2013, October 2). The Inside Story Of One Website’s Defense Of Assad. BuzzFeed News. buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/the-inside-story-of-one-websites-defense-of-assad↩︎

  62. Baraka, Ajamu. “The Syrian Elections.” CounterPunch, June 4, 2014. counterpunch.org/2014/06/04/the-syrian-elections/

    League for the Revolutionary Party. “Ajamu Baraka, Apologist for Assad’s Genocidal Regime in Syria, at Left Forum.” June 7, 2018. http://lrp-cofi.org/statements/syria_activists_leftforum.html

    Kimberley, Margaret. “War Propaganda and the Fall of Syria.” Black Agenda Report, 2024. blackagendareport.com/war-propaganda-and-fall-syria↩︎

  63. Selected investigations on chemical weapons evidence:

    Damascus, M. R. R. reported from, scientists, S. S. interviewed former chemical weapons, & Experts, N. “Inspectors Say More Than 100 Chemical Weapons Sites Could Remain in Syria.” The New York Times, April 6, 2025. nytimes.com/2025/04/06/world/middleeast/syria-chemical-weapons-assad.html

    Facini, A. “10 Years of the Syria Chemical Weapons Challenge.” The Council on Strategic Risks, October 4, 2023. councilonstrategicrisks.org/2023/10/04/the-past-10-years-of-the-syria-chemical-weapons-challenge/

    Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi). “Nowhere to Hide. The Specter of Chemical Weapons Use in Syria.” 2021. chemicalweapons.gppi.net/

    Rodriguez-Llanes, J. M.; Guha-Sapir, D.; Schlüter, B.-S.; Hicks, M. H.-R. “Epidemiological Findings of Major Chemical Attacks in the Syrian War Are Consistent with Civilian Targeting: A Short Report.” Conflict and Health 12, 16 (2018). doi.org/10.1186/s13031-018-0150-4

    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Nine Years Since Ghouta: Chemical Weapons in Syria.” August 22, 2022. ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/blog/nine-years-since-ghouta-chemical-weapons-in-syria↩︎

  64. Grossman, Shelby, and David Thiel. “African Stream: Russia’s Latest Covert Influence Pipeline Targeting Africa.” Stanford Cyber Policy Center, September 17, 2024. cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/news/african-stream

    PressTV. (2024, September 22). Prospect for new Africa with Ahmed Kaballo [Image]. PressTV; PressTV. presstv.ir/Detail/2024/09/22/733728/Prospect-for-a-New-Africa-with-Ahmed-Kaballo

    PressTV. Camila Escalante. PressTV. Retrieved from presstv.ir/aboutus/details/102↩︎

  65. Black Alliance For Peace. “BAP Remarks at Nicaragua Electoral Companion Press Conference.” November 12, 2021. blackallianceforpeace.com/bapstatements/2021/11/12/remarks-at-electoral-companion-press-conference↩︎

  66. Organization of American States (OAS) reactions to Nicaragua 2021 elections:

    Reuters. “OAS members condemn Nicaragua elections, urge action.” November 13, 2021. reuters.com/world/americas/oas-members-condemn-nicaragua-elections-urge-action-2021-11-13/

    OAS (@OAS_official). “We reject the results of the illegitimate elections in #Nicaragua…” X (formerly Twitter), November 2021. x.com/OAS_official/status/1458059374077911051↩︎

  67. Kimberly, Margaret. “Nicaragua in the Multipolar World.” Black Agenda Report, January 12, 2022. blackagendareport.com/nicaragua-multipolar-world↩︎

Citation

BibTeX citation:
@article{li2026,
  author = {Li, E. Rosalie and Kutner, Samantha},
  publisher = {Information Epidemiology Lab},
  title = {A {State-Aligned} {Media} {Collective}},
  date = {2026-01-26},
  url = {https://smc.infoepi.org},
  doi = {10.7910/DVN/4XTXLC},
  langid = {en},
  abstract = {The Sovereign Media Collective is an expanding Kenya-based
    group of outlets—*African Stream, Black Agenda Report, Kawsachun
    News, Orinoco Tribune, Venezuelanalysis, Qiao Collective,* and *Vox
    Ummah*—that share a broadly anti-imperialist ideology and align with
    the position of countries hostile to democratic governments. The
    groups’s formation was announced on *Progressive International*’s
    website on June 20, 2025, two days before *African Stream* announced
    it would shut down by July 1, 2025; the collective formally began
    operations in October 2025. This report examines professional
    histories, state media affiliations, government relationships, and
    travel to authoritarian states. We find a recurring pattern in which
    journalists with prior employment or affiliation with state media
    organizations—including RT (formerly Russia Today), PressTV,
    TeleSUR, and CGTN—subsequently produce content through outlets
    presented as independent. This pattern is consistent with prior
    research findings, including a {[}2023
    analysis{]}(https://infoepi.org/posts/2023/10/4-balkans) documenting
    Russian state media employees and affiliates publishing under
    ostensibly independent bylines, obscuring institutional origins.}
}
For attribution, please cite this work as:
Li, E. Rosalie, and Samantha Kutner. 2026. “A State-Aligned Media Collective,” January. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/4XTXLC.