In early December, a sensational story ripped through the tabloid press: President Vladimir Putin had stumbled and fallen down the stairs, involuntarily soiling himself in the process. It proved an irresistible tale for a Western audience largely horrified by Putin's invasion of Ukraine and hungry for his ultimate demise. The claims were covered in The Sun, the New York Post, the Daily Mail, Gawker, and Newsweek, among others. They attributed them to a single, anonymous source: the mysterious Telegram account known as General SVR. The channel is a striking example of the wild media ecosystem that has boomed since the...
