Media spreads false claim that Tucker Carlson launched a show on Russian TV

Multiple media outlets have been criticized after they spread a false claim that former Fox News host Tucker Carlson had launched a new show on Russian television. 

In response to a Newsweek article published on the topic, originally claiming that Carlson was working with Rossiya 24 on a show, Tucker Carlson Network investor Neil Patel wrote, "The Tucker Carlson Network has not done any deals with state media in any country.  Whoever is currently pretending to be the old Newsweek brand would know that if they had checked with us before printing like news companies are supposed to do." 

The "show" in question is state-owned Rossiya 24 pulling footage from Carlson’s YouTube page and airing that on television translated to Russian. 

Newsweek originally wrote that a Russian paper "said that the show is part of a joint project with Carlson TV, in which he will interview figures and politicians who have "alternative views to the mainstream."
Portion from Newsweek report

Rossiya 24 had begun advertising the show in September 2023, with Carlson telling the Financial Times at the time, "I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never heard of this, or the channel. Of course I’m not hosting a show on Russian television. That’s absurd. Please." 

The National Pulse reported, "The false information appears to have emanated from Ukraine’s Institute of Mass Information, then regurgitated by Ukraine Pravda, and finally ended up in far-left and neoconservative websites in the United States." 

Newsweek was slammed online for the article, with X users calling for the outlet to issue a correction. 

"No, Tucker Carlson did not launch a show on Russian TV. This is flagrantly dishonest reporting. Russian media is just ripping his content from X and dubbing it. It's called content piracy. Newsweek should issue an immediate correction and apology," wrote TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk. 

"Seems Newsweek jumped the gun. Looks like Russian TV is just taking Tucker's show on Twitter and dubbing it," Puck News founding partner Julia Ioffe wrote. 

"Hi Brendan Cole. This story was obviously a hoax. I knew it immediately. Everyone did," wrote Mike Cernovich. "Which foreign government or NGO fed it to you?" 

Newsweek updated their piece hours after publishing, writing in a correction, "This article was updated to make clear there is no evidence the Tucker Carlson Network has done a deal with Russian state TV." 

National Review wrote about this supposed new show, writing in a piece that appears to have been deleted, "Russian TV channel Rossiya 24 began airing episodes of Carlson’s online interview and commentary show in collaboration with 'Carlson TV.'" The Daily Beast also ran a story titled "Kremlin TV Drops 'New' Tucker Carlson Show."