Russian journalists visit WCAX

A group of Russian journalists came to visit WCAX Wednesday.

Among them digital journalists and even a local morning anchor. They come from Burlington's sister city Yaroslavl, Russia. The delegation is part of the Vermont Council on World Affairs. The Open World Program is funded through Congress and brings leaders from the former Soviet Union to communities around the U.S. We asked them what they thought about the American media and the coverage of Russia's suspected role in the American 2016 election.

“It's very difficult to talk about meddling because we don't know what happened and there might have been certain attempts but I just don't have enough information to tell you exactly whether or not it had any real effect on the results of the election. And at the same time, I cannot completely deny that there were attempts to influence the situation in some way,” said Daniil Aleksandrovich Kuznetsov.

They also said perceptions of Americans in their country run the gamut. Some people believe the anti-American propaganda while others idolize Americans and try to mimic American culture. The group will be traveling around the state the rest of the week.