08:07

The discovery that Russian “troll factories” exist was not a surprise to most Moscow correspondents. For some time we had noticed the long list of comments under almost everything we wrote, often in semi-coherent English claiming to be from people with traditional British names.

This is not to say that all the angry comments below the line are from paid trolls, far from it. Over the past two years, the Ukraine crisis and Russia more generally has become one of those polarised issues, such as Israel/Palestine.

One story can simultaneously be denounced as disgusting Russophobic slander ordered up by the CIA and pro-Putin filth written by a Kremlin shill. Both sides never tire of comparing the other to the Nazis. Angry “pro-Russian” feedback is significantly higher than the level of angry “pro-Ukrainian” feedback, but both can be equally baffling.

Salutin' Putin: inside a Russian troll house Read more

Good journalism points out problems, abuses and painful moments, and this will always be controversial. But due to a lack of strong, independent media in Russia, the immediate assumption is that coverage of difficult issues in Russia in the Guardian, for example, is part of a nefarious geo-political conspiracy.

The worst part about trolling is it makes it hard to be open to genuine criticism. Journalists’ articles are by definition a selective compilation of relevant facts and opinions; and there’s almost always room for constructive feedback. But when every genuine engagement is buried between 100 semi-literate insults from paid trolls or partisan readers selectively processing information, the easiest thing to do is ignore it , which is a shame.

Shaun Walker, Moscow correspondent, the Guardian