More than two-thirds (69%) of Russians rely on television to get their news, according to the state-owned pollster, the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM).

Most of the TV audience is elderly with 87% of respondents aged over 60, whereas the youth prefers using the internet, or 82% of respondents aged 18-24, the survey showed.

"At present, more than two-thirds of all respondents (69%) are almost constantly using the central television as a source of news and information (which is a reduction compared to 78% in 2012), whereas 44% use the regional television (a reduction from 52%). However, this high popularity is mainly supported by the elderly population: 87% of people aged over 60 and almost twice as little, 48%, of people aged 18 to 24 often watch federal channels," the report says, reports Tass.

The sharp divide in the sources of news between young and old have caused a problem for the Kremlin as it gears up for election campaigning for the 2018 presidential race in December. The state entirely controls the news on TV, but has less control over what goes on the internet, despite some repressive laws recently introduced. As the state-run news channels have been largely discredited in the eyes of the young, the Kremlin is increasingly powerless to influence them or introduce the memes it is promoting.

The internet has already become the main source of information for Russians aged 18-24 and 25-34 with 82% and 59% relying on the internet as their main source of news respectively.

The freedom of the internet has allowed anti-corruption blogger and opposition leader Alexei Navalny to build up a large following and the opposition in general can coordinate protests using social media. The Kremlin has found itself under some pressure to respond to the protests, as the internet has given the Russian voter a bigger voice, even if it remains muted.

“Rates of social networks and blogs are close to this: 41% of all respondents often learn necessary information from them (81% of people from the youngest age group)," the survey found.

A quarter of respondents (25%) use the state-controlled press and a fifth (20%) listens to the radio on a regular basis. Regional radio stations and periodical publications enjoy even less popularity. Only 9% of respondents rely on foreign press for news.

Despite the state control, Russians' faith in their media stands in stark contrast to attitudes to the press in the US where confidence in the veracity of reporting has fallen to a record low. According to Gallup polling, only 40% of Americans think the media can report "the news fully, accurately, and fairly", down from over 50% in 2004.