A lot of media includes native advertising as a source of revenue for someone.

Murdoch had been selling a political position to his viewers and readers pretty much consistently for a couple of decades.

It's pro-war, pro-nra, anti-climate, pro-isolationist, and peddles right wing economics to the underprivileged, against their own interest. I think the xenophobia and illiberal gender and race politics is to attract that audience.

Putin's interests probably align pretty well, if you're guessing at the funding source.

But it may be a number of other smaller players.