You see this in pretty much every single article about Communist/authoritarian states:

DiCaprio then called himself half-Russian, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

No matter how servile and superficial our political reporting is, hey, at least we’re not officially state-run! We put our leashes on all by ourselves!
Putin has carefully cultivated a tough-guy image throughout his political career, using strong language in speeches and practicing judo and even co-piloting a fighter jet in front of the television cameras.
His latest stunt came earlier this month, when Putin burned rubber on a racing circuit in a Formula One car.
Seriously! Who could ever be bamboozled by such an obvious act?
I have a nice, shiny quarter here for anyone who can find me one example of the New York Times, Washington Post, or any of the “respectable” news channels using this sort of openly mocking, skeptical tone while George W. was still in office.