Role of the Estonian Russian-language Media in the Integration of the Russian-speaking Minority into Estonian Society
The dissertation examines the role of the Russian-language media in Estonia, its influence in integrating the Russian-speaking minority into Estonian society, its participation in identity building, its stance towards the restored Estonian state with its institutions and Estonian ethnic majority. The research was motivated by a desire to provide scholars of identity and nationalism with an inside view from the minority community in addition to an outside view. This presents a contrast to the traditional vision of Estonian researchers of the Russian-language media as a mere extension of Russian Federation propaganda or as a homogeneous, intentionally separatist and isolationist entity. The main theses of the dissertation are: 1. As the press needs to find a balance between state, owners of media, audience, different political and interest groups, whose interests were often contradictory in the 1990s, the Russian-language media did not adopt any distinct supportive or oppositional position towards the Estonian state. 2. As the place and role of ethnic minorities in society was not defined until 1998, the press did not construct clear political identities for the Russian-speakers in the 1990s, but rather reflected various spontaneous identities emerging in the community. The result of such functioning was not the bonding together of the Russian-speaking community, but its fragmentation. 3. As a result, the Russian-language press played the role of trader-mediator between the above-mentioned groups, trying to buyl the voices and loyalties of the audience. The dissertation comprises a theoretical-methodological overview and four articles published as book chapters. They are based on three studies conducted 1997 2001 applying different approaches and methods. One of them takes a functionalist approach to historical library research, another a constructivist approach to media role, using Latent Class Analysis for processing statistical data, while a third applies propaganda analysis. The theoretical overview relies on a number of theories of identity and social integration. The dissertation demonstrates the dependence of the role of the minority on the prevailing conditions, its legal, economic and social position and shows how the press may be either a means of constructing collective identity or more likely reflect spontaneous identities. The research reveals the role of the minority press in its integration, showing how the Russian-language press propagated a model of integrated Estonian society and means for its achievement appropriate to the local Russian-speaking counter elite, depending on national exclusivity. Moreover, it reflected a positive vision of an integrated Estonian society of Estonians, Russians, officials and ordinary people. On the one hand the Russian-language press called itself a community press and on the other treated the Russian minority largely as a passive object to be governed by both the Estonian state and the Russian elite, leaving people with little confidence in their own potential for goal attainment through the press. It is shown that in the 1990s in the content of the Russian-language press in Estonia there prevailed both opposing and integrative elements. The result of its activity being neither total assimilation nor cultural preservation of the Russian-speaking community. At this period, the Russian-language press played the role of a social damper. In connection with the political struggle in general, especially before elections, the press also played a role of trader-mediator trying to buy the trust of the voters in the elites. It did not accept any distinct supportive or oppositional position towards the Estonian state. In these conditions the Russian-language press did not become a really effective tool for the integration of Russian-speakers into Estonian society, for the formation of their group identities, nor for their mobilization and effective struggle for their rights and position in the Estonian Republic. ; The dissertation examines the role of the Russian-language media in Estonia, its influence in integrating the Russian-speaking minority into Estonian society, its participation in identity building, its stance towards the restored Estonian state with its institutions and Estonian ethnic majority. The research was motivated by a desire to provide scholars of identity and nationalism with an inside view from the minority community in addition to an outside view. This presents a contrast to the traditional vision of Estonian researchers of the Russian-language media as a mere extension of Russian Federation propaganda or as a homogeneous, intentionally separatist and isolationist entity. The main theses of the dissertation are: 1. As the press needs to find a balance between state, owners of media, audience, different political and interest groups, whose interests were often contradictory in the 1990s, the Russian-language media did not adopt any distinct supportive or oppositional position towards the Estonian state. 2. As the place and role of ethnic minorities in society was not defined until 1998, the press did not construct clear political identities for the Russian-speakers in the 1990s, but rather reflected various spontaneous identities emerging in the community. The result of such functioning was not the bonding together of the Russian-speaking community, but its fragmentation. 3. As a result, the Russian-language press played the role of trader-mediator between the above-mentioned groups, trying to buyl the voices and loyalties of the audience. The dissertation comprises a theoretical-methodological overview and four articles published as book chapters. They are based on three studies conducted 1997 2001 applying different approaches and methods. One of them takes a functionalist approach to historical library research, another a constructivist approach to media role, using Latent Class Analysis for processing statistical data, while a third applies propaganda analysis. The theoretical overview relies on a number of theories of identity and social integration. The dissertation demonstrates the dependence of the role of the minority on the prevailing conditions, its legal, economic and social position and shows how the press may be either a means of constructing collective identity or more likely reflect spontaneous identities. The research reveals the role of the minority press in its integration, showing how the Russian-language press propagated a model of integrated Estonian society and means for its achievement appropriate to the local Russian-speaking counter elite, depending on national exclusivity. Moreover, it reflected a positive vision of an integrated Estonian society of Estonians, Russians, officials and ordinary people. On the one hand the Russian-language press called itself a community press and on the other treated the Russian minority largely as a passive object to be governed by both the Estonian state and the Russian elite, leaving people with little confidence in their own potential for goal attainment through the press. It is shown that in the 1990s in the content of the Russian-language press in Estonia there prevailed both opposing and integrative elements. The result of its activity being neither total assimilation nor cultural preservation of the Russian-speaking community. At this period, the Russian-language press played the role of a social damper. In connection with the political struggle in general, especially before elections, the press also played a role of trader-mediator trying to buy the trust of the voters in the elites. It did not accept any distinct supportive or oppositional position towards the Estonian state. In these conditions the Russian-language press did not become a really effective tool for the integration of Russian-speakers into Estonian society, for the formation of their group identities, nor for their mobilization and effective struggle for their rights and position in the Estonian Republic.
