Waysofself-positioningthroughthereceptionofnewsamongEstonianRussian-speakers

MarianneLeppikUniversityofTartu

Hypothesis:migrants aretransnational§ Transmigrant´s dailylivesdependonmultipleand

constantinterconnectionsacrossinternationalbordersandtheirpublicidentitiesareconfiguredinrelationshiptomorethanonenation-state(Glick-Schilleretal1994)

§ Livingintworealitiesatthesametime

§ Actorsexposedtoasetofsocialexpectations,normsandvaluesandpatternsofhumaninteractionthatareshapedbymorethanonesocial,economic,andpoliticalsystem(Levitt2011)

§ Guarnizo (2000,2003)distinguishescoreandexpandedtransnationalpractices

§ New(imaginable)diaspora?Hybridization?

Subjectofthestudy§ Empircal case:Russianspeakingpeoplewithmigrantbackgroundin

EstoniawhoformonethirdpartofEstonia´s population- internallyheterogenous group

§ Variedpoliticalwillandskillstointegratethem§ structuralseparationoftwocommunitiesasalegacyfromthe

Sovietsystem§ Highlinguistic,aswellculturalandpsychologicalbarriers

§ EstonianRussian-speakersparticipateinthevariousmediascapes:RussianTV,localEstonianandRussianlanguageportals,press,radio,socialnetworks,globalTVjanewsportals

§ Ad-hocinformationgathering

§ AveragetimespentbywatchingTVinOctober 2016 was3,41 h

§Mainchannels:PBK,RTRPlaneta,NTVMir(TNSEmor)

§More diversemedia use:49%followregularly Internationalmedia (compared 25%withinnative Estonians)(EIA2017)

§ 72%usesocialnetworks (MMM2014)

§Mediauseiswideninginspaceandthickeningintime:mediacontentisshapedbysocialnetworksandcommunicationpartnersandmembersofthematiccommunities

Purpose

§ Analyse theinteractionsbetweenwaysofinterpretationofpoliticalandeconomicjournalisticproductionandpeoples’self-positioningintimesofaccelerationofpoliticalcrisis:

§ Howthetopicalnewsarereceivedandinterpreted?

§ Howthewaysoflocalembeddednesscontributeintotheinterpretativepracticesandviceversa,howtheinvolvementintothemediatedconflictmayshapethepatternsofsocial,politicalandculturalinvolvementandidentity?

Data

§ FocusgroupswithRussian-speakersinEstonia(I,IIandIIIgenerationimmigrants)§ Interviews,blogarticle,analyticalstories§ 3-4longertexts(balanced)§ 1short(selectionot of8)§ Method:text/discourseanalysis

Differentuseof„we“§ Weinbroadersense:

§ Itisimportanttome(Ukrainiancrisis),becauseitisclosetous,itmayaffectus…weallareslavic people(W,26)

§ Itotallyagree…aboveall,weallarebrothers(M,18)

§ Wehere,inEstonia(asnon-Estonians?)§ Wehavethisquietstatehereandthensomethinglikethis

happen(M,31,talkingaboutschoolshooting)§ Inourcountrytherearemanygoodteachersand

specialists(M,18)§ Wearestillalienshere…whyareyou callingusfreaks(M,

31)

MediacontentinterpretationisaffectedbyRussiannormalities§ TalkingaboutCrimea:

§ Moreover,theywantedtojointheRussia(M,31)§ LikeBorisYeltsingaveaway…gambledaway(M,28)§ That´sashame(M,31)

§ Russianreceptionframe:§ Yes,ourfriendSergeiPetrov knowshowandwhoorganized

theprotests(M,31)§ HeisoneoftherichestmeninRussia.Wheredidhegetall

hismoney?Itisclear,thathestoleit!(M,54)

Democraticpointofview:operatingwithinEU/internationallegalsystem§ WhysuchadrasticreactionthatArabscannotliveinEuropeanymore,I

mean,youletthemin.Andwehavetoshutdownthemosques.Itdoesnotseemdemocratic tome….Whysomechurches areclosedandsomenot?ItdoesnotcorrespondtotheEUstandards (M,18)

§ WhatIreallylikedaboutthisarticleandwhatIdidn´tknowbefore,wasrelatedtoRussianinternationalobligations inrelationtoUkraine.SoifRussiasaysininternationallevel thathewon´ttouchUkrainianborders,thenheshouldn´t(M,18)

§ YesterdayIreadthatUkrainemightaskforpeacekeepersfromEUandUnitedNations.Iappreciatethisinitiative.Ifithelpstostopthecrisisandallpartiesagree,anditdoesn´tbreakaMinskagreement,thenitisagoodinitiative(M,38)

ExperiencewithWesterncivicandmediacultureshapestheinterpretation

§ ButinRussia,thereis suchacultureifyoudon´tthinksoorsimilarly,thenyouaren´tpatriot.Ifyoudon´tagree,it´sabadsign(M,25)

§ WellRussianmediahasagovernment´ssupport.Theycannotbeadequateorindependent.Youcannotexpectindependencewhenthegovernmentpaysthesalary…(M,18)

§ ItseemsthisarticleiswrittentoRussianreadertoconcvincehimthatPutinis(almost)god,whodoeseverythingcorrectly(M,18)

Postitioning non-conventional:Lavrov atMunichSecurityConference

§ Notlaughingatthehighlevelmeetingsasconvention§ Idonotthinkthatsuchanimportantmeetingpolicy

andsowouldlaugh.Seriouspeople,theycouldsomehowresponddifferently,notalaugh(W,26)

§ Speakingtruthasconvention§ MypersonalopinionisthatprobablythereareRussian

troopsinUkraine...I,toosmilewhenIhearhowLavrov triesearnestlyandwithanhonestviewsaythattheRussiantroopsarenotthere(M,37)

Changeofpositions

§ IhaveEstonianpassport,butIfeelclosertoothernationswholivehere...andthisSlavicelement isaffectingdevelopmentofculture,scienceandsoon.LetstakeforexampleourIda-Virumaa. (M,31)

§ ItiscutlikethistoshowLavrov inbadlight...it´snotverygoodjoke fromthosewhomadeit...politicsarealsopeople,theycanlaugh...whatImeant tosay,isthatLavrov cannotlie,he´sreallybadinthis,butheseriouslytries(M,38)

Conclusions§ Transnational reality

§ Conscious position

§ Changeofpositionsisquickandreferstohybridity

§ Identityistransforming,ismulticulturalandnegotiableoneverydaybasis

§ InterpretationoriginatefromWesternandRussiannormalities:broad concepts§ Cosmopolitalism?

Thankyoufortheattention!