A Garden of Forking Paths: Pathways to Alternative Media Choice and Corresponding Political Behavior in Estonia

• In Event: Geopolitical Crisis, Memory, and Media: Navigating Identity and Political Engagement in the Baltic Sea Region

Abstract

Considerable scholarship on alternative media in Estonia has centered on Russian information operations in Estonia, particularly their effects on Russian-speakers (e.g. Dougherty and Kaljurand 2015) and domestically-produced content aligned with far-right populism (Mölder et al 2023). Anchored in this literature lies the assumption that prior political preferences determine the consumption of such content. But the premise that Estonians choose to consume alternative political media – including content from hostile foreign powers – due to their preexisting political attitudes and preferences does not stand up to scrutiny. Based on an ongoing longitudinal survey of Estonians’ media consumption choice and political behavior patterns since 2023, the evidence suggests that numerous personal preferences and life experiences lead Estonians who are previously apolitical or centrist to turn to alternative media sources, which then shape their political preferences and behaviors.

Author

• Noel Foster, US Naval War College