Propaganda in the month of August

In August, the majority of stories on influence activities and propaganda focused on either allowing or restricting the Kremlin’s media distribution in Estonia.

Postimees brokering Kremlin advertising

In early August, the news remained that the Postimees Group would begin brokering advertisements on TV channels run by the Kremlin. A lively debate ensued as to whether the largest media concern in Estonia should broker advertising for channels with hostile content. The story ended with the decision to withdraw from brokering the advertisements.

The competitor’s original plan and resulting discussions kept an eye on all major media outlets and did not miss any opportunities to reproach competitors.

Postimees
The Postimees Group withdrew from selling advertising on Russian channels
Andres Kull: we accept the position of the editors and withdraw from selling PBK advertisements
Postimees takes over the sale of Russian advertisements

Delfi/EPL
The Postimees Group decided not to sell advertisements on Russian TV channels
Andrei Titov: The percentage of Putin voters in Estonia is higher than in Russia
Postimees wants to be out of the PBK brokering package
The most nationalistic newspaper in Estonia starts selling PBK advertisements

Õhtuleht
POSTIMEES ENDED CONTRACT: there will be no advertising sales to Russian channels
Editorial | We support the editors of Postimees
EXPERTS: television channels are still spreading conspiracy theories about Postimees and are as much spreaders of propaganda as PBK
Postimees plans on making money for Kremlin propaganda channels

ERR
The Postimees Group gave up advertising sales in the interests of the editors
Jõesaar: Postimees could end the advertising deal with Russian channels
Experts: NTV and REN-TV do not differ in their attitudes towards PBK
Postimees wants to withdraw from brokering PBK advertisements
Andres Kull: Postimees asks to exclude brokering PBK advertisement from their package
Head of investigative journalism for Postimees: PBK advertising sales is shocking

Propastop also presented its point of view in this debate.

Propastop’s citizen’s initiative

In the second half of August, Propastop launched its signature-gathering campaign, to provoke debate to curb the spread of propaganda channels in Estonia.

The topic sparked a debate in society, and in addition to TV and radio stories, the ERR, Delfi, and Postimees wrote publications.

ERR
Raul Rebane: The importance of working a lot and together it
Подробности (Raadio4)

Postimees
Andrei Kuzitškin: Estonia’s freedom of Speech is protected by restricting Sputnik’s activities
Estonia is investigating whether to ban Russian propaganda channels
Editorial: against propaganda. Calmly
Propastop initiated the closure of Sputnik and Baltnews domains

 Delfi/EPL
City elder of the downtown core: More press, less propaganda
Propastop initiated the closure of Sputnik and Baltnews domains

In early August, Oleg Samarodn wrote in the columns of Delfi about the nature of Kremlin TV channels and how to watch them in different countries. He points out that the Russian language Radio Vabadus’ (Radio Freedom) as well as American Voice’s joint project, the TV channel Nastojaštšeje vremja, is unfortunately not broadcast by any television network operating in Estonia.

The Royal Institute of International Relations, Chatham House published an article mid month by Kier Giles on harassment attempts of close relatives of Dutch pilots serving in the Baltic States. The same story is escalated in articles published by Postimees, the first of which deals with Dutch pilots serving in the Baltics and the second broadens the topic to include other Allied forces in Estonia.

In late August, Postimees published a longer story with Ukrainian propaganda experts Lidia Smola and Irina Brunova-Kalisetska, who talked about Russian propaganda and its spread in Ukraine when they visited Estonia.

Photos: Screenshots of the publication’s homepage