Liisi Keedus
Activity Report for Writing the Research and Policy Paper:
The Role of Media in the Integration of Estonians and Russian Speaking Minorities: Towards a More Inclusive Public Sphere
I March, April, May
1. March seminar: Participation in March seminar in Budapest – in policy-writing process seminars for all fellows, in working groups for media policy fellows and minorities’ policy fellows.
2. Consultations: Consultations with OSI (Media Programme Network) and CEU faculty - re-examination of set questions and goals of the proposed research, further clarification and specification of the questions that the research paper aims to answer.
3. Mentors: Consultations with my two mentors: Jessika ter Vaal (Ercomer, Utrecht University, the Netherlands) and Barbi Pilvre (Tartu University, Estonia, and an editor for a weekly paper ‘Eesti Ekspress’)
4. Interviews: After redefining some of the emphasis and the questions in my research, namely my mentors advised me to focus mainly on the role of Estonian public television (ETV) in integration in the society, I conducted interviews with
* editors/producers of Russian-language programmes on ETV
* independent editors/producers in the television market
* former editors/producers of Russian-language programmes on ETV
* a member of Broadcasting Board
* a member of the Board of ETV
* the project managers of Integration Foundation
* an editor in chief of a Russian/language national daily newspaper
* former executive director of ETV5. Research: As my paper focuses mainly on the institutional and legal framework determining the access of minorities to information and information producing process as one means of participation in the public sphere, the only primary research I conducted were the interviews with officials and experts mentioned above. I did this in order to better identify the reasons behind the extremely unbalanced share of broadcasting for majority/minorities and to map the difficulties I may face when presenting my paper to decision-makers.
A significant part of the research paper relies on the extensive monitoring conducted by other mass media and integration researchers in Estonia. I tried to integrate this substantial amount of research (on media consumption patterns, content analyses of the press and television 1998-2002, press media ownership, press relations with the politicians, etc) into the more policy-oriented framework of my paper.
6. Related Activities:
* I also taught a lectures/seminar course “Theory of Multiculturalism and Media Analyses” at Nord University, in Tallinn, and Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn, a course comprised of a brief introduction to classical liberalism, contemporary debates in political philosophy on justice and culture between the liberals, communitarians and the liberal multiculturalists, and placing these debates in the context of Estonia - analysing the naturalisation policies as well as the national programme of integration - and of audiovisual material analyses on related issues. As preparing for this course, I also conducted research and selected audiovisual media resources produced in Estonia in which the questions of minority rights and protection, the state programme of national integration and the actual results of this programme were being dealt with.
* Occasional participation in the production process of a 24-series TV programme for learning Estonian language. The programme is addressing adult learners and its 24 parts form a story which should interest the potential (Russian language) audience. The production is financed by the Integration Foundation with Phare funds and the producer is F-seitse OÜ in Tallinn. As the programme is partly a documentary, I conducted some interviews in the North-Eastern region of Estonia and made some photos I might use later for articles.
II June and July
1. June OSI seminar in Budapest
2. Research:
Preparing a draft paper on Estonian legislation on rights and regulations on and influencing media in other languages than Estonian. As extensive research has been conducted and analyses with recommendations written on the citizenship policies, this will not be of primary importance, yet I can make use of these papers when relevant to the regulations concerning media and national minorities.
* Preparing a draft paper on the international instruments relevant for the rights of national/ethnic minorities to access information and participate in the public sphere, and on the compliance of Estonian legislation with the international Charters/Conventions
* Preparing a draft paper on the role of Estonian media in the process of integration, assessment of integration projects and the results of policies related to minorities and media.
3. Study Trip: Consultations with the members of the media policy working group at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy.
During my stay at the Institute I made use of the library’s materials on public sphere (empirical/sociological studies, surveys, political science), particularly the possibility of a post-national or supra-national public sphere. There is a chapter in the research paper about my conclusions.4. Research Paper: Finalising the research paper
IV August
Further interviews with the representatives of minority organisations and the Bureau for Ethnic and Demographic Affairs. Preparing and drafting the Draft Policy Paper.
V September, October, December
1. During the first part of September I spent a part of my research period as planned at CEU.
2. Research at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
I was invited by the WWISC East European Studies Department and during my stay I:* Revision of the Research Paper as well as the Policy Paper
* Drafting the Policy Memo
* Two presentations at the WWISC on the project and its results with the opportunity to receive feedback from distinguished scholars and policy-makers
* Making daily use of the resources of the Library of Congress
* Meeting with Soros Foundation Washington DC staff
* Attending several round-table discussions at the WWISC, including those concerned with European integration, integration of national minorities, Roma accession programs, etc
* Meeting with the editors of the Baltic Joint Committee Journal in Baltimore
* Writing two articles for the WWISC East European Studies Department Newsletter, available online:
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1422&fuseaction=topics.publications&doc_id=54124&group_id=7427VII January, February, March
1. Research at CEU, consultations, etc
2. Preparing for publication in Estonia:
* Meetings with mentor
* Meetings with journalists, the results of the policy paper being publicised in 'Eesti Ekspress' a national weekly, article also available online:
* Revising the Policy Memo and Policy Paper
* Meetings with people interviewed during research period, letting them know about the availability of the paper as well as its recommendations
* Translation of the Policy Memo and Policy Paper into Estonian
* Contacting 'ally' organisations in Estonia, including the Estonian Open Foundation
* Supervising students working on media policy issues at Nord University
* The distribution of the Estonian translation of the policy paper and policy memo3. March seminar in Budapest:
* Participation in training sessions
* Meeting with OSI Media Network Program