When the party line changes: state media, immigration, and public opinion in Russia

We document and assess the effect of a short-lived campaign on Russian state television to re-orient coverage of immigrants. Building on prior research – including a historical narrative and evidence from a controlled experiment – we offer support from a real-world setting that authoritarian regimes can leverage media control to re-align public opinion on an important policy matter, even if the new frame is in conflict with the old. Drawing on repeated cross-sectional survey data collected before, during, and after the re-orientation in coverage, we demonstrate that public attitudes on immigration policy shifted in a manner consistent with the campaign having had a short-run effect. Compared to the periods before and after, more intense TV news viewers were more likely to express opposition to liberal immigration policies during the campaign. In line with its apparent intent, the attitudinal change was particularly pronounced among ethnic Russians contemplating non – co-ethnics and immigrants from poor, non-European countries.