Cross-Border Media Consumption As A Significant Factor in Belief Formation

Riccardo Pelizzo; Serik Orazgaliyev; Nygmetzhan Kuzenbayev

doi:10.29333/ejecs/2599

Authors

Riccardo Pelizzo Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7581-7689
Serik Orazgaliyev Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8273-7633
Nygmetzhan Kuzenbayev International School of Economics, Maqsut Narikbayev University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6121-9215

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2599

Keywords:

Russian media, Conspiracy Theory, Media Manipulation, Propaganda, Cross-border media consumption, Cultural Identity, Information politics, Informational sovereignty, Nation-building, Symbolic politics

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between trust in Russian television and belief in conspiracy theories among viewers in Kazakhstan. Drawing on an original 2024 survey, we examine whether individuals who consider Russian broadcast television a reliable source of information are more likely to endorse the conspiracy theory linking 5G networks to the spread of COVID-19. Our findings reveal a significant positive association between trust in Russian TV and belief in this conspiracy theory, even after controlling for demographic and socio-economic variables. In contrast, trust in internet news sites is negatively associated with conspiracy beliefs. These results underscore the importance of cross-border media influence and information politics, especially in contexts where countries share common historical and cultural identity traits, such as a Soviet past and a common language. By exploring how foreign media shape narratives and public trust, the paper contributes to our understanding of the role of propaganda and conspiracy in shaping national identity and collective consciousness. The paper also adds to broader studies on informational sovereignty, symbolic politics, and nation-building in transitional regimes.

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Author Biographies

Riccardo Pelizzo, Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University

Riccardo Pelizzo is a Professor and the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs in the Graduate School of Public Policy at Nazarbayev University. A comparative politics specialist, he has extensively explored party system change in sub-Saharan Africa. With Gianfranco Pasquino he recently published The Culture of Accountability (Routledge, 2023).

Serik Orazgaliyev, Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University

Serik Orazgaliyev is an Associate Professor at Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy (NU GSPP). His research focuses on issues of public policy, governance and sustainable development. He served as Principal Investigator in the project Social Fragmentation, Polarisation and Digital Media in Kazakhstan, within which the data for this paper was collected.

Nygmetzhan Kuzenbayev, International School of Economics, Maqsut Narikbayev University

Nygmetzhan Kuzenbayev is an Assistant Professor in the International School of Economics at Maqsut Narikbayev University. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Nazarbayev University. His research focuses on behavioral economics and political psychology.

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