Foreign minister: Estonian media ill-disposed towards leaders of US, UK
The Estonian media is ill-disposed towards leaders of the United Kingdom and the United States, Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu said on social media.
"Our media has a distinctly biased and ill-disposed attitude against the present leaders of the United Kingdom and the United States," Reinsalu (Isamaa) wrote. "This likely has two reasons. One of them relates to one's world view. While they come from different backgrounds, both are colorful leaders with a conservative agenda and the speakers' effective ideological aversion [to them] is reflected in the media.
"Secondly, in many cases, particularly when it comes to news stories, their domestic media, which has critical preconceptions about them, is used [by Estonian media]. In any case, the result is hardly objective in my opinion," Reinsalu said.
"These two states are irreplaceable when it comes to ensuring our security. And in all fairness, both of these men have honored it in word and deed," Reinsalu said, referring to US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. "Knee-jerk spite towards Boris Johnson is completely uncalled for, particularly on the day of [his] special visit."
Reinsalu added that heads of state and government are generally given an overview of local media coverage of their high-level visits.
"Therefore there is no sense in constructing provocation at all cost," Reinsalu said, referring to a critical opinion piece published in Eesti Ekspress by the newspaper's chief editor Erik Moora.
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Editor: Helen Wright