This study explores the impact of Russian news broadcasts on public opinion in Kyrgyzstan, a key case for understanding foreign media effects. While powerful nations often assume foreign media enhances soft power, this research finds modest and conditional influence from Russia-sourced sources.

The findings suggest that Russian media affects opinions differently based on issue characteristics. Exposure to these broadcasts shapes not just views of Russia but also other international topics through distinct opinion-formation and framing mechanisms.

Using a 2015 nationally representative survey, we demonstrate how the pervasiveness and familiarity of covered issues determine foreign media impact. The results challenge assumptions about media's universal soft-power potential and highlight conditions under which broadcasts exert meaningful influence.