Estonia: all online

The media landscape in Estonia has seen a marked shift towards multimedia online services. The question is no longer if, but when print publications will be discontinued. Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine has led to an expansion of domestically produced Russian-language content in Estonian media – also thanks to subsidies.

Russian-language media outlets such as the public broadcaster etv+ have gained in importance since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (© picture alliance / dpa / Kay Nietfeld)

The two major media groups Postimees Grupp and Delfi Meedia (Ekspress Meedia until 2022), but also smaller publishers, are increasingly focusing on online subscriptions. The trend among digital media is to move away from the sale of specific content and towards monthly flat rates that give users access to packages that encompass the full range of the respective outlet's content.

In this way, Delfi Meedia, with the Delfi portal as its flagship, delivers a wide range of content to more than 100,000 paying online users – which is more than the number of subscribers signed up to all the group's print editions combined and almost ten percent of the country's adult population. In addition to standard text-and-image articles, videos and podcasts are also included in the package. Delfi is available in both Estonian and Russian, with the Russian version still offering more content for free (around 60 freely accessible articles per day, along with eight to ten that are behind a paywall). In the first nine months of 2023 revenues from its online services made up 83 percent of Delfi Meedia's turnover – an increase of 24 percent compared to the previous year. The group's overall profit margin also increased by 18 percent.

The competing Postimees Group is doing less well financially, having reported losses of 4 million euros for 2022 even though its digital services also registered a significant year-on-year increase in revenues of 17 percent. The group's main owner, the influential businessman Margus Linnamäe, compensated for the losses. Linnamäe's business interests are sometimes reflected in Postimees' choice of topics and comments. Postimees is a prime example of the high media concentration in Estonia. Not only has the group taken over most of the country's regional newspapers, but it now owns the most popular TV channel as well as the news agency BNS, several radio stations, the two leading cinema chains and Estonia's largest book publisher, including its bookstores.

The third-largest daily newspaper Õhtuleht has only appeared in a print version from Tuesdays to Saturdays since the end of 2022. The paper was quick to shift its focus to online subscribers instead, and the number of online subscriptions has now almost reached that of the print edition. Despite significant investments, the company was able to post a modest profit in 2022.

The daily business newspaper Äripäev completely discontinued its print edition in December 2022 and now only offers its online content to paying subscribers. Prices range from 32 to 49 euros per month, depending on the range of content. This business model seems to be working: Äripäev already posted a profit in the first year after making the switch from print to digital.

The websites of the public broadcaster ERR pose a problem for private media outlets, which argue that this service, which is financed by taxpayers' money and free of charge for users, distorts competition. ERR is the largest media organisation in the Baltic states. As recently as 2022, the Association of Media Enterprises negotiated a reduction in the VAT rate for publications from 9 to 5 percent. However, the budget for 2024 foresees a return to the previous 9-percent VAT rate.

Impact of the war in Ukraine
Shortly after the outbreak of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Estonia banned the transmission of Russian propaganda channels, which had previously been included in every basic cable package. Around 30 percent of Estonia's population are native Russian speakers and some two-thirds speak Russian. The idea that media users in Estonia should have free access to all information to be able to freely form their own opinions had proven to be dangerous in view of the increasingly aggressive propaganda that has been broadcast since 2014. Since then, viewers have had to pay extra to access these channels on platforms such as YouTube. In March 2022, a total of 1.3 million euros in public funds was awarded to private media companies with the goal of expanding the range of Russian-language content produced in Estonia. Postimees relaunched its Russian edition, which had been discontinued in 2016, as a weekly newspaper, and other groups expanded their offerings. In a bid to attract new users, the content is mostly for free – this was stipulated as a condition for receiving the grants, for which the state provided another million euros in 2023. In addition, the public broadcaster's Russian-language online, radio and TV channels were further expanded.

World Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders):
Rank 8 (2023)

Last updated: January 2024

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Äripäev (Daily newspaper)

Delfi (Website)

Eesti Ekspress (Weekly newspaper)

Eesti Päevaleht (Daily newspaper)

Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR Online) (Website)

ICDS Blog (Blog)

Sirp (Weekly newspaper)

Maaleht (Weekly newspaper)

Õhtuleht (Daily newspaper)

Postimees (Daily newspaper)

poliitika.guru (Blog portal)

Müürileht (Monthly magazine)

Lääne Elu (Website)