The Minister of Culture Piret Hartman (SDE) has signed a decree allocating funding to four publications for the production of journalistic content to help balance the Russian-language information space.

Four of the eight submitted applications were approved. Postimees Group, which received €300,000, intends to use digital media to bring quality journalism to Russian-speaking Estonians.

Delfi Meedia received the same amount and plans to bolster Russian-language journalism on its portal RusDelfi.

With the ministry's funding of €217,000, Äripäev plans to create journalistic content that will balance the Russian-language information space. Repost, a Russian-language publication launched by Äripäev last year, does not create content its own content but, as its publishers explained at the launch, selects and explains the most significant news stories.

The daily Põhjarannik, which focuses on news coverage of Ida-Viru County, received the smallest share of the project, €183,000, which is intended to increase the content and accessibility of independent journalism to the Russian-speaking population of Ida-Viru County.

Hartman said that there are still people in Estonia who watch Russian propaganda channels despite their ban. "By supporting Estonian Russian-language media channels, we hope to provide an alternative, or high-quality Russian-language journalism free of Putin's propaganda," she said.

After the grant period, recipients will submit a report to the ministry detailing how the funds were used.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!