Several ERR articles shortlisted for this year's journalism awards

Several articles which have been published by ERR in the past year have been nominated for the annual journalism awards (Ajakirjanduspreemiad), to be presented later this month by the Estonian Media Companies Union (EML).
Articles were nominated not only in the investigative journalism category, chasing the prestigious Bonnier award, but also in the news, opinion and Russian-language media categories.
Among these included a series of articles covering what has become known in the Estonian media as the "eastern transport scandal" (Estonian: Idavedude skandaal), meaning the controversy which emerged from late August last year over the business activities of the spouse of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
ERR was the first to report that some of these activities included a significant stake in a firm which had continued to facilitate overland export, on behalf of another, related firm, of components to Russia, 18 months after the invasion of Ukraine had begun.
These were all also translated into English, and are as follows: "Peaministri abikaasale osaliselt kuuluv ettevõte jätkab vedusid Venemaale," (August 23, by Aleksander Krjukov, English translation here), "Kallas: mina ei tegele oma abikaasa äritegevusega," also published on August 23, by Madis Hindre (English version here) and "Arvo Hallik ei kavatse osalusest Stark Warehousingus loobuda," (August 29, by Karin Koppel, in English here).
The Bonnier award for the investigative category are funded by private media firms Delfi Meedia, Äripäev and Õhtuleht and Swedish media group Bonnier, which owns Äripäev, with the winner to be awarded €7,500.
Meanwhile among the nearly 60 pieces nominated from all publications to the news category were two pieces by Merilin Pärli on the University of Tartu data protection controversy, which broke earlier in August.
Nearly 50 pieces were submitted to the opinion category, including "Ei, proua peaminister," by ERR's head of portals Urmet Kook, available in English here.
In the Russian-language story category, 22 entries were submitted, and among the nominees were journalist Jevgenia Zõbina's articles published on ERR's Russian-language on the relative ease of setting up donations to help Ukraine compared with the relative lack of monitoring on how these amassed funds are spent.
From other publications, highlights include articles published by daily Eesti Päevaleht (EPL) and its sister publication Eesti Ekspress, a weekly, covering behind-the-scenes aspects of the Slava Ukraini! Donation embezzlement allegations, which led to the resignation of Eesti 200 MP Johanna-Maria Lehtme announced that she was leaving parliament.
Other categories include best nature story and best young journalist of the year.
The winners of each category will be announced at an EML gala event on February 22.
The jury includes Urmo Soonvald, editor-in-chief of EPL and Delfi. Martin Šmutov, editor-in-chief of Õhtuleht, Meelis Mandel, editor-in-chief of Äripäev, EML chief Väino Koorberg and Mihkel Kärmas, journalist and presenter of ETV investigative show "Pealtnägija."
The full list of categories and shortlisted articles and their authors for this year's awards is here (link in Estonian).
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: EML