Why is support for decentralized, new, and truly independent media necessary? The answer can be found here...

The Estonian state supports private media in several ways, such as funding the Press Council, supporting the Estonian Newspaper Association, and providing funding to the Public Broadcasting Service. These supports are important for ensuring media diversity and journalistic independence and can also contribute to the protection of democratic values.

The amount and objectives of the support provided by the Estonian state to private media vary between different programs and organizations. For instance, the state may support the Press Council, which is responsible for monitoring journalism ethics and handling violations. Similarly, the state may support the Estonian Newspaper Association, which is a union of publishers that deals with journalistic topics, market situations, and legislation.

The funding provided to the Public Broadcasting Service, which includes Estonian Television and Radio, is used for producing radio and television programs and broadcasting from various events and meetings. The funding is also used to support digital news portals, including the funding of news publications such as Delfi and Eesti Paevaleht. The state also supports educational programs and scholarships related to media entrepreneurship.

The amount of support depends on the different needs and objectives of the program and organization, but generally, compared to the Estonian state budget, the support is modest. For instance, in 2021, the budgeted expenses of the Public Broadcasting Service amounted to €40.6 million, while the Estonian state collected revenue of approximately €12 billion.

A precise and unified procedure for Estonian private media's state funding has not been established, as different media channels may receive various supports from different sources. However, generally, state support is given to private media project-based, which means that the support is awarded to specific journalistic projects rather than to the company as a whole.

For example, the state may provide support to a journalist or media outlet to cover the costs of news coverage, such as travel or interview expenses. Additionally, the state may support journalistic training or seminars that help journalists to perform their work better. The support may also be related to specific fields, such as culture, sports, or science coverage.

Although the details of financing different private media channels may be confidential, and the sizes of the support may differ, the general goal of the financing should be to promote quality journalism and contribute to democratic processes.

Some examples of private media support used in Estonia are:

• "Aktuaalne kaamera" news program on ERR (Estonian Public Broadcasting) - ERR is a national media channel that receives state support mainly through separate projects. For instance, in 2018, the special project of "Aktuaalne kaamera" was supported, which covered the events of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.
• The magazine "Eesti Ekspress" is a private media publication that has received support from the government, for example, to invite foreign journalists to Estonia to cover Estonian society and culture. Additionally, journalists have received support to attend international conferences and seminars.
• The news portal Delfi is also a private media publication, one of the largest news portals in Estonia owned by Eesti Meedia AS. The shares of Eesti Meedia AS are in turn owned by the Finnish media conglomerate Sanoma. Delfi's revenues consist mainly of advertising revenue and circulation. The company has also received various types of support, such as state support for covering research or cultural events.

These are just some examples of government support for various journalistic projects in Estonia. The size of projects and support may vary depending on the specific project and the source of the support.

The ownership situation of Estonian media shares may change over time, and it may not be easy to find an accurate overview of this. However, it is known that Finnish media conglomerate Sanoma owns Estonian media companies such as AS Äripäev, Eesti Meedia AS (including the newspapers Postimees and Eesti Päevaleht), AS Õhtuleht Kirjastus (including the newspaper Õhtuleht) and AS Ajakirjade Kirjastus (including the magazines Eesti Naine and Kroonika).

The major players in the Estonian media market include the state-owned media channel Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), the Postimees Group, which is one of the largest media companies in Estonia and covers print media (Postimees, Tartu Postimees, etc.), online media, and radio (Kuku Radio), Ekspress Meedia, which covers print media (Eesti Ekspress, Maaleht, etc.), online media, and radio (Delfi Radio), and the TV3 Group, a television media company that covers the TV3, TV6, and TV3+ channels.

Other media channels, such as Kanal 2 and several magazine and online news portal companies like Äripäev, Eesti Päevaleht, and ERR's portals, compete with these major players.

Together, these companies form the Estonian media landscape and shape its development and trends with the help of the Estonian government's support.

Decentralized media, which is completely independent of the state and free from state support, certainly needs the support of the people, and this is important.

Since state support can lead to journalistic bias and the neglect of certain topics, the diversity of different views and perspectives presented by alternative media is important for democracy and an open society.

Therefore, if decentralized media can provide quality journalism and represent different views and positions, people's support is essential for its sustainability and to increase its impact on society.