Since 2015, the Nordic Council of Ministers has funded independent Russian-language media outlets in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to support the Russian-speaking population’s integration in local society and to enable Russian speakers to actively engage in political decisions, discussions, and debates. On 28 October the Nordic Committee for Co-operation at its meeting discussed the Baltic media programme and decided to set aside just over DKK 2 million ( EUR 27 540) to continue the programme until the end of 2021.
“It is in the Nordic Region’s interest to support initiatives in the Baltic countries that promote the ability of Russian-speaking minorities to participate in the social development of countries around the Baltic Sea,” says the Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Paula Lehtomäki.
The media programmes of the Baltic countries have so far followed three parallel paths. The further training of journalists, media awareness for young people, and the funding of independent media production. The programmes now being funded focus solely on media production funding to support professional content creation and storytelling and to increase the quality and attractiveness of local media in the Baltic countries, with a special focus on inclusive content in minority languages and ethnically diverse regions.
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