Europe: Estonia

Current Status: unknown

Press Council: Estonia

Pressinõukogu, Estonian Press Council

Andrus Karnau (Chairman)

Sulev Oll ( Deputy Chair)


Pärnu mnt 67a
10134 Tallinn Estonia
Tel. +372 646 3363
Fax. +372 631 1210
Email: pn@eall.ee

Website: http://www.eall.ee/pressinoukogu/index-eng.html

The Estonian Press Council (Pressinõukogu) is a voluntary body of media self-regulation to handle complaints from the public about material in the media. The Council provides the public with a possibility to find solutions to disagreements with the media without the need to go to court.

The Estonian Press Council has ten members, including six from the media sector and four lay members from the non-media sectors. The Press Council has a rotating chairman.  

The Press Council discusses complaints about material that has appeared in the press, in online portals with journalistic content, and on public service broadcasting stations. No longer than three months must have passed since the material appeared. The handling of complaints is free of charge and quick - the Council meets once a month.

The Estonian Press Council (Pressinõukogu) was set up in 2002 by the Estonian Newspaper Association. In 2003, the main online news portals agreed to stick to the standards set by the Press Council regarding journalistic content of these sites. In 2005, the public service Estonian Radio and Estonian Television joined the system and Press Council members are also  online-portal Delfi and commercial broadcasters Kanal 2 and TV 3, BNS, radio Kuku and Tallinn TV.

The Estonian Press Council (Pressinõukogu) is a member of AIPCE (Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe).

Updated: 16/08/2017

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Avaliku Sõna Nõukogu, Estonian Press Council

Prof. Epp Lauk (Chair);

Urmas Loit (Director)

Gonsiori 21

Tallinn 10147

Estonia

Tel: 372 64 63 699

Fax: 372 64 63 699

Email: asn@asn.org.ee

Web: www.asn.org.ee

The Estonian Press Council was set up by the Estonian Newspaper Association in 1991. The model was taken from Finland and even the Estonian name Avaliku Sõna Nõukogu (The Council of Public Word) was borrowed from Finnish.

In April 1997, several media organizations decided to reorganize EPC on a wider basis, i.e. a non-profit organization was founded on the grounds of private agreement, made by the Newspaper Association, the Association of Broadcasters, the Journalists' Union, the Union of Media Educators and the Consumers' Union. At present, also Lawyers’ Union, the Estonian Council of Churches and a NGO called Media Watch have become the members of the non-profit organisation.

In November-December 2001, EPC incurred a cataclysm, both organizational and conceptual. The Newspaper Association accused the chairman of mismanagement. Media educators on the other hand found that the accusations of newspapers arose from the conceptual conflict — the editors did not like criticism from EPC. As a result, the operations were temporarily cancelled for five months and the Newspaper Association resigned membership in the organization. After that also the broadcasters detached themselves from the conflictious situation. But EPC continues to be a self-regulatory body for those who recognize it and also provides an expert opinion about media quality for the general public.

The aims of the non-profit organisation are as follows:

  • To protect press freedom
  • To examine complaints about mass media from the aspect of good conduct
  • To support the development of journalists' professional skills (including perception of ethics) and adherence to the good tradition of journalism.

By the rules of procedure, every member-organization can delegate one to three representatives to the Press Council. The total number of members is limited to 17, of which seven need to represent non-media organizations. At present (2008), there are 10 members in EPC:

  • Two active journalists
  • Two professors of journalism,
  • One teacher of media
  • One person from Consumer Union
  • One manager from media associations
  • One writer
  • One lawyer
  • One clergyman

Usually, EPC meets once every two months. The adjudications are made independently of the member organisations.

In year 2007 EPC, received 21 complaints of which 19 were concluded. 10 cases were upheld, six dismissed, and five rejected. Upon five cases a general ruling or a public memorandum was given.

EPC participated in creating the national Code of Ethics. The code was introduced in December 1997 by the Estonian Newspaper Association, the Association of Estonian Broadcasters and EPC. Before that adjudications were made on the basis of international professional tradition and the best knowledge of the members of EPC.

At present, the Code provides a basis for assessing the cases. But as it does not cover all possible cases, EPC refers to the body of cases already considered. ??EPC is mainly financed by the membership fees. Some projects have been financed by foundations and the state. The office of the NGO is run by a part-time director, the members attend on a voluntary basis.

From this point on the text has not been revised.

Outdated Information

Pressinõukogu, Press Council

Pressinõukogu was set up by media owners seceding from original PC

Mr Sulev Valner (Chair); Maige Prööm (Managing secretary)

c/o Estonian Newspaper Association

Pãrnu mnt 67A

10134 Tallinn

Estonia

Tel: 372 646 3363

Fax: 372 631 1210

Email: pn@eall.ee

Web: www.eall.ee/pressinoukogu/index-eng.html

The Press Council of Estonia (Pressinõukogu) is a voluntary body of press self-regulation to handle complaints from the public about material published in the press. The Council provides the public with a possibility to find solutions to disagreements with the press without the need to go to court.

The Press Council has nine members, including five from the media sector and four lay members from the non-media sectors. The Press Council's rotating chairman is Mr Sulev Valner, editor-in-chief of the Maaleht weekly newspaper.

The Press Council discusses complaints about material published in the press and which have been published no later than three months before. The handling of complaints is free of charge and quick. The council meets once a month.

The Press Council was set up early in 2002 after the Estonian Newspaper Association and other media organisations withdrew from an earlier self-regulatory body over disagreements concerning the leadership and management style of its chairman. ??The Press Council was set up by the Estonian Newspaper Association.

In April 2003, the main online news portals agreed to stick to the standards set by the Press Council regarding the journalistic content of these sites. This move serves as proof of the viability and authority of the Press Council. ??In its first year of existence, the Council received 47 complaints, out of which 30 cases have been adjudicated. In 12 cases, the publication was considered to have violated the code of ethics, in 10 cases, no breach of good journalistic practice was established, and in eight cases, the Press Council mediated a solution between the complaint maker and the publication.

Last Update - Aug 2008