Media and Sustainable Development

ESG strategy

Ekspress Grupp is the leading media group in the Baltic countries and therefore plays an important role in the development of the society. The Group’s media publications significantly shape the public information space in all its three home markets, i.e. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. As an employer of a considerable size, the Group has an obligation to manage all Group enterprises in an ethical and responsible manner, and to create independent, professional and reliable media content. Our operations are based on the group-wide ESG (environmental-social-governance) strategy created in 2022.

An agreement has been reached within the Group concerning the areas and activities embodying social impact and responsibility.

We wish to be:

Independent and modern content creator

- Always accessible through g of professional staff
- Equal treatment and valuing of diversity ",convenient and attractive digital information solutions
- Content to be created is reliable, journalists are independent and ethical

Attractive employer

- Retention and trainin

Responsibly-managed company

- Open and honest management
- Setting and fulfilment of the goals related to sustainable development

Promoter in society

- Supporting open and participatory democracy
- Addressing topics of major social impact

We raise important topics in the society, draw attention to them, and talk honestly and openly about them.

Journalism plays a clear role and we need to fulfil it. We definitely want to offer balanced journalism and it means that we need to select which topics and how to cover them. High-quality content and provision of balance is becoming more important and yet a more complex challenge.

– Mari-Liis Rüütsalu, CEO of Ekspress Grupp

Our approach to
responsible journalism

Press ethics starts with independence

Journalism needs to be independent and free. The work of journalists and periodicals should not be influenced by business interests, political links, personal relations or gains, bribes or any other benefits. The principles of balanced journalism are followed in all Group companies. Various parties are allowed to express themselves equally and can present counterarguments and, if necessary, corrections. The sources of presented information are always verified. Each journalist is responsible for source and confidentiality protection. In case of sensitive topics, the line of ethics should be perceived.

Standing up for credibility and freedom of expression

The continued and increasingly sharp polarization of the public increases the pressure on media houses to create and present reliable and quality journalistic content in a timely manner.

Comment control by human moderation

Comments are an important part of online publications as they enable the readers to express their views on topics that are important to them. Ekspress Grupp's media publications promote comments by users who are registered and logged in. Inappropriate comments are removed by both human moderators and a machine-learning moderating system.

Our journalistic content strictly adheres to traditional norms, focusing on unbiased reporting, fact-checking and editorial oversight

- Rasa Lukaitytė-Vnarauskienė, editor-in-chief of Delfi Lithuania

Content marketing

The Group is convinced that the journalistic content must not be influenced by the interest of advertising clients, content marketing or the organisation of the group's own commercial events. The Group's periodicals have drawn a clear line between advertising and editorial work. Content marketing and other content shown for a fee – such as special projects – are visually recognizable and labeled accordingly. Our customers and readers also expect it.

Advertising sales

All our companies adhere to the obligations and restrictions arising from the law in advertising sales.
For us, responsible data use in advertising sales is part of our responsibility to our customers, as well as a business opportunity to stand out as a reliable, ethical and transparent advertising platform.

Digital outdoor advertising

For Ekspress Grupp's digital outdoor advertising companies, part of their social responsibility is related to light pollution from advertising screens, which can affect both city residents and road users. Companies take into account the requirements arising from the law and the agreements of good practice of outdoor advertising.

According to the latest surveys, the coronavirus pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the global journalism. The latest annual report of the Reporters without Borders (RSF) reveals that that the situation has sharply deteriorated and journalism is being blocked, either in full or partially, in two-thirds of the 180 observed countries. According to the global press freedom indices, the media in the Baltic States is free – in the chart for 2021, Estonia ranked 15th (2020: 14th), Latvia 22nd (2020: 22nd) and Lithuania 28th (2020: 28th). The ranking of Latvia and Lithuania did not change while Estonia slipped by one spot.

As a responsible content creator, our task is not to treat all Russian-speakers the same. We discussed different connotations of words during the year. We certainly do not avoid the words "Russian" and "Russia" when covering what is happening in Ukraine. However, we agreed not to use hateful terms or colloquialisms that could label local Russians. It is a very sensitive subject. We try to be careful and are constantly learning from our mistakes.

- Filips Lastovskis, Editor-in-Chief of Delfi Latvia

Major topics in 2023

How we transformed the society through raising important topics

How Russia has attempted to influence elections in Estonia

Before the general elections, Eesti Päevaleht published a journalistic investigation on how Russia has attempted to influence elections in Estonia.

Mental health professionals in a difficult situation

Katariina Libe, journalist of the magazine Pere ja Kodu, provided a comprehensive insight into how therapists without evidence-based training overload the healthcare system.

How Slava Ukraini's charity turned into a business

Eesti Ekspress published an investigative article on the activities and background of Estonian and Ukrainian partners of Johanna-Maria Lehtme who is suspected of misuse of donations given to Slava Ukraini.

The challenges facing the Estonian healthcare system

In the Specialist series of articles, Eesti Päevaleht wrote about the challenges facing the Estonian healthcare system. The same problem was covered in detail also by Õhtuleht.

The limbo of the defunct Eurora employees

Geenius Meedia wrote about the problems of employees of Eurora in leaving the bankrupt company.

The problems with the closure of the work-related support system

Õhtuleht highlighted the problems of people with special needs with the closure of the work-related support system.

Sexual harassment in youth camps

Delfi Latvia published a story about the inappropriate behaviour of basketball couch Andris Steļmahs with his underaged student. Together with the Latvian public radio station Latvijas radio 1, Delfi journalists published a series of articles on sexual harassment in youth camps.

Problematic pricing policy of grocery retail chains

In cooperation with the Baltic Centre for Investigative Journalism, Delfi Latvia published a series of articles on the pricing policy of grocery chains. Cost of living was also the focus in the series of analytical articles published by Delfi which also discussed housing conditions in Latvia’s rural areas.

Since our product and topic portfolio is extensive, we try to find angles and topics related to sustainability everywhere. This is how we handle topics and projects, and it is becoming a daily part in the validation of journalistic topics. A good example is sports and entertainment where we also covered the aspect of sustainability in 2023.

- Urmo Soonvald, editor-in-chief of Delfi and Eesti Päevaleht