Delfi accused in Kremlin-friendliness

Photo: Ekraanitõmmised

The Russian language based information channel operating in Estonian and Latvia is after money. At the expense of Estonia’s security? one must ask.

Initially, Delfi council member Hans H. Luik said somebody must be bluffing while claiming that at the Riga Security Conference a week ago – one touching on Russia’s information war in neighbouring countries – his Russian language Delfi had been attacked as an anti-Estonia and Kremlin-minded channel. Having been personally present at the event, said the man, all he heard was a Latvian analyst mentioning the Russian language Delfi at a panel, in a few words – and nothing more.

In order to avoid an unnecessary war of words, Postimees yesterday dialled the phone number of Veiko Spolitis, an advisor at Latvian foreign minister and fluent in Estonian, to ask if the Russian language Delfi over there was undermining Latvia’s security.

And to this, thus answered Mr Spolitis: «Sure, there’s not a shadow of doubt about that.»

The second question: to which degree is the board of editors at Latvia’s Russian-language Delfi Putin- and Kremlin-minded?

The reply: «I have not studied that. But it is quite shocking as one reads their headlines which are absolutely contrary to the ones [Delfi has] in the Latvian language.» As assessed by Mr Spolitis, the stories in Latvia’s Russian-language Delfi are Russian propaganda minded.

Two parallel worlds

But the problem does not seem to be limited to Latvia alone. On the very day Mr Luik was at the Riga conference, Peeter Helme a former literature editor at Eesti Ekspress, had a story published in Estonia’s Public Broadcasting (ERR) titled «Two Delfis – two differing public orders?». Referring to coverage of the kidnapping of Estonian security police officer Eston Kohver in local Estonian and Russian language Delfi, Mr Helme said he feels the two channels come from two countries of very different political order.

«The Russian-language Delfi came across as [---] a hysteria-mongering Kremlin propaganda trumpet,» stated Mr Helme, «which wrote about the arrest of an Estonian spy in Pskov and was generally sowing sincere glee over the hapless activities of local fascist [...] bootlickers of the Yankees.»

The dealings of Estonian Russian-language Delfi have, in the Cold War type of information war heating up lately, not escaped the eye of the local political elite. According to Riigikogu foreign affairs committee head Marko Mihkelson, it is the local Russian-language online-media, first and foremost the Russian-language Delfi, that offers an especially sensitive environment for to impact a part of the population in Estonia. He added: «For the uninitiated, a justified question may often arise – is their office in Tallinn or in Moscow.»

Advice to critics

Parries Urmo Soonvald, editor-in-chief to Delfi and Eesti Päevaleht: the talk of Russian-language Delfi being Kremlin-friendly is childish and aimed to viciously label the media channel. Mr Soonvald claims having met dozens of so-called critics who have never read the Russian-language Delfi, yet diligently talking about the bias at the environment.

«To the critics, I advise reading Russian-language Delfi,» Mr Soonvald e-mailed Postimees, himself at a seminar abroad. «Not just one single story or in one day only, but in a longer and systematic manner. So as to have the opportunity to objectively generalise and evaluate. Then, they will discover that the so-called Kremlin-mindedness is an embarrassing label and slogan, the spreading of which just serves somebody’s evil intents. Surely, it is expedient to somebody to spread an evil myth. On both sides of the Eastern border, I fear.»

Most media experts and opinion leaders with whom Postimees yesterday discussed the activities of Russian-language Delfi were of the opinion that the channel’s staff and chiefs are still mainly motivated by financial calculations and not an ideological bias.

«Delfi isn’t so much interested in Putin’s policy propaganda, but rather in the clicks which, they think, such attitudes and such materials will generate,» suggested Vitali Belobrovtsev, a teacher at Slavic languages and cultures institute at Tallinn University. «I assume this isn’t intentional Russian propaganda; rather, this is what characterises yellow press which must not lift the reader to a higher plane, but – to the contrary – they come [lower] to meet the reader [where the latter’s at].»

Mr Spolitis, having watched Delfi in Both Latvia and Estonia, also admitted that the channel appears to just be after an abundance of clicks and advertisement money, by taking different approaches towards Estonian and Russian speaking readers. «This is purely business – people want to make money,» he said, «and they do not care if state interests are involved and whether the Russian speaking population would deserve a more balanced information.»

Mart Raudsaar, CEO of Estonian Newspaper Association and lecturer on journalism at Tallinn University, was also hesitant to judge Russian-language Delfi as Anti-.Estonian, before delving deeper into the issue. In a democratic society, he reminded, one must put up with all kinds of differing opinions. Even so, at least personally he is under the impression that the Russian-language Delfi is heavily inclined towards use of Russia’s information channels and is setting forth the very things domination in Russia’s channels.

Former MK-Estonia and ETV Russian-language programs editor-in-chief Pavel Ivanov also agreed not to the claim of Russian-language Delfi being Russia-minded. Rather, thinks Mr Ivanov, it is because the Russian version of Delfi has fewer staff, thus unable to produce many original stories; because there are very few local opinion leaders to continuously appear in the Russian-Language Delfi; and that the Russian-language Delfi is not living in the local [Estonian] media space alone, rather taking the broader approach to live and the channel therefore treating its activities as breaking new media ground.

«But the Estonian-speaking part of the public,» added Mr Ivanov, «views this as spreading the [Russian] side’s news.»

Empire rising

According to media expert Raul Rebane, on the one hand the Russian-language Delfi has to produce Russian-language journalism, while not desiring to be very anti-Estonia; and on the other hand they have to produce clicks to be economically viable. Now, they find themselves in a situation when a fitting balance between the two has become impossible.

«Now, not one is satisfied any longer and the problem is deepening,» claimed Mr Rebane. «For very many Russians, Delfi is too soft; and for many Estonians it is too anti-Estonia.» He added: «I know they [in Delfi] have internal conflicts; they cannot find solutions as to what kind of a style to go for.»

As yesterday admitted to Postimees by Hans H. Luik, over the past nine months the council of Delfi has felt quite on edge over the Russian-language channel. «You see, Russian-language Estonian media is produced with people of Russian nationality,» he explained, «and naturally we see that a part of the people of Russian nationality have begun to gripe about ‘attacks’ on Mother Russia.» Therefore, said Mr Luik, the owners of Delfi have allotted money for hiring extra moderators and are using a much heavier hand deleting comments in the information war triggered by Russia.

Mr Luik admitted to have noticed how there is a certain contingent of Russians, Delfi readers in Estonia and Latvia alike, dissatisfied with how they are being treated and ready to be kindled by Russian Empire power-talk. «As representative of shareholders, I am deeply disturbed by the Russian Empire talk, as Russian communists killed my two grandfathers,» he said.

As admitted by Mr Luik, the Empire is most dominant in Delfi opinion articles and comments. He is under the impression that most stories sent are to the tune of «Estonia’s defence forces are a pathetic youth camp and Estonian state just happens to be independent», produced by an information unit, say, in some Pskov military base.  

As also underlined by Urmo Soonvald, Delfi has toiled tremendously and spent tons of money so the army of commentators, probably financed by Moscow, would not sour the mood in Estonia, and roil the media environment. «This war has gathered momentum as related to the events in Ukraine and this war is waged, literally, by Delfi, against the Kremlin-minded,» he assured. «Thus, we know what the real Kremlin-mindedness is like, not some words sent around Estonia for semi-entertainment purposes.»

Even so, several experts yesterday said Delfi was lacking in responsibility for what it provides the environment. Vitali Belobrovtsev put it plain: «Talking about [Delfi’s] internet portal, there’s no semblance of responsibility there at all».

Marko Mihkelson, the parliament member, asked: «Is everything really measured in money, or should we also consider shared responsibility for security of the state and the citizens?» In online-media, conceded Mr Mihkelson, there’s more liberty than in the traditional one, but the greater the responsibility on the editor.