The most successful international media outlet about Estonia, Estonian World, had a record year in terms of readership – but we need your help to make our future more secure.
First, I want to use the opportunity and wish a happy and prosperous year to all of you who are reading Estonian World; the online magazine we – three stubborn, London-based, Estonians – started over five years ago.
Since our humble beginnings, we have grown to become the most international and the most read (in 2017, over one million of you read our articles) English-language online publication about Estonia, read in more than 230 countries and territories. Last, but not least – we have also created the most professionally edited English-language media outlet about Estonia. It’s therefore no coincidence that our biggest readership is in the Anglosphere countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
But all of this has been achieved with lots of hard work, daily grind and personal sacrifices. To carry on the work we started, we need your help.
We want more people in the world to know about how Estonians do things and what we are all about – our digital solutions, culture, strong identity and traditions, and the beautiful country. We want Estonians back home to know more about their diaspora – those who live elsewhere. We also want to make Estonia a better and more prosperous place to live – we want to highlight the ideas that would make it possible.
We aim to publicise these stories in a positive, encouraging manner, but we don’t neglect to write about the country’s and its peoples’ challenges and concerns. Yes, we strive to be positive, but we don’t sugar-coat. Our professional ethics dictates objectivity above everything else. Estonian World’s independent ownership structure means no one can tell us to censor a story. We believe that an independent English-language publication about Estonia is also essential for the transparency and the functioning of democracy in the country.
But to ensure quality and content is a difficult and expensive work. Unlike many media outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep Estonian World open and free to read. To keep it open and free – and at the same time, sustainable – will cost €80,000 this year. We are planning to fund most of these costs with various resources, but we also need to ask for your help.
If Estonian World readers support our work this year with at least €20,000, it would help us immensely. Please consider helping us in our efforts – here’s the way how you can support us via Patreon – for as little as $1 per month.
Thank You and Happy New Year!
I
Cover: Tagaküla stone in Estonia (image by Sven Zacek).
