County newspapers are living difficult times, having to compete with municipal publications delivered to residents free of charge. At the same time, advertising money is increasingly moving to social media and print papers are rapidly losing readers.

Tõnis Tõnisson, editor-in-chief of Raplamaa Sõnumid, said that the VAT rate for periodicals going from 5 percent to 9 percent next year stands to exacerbate the situation.

"Those spelling doom for print newspapers are correct. We might hold on for another two, three, four or five years at best. By then, publications will need digital platforms," Tõnisson noted.

Väino Koorberg, executive manager of the Estonian Newspaper Association and media researcher, said that major media houses started their digital transformations 15 years ago. But local newspapers kept postponing decisions and have by now fallen behind nationwide papers.

Koorberg believes that the state should come to the rescue of local papers.

"Digital journalism isn't exactly cheap. It is quite expensive to develop and maintain a digital news platform. It is a complicated and expensive undertaking for a small county newspaper. I suppose that is what has caused a measure of hesitation. However, one would expect a national or nationwide program, as it is a problem in many parts of the world that local journalism seems to disappear first," Koorberg said.

The complete disappearance of county papers would entail unfortunate consequences.

"These vacancies would be filled by things that are not facts-based, objective, balanced and that could be polarized or spread conspiracy theories instead. Perhaps also as concerns alien ideology. And recreating balanced journalism once it's lost is very difficult," the manager said.

Tõnis Tõnisson agrees.

"Our disappearance could even be a serious blow for democracy. It's difficult for me to understand how the government and politicians fail to realize this," the newspaper editor remarked.

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