BABEL IN VILNIUS - Generation Europe

The Knowledge Effort

Indre — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:26:00 +02:00

Lithuania is under the reign of digital media and surely the information is already settled in our hard-drives. In the meantime, we say that students in Vilnius still worship the printed one.

After the first two events, when we draw journalists attention to the bicyclist knocked on the ground and put the schoolchildren to the position of reporters, we used the photos, which were taken there. Babel Lietuva team examined the students attitude to the pictures, as the merest form of media.

Lithuania is under the reign of digital media and surely the information is already settled in our hard-drives. In the meantime, we say that students in Vilnius still worship the simple forms of printed media. Are they interested in photos, lying on the ground? Do you think they are trying to find the owners of these photos?

In fact, most of the people do not give attention to the pictures strewed near to the library of Vilnius university and blown by the wind. However, a couple of pictures pressed with stones is winning as much recognition of the public, as the contemporary art exhibition could win.

In the beginning we were sure, that our purpose was exceeded, because all the pictures were collected. But later, we found all of them at the library front desk. It seems like the inclination for the common welfare is not a hard-task for students. Nevertheless, a few people dared to collect the pictures and only the group of students who noticed the camera asked for permission to keep them.

By the way, the pictures draw more attention, when there was already leaning someone interested. While one collected pictures, others were leaning and trying to take a glance. When nobody was around, most of the students stepped them over taking a dip of image gingerly. The picture is evidently as interesting, as it is still treated with respect among them.

Indrė Kumpikevičiūtė

The News Justifies the Means

Dionizas — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 08:30:00 +02:00

The different perceptions of media among young and senior journalist generations working in Vilnius became obvious. Confused between public relations and information the latter pay more attention to the subject of the article, and the former are getting considerate to the community of readers.

Lithuania is a small country, but it was re-created by a tough and perceptive nation. Now in this small linguistic space a demanding audience is just starting to develop. Media has to take the place of the fourth estate – all of us realize. However, the essential rights and obligations of the media are still the subject of discussion. In Vilnius the difference of perceptions of media among the young and the senior journalists is becoming more and more obvious.

Some old-fashioned publishers and journalists still claim that they are the public sphere. For them it is particularly difficult to reconcile with younger media representatives who admit meeting the requirements of the businessmen and not those of the society.

INFORMATION – THE MATTER OF TASTE

All journalists who work in Lithuania understand that the help in distinguishing information from scandals is their responsibility for the society. However, when the Prime Minister claims that it is normal even for the government or the ministries to pay for publications in national newspapers, the editors and publishers are those to decide whether the information is news or not, and not the journalists.

The fact that the publishers do not publicize their financial operations, or profit, does alarm both young and senior journalist generations. Although, the majority of them are well aware that this “easy” period is going to an end, it is difficult for senior generation to turn their longstanding soviet norms to an independent journalism, which requires great efforts. Meanwhile the only thing that holds back the younger journalists from informing the public is how their pieces are transformed in most of the media outlets after editing.

ACTING FOR THE CITY

Team of Babel Lietuva had a chance to ascertain the different working styles of generations. The event named “The News Justifies the Means” was organized in Vilnius. The Goštauto street, which is full of editorial offices, was chosen aiming to check the diversity of the reaction of journalists representing the different generations.

On a sunny morning of May, a cyclist fell down in the middle of that street. 10 photographers simulated the encirclement with complete disregard for the heavy traffic. They also pointed a few cameras to the journalists who were passing by. Babel photographers watched and were astonished at varying reactions, which they had the opportunity to record.

The older generation was interested in the cyclist lying in the crossroad and tried to avoid the flashlights covering the faces with their hands. “Are you taking photos of us, can we take one?” the youthful question was intended to the photographers by the journalist working in the local media outlet “15 minutes”.

The personnel of this newspaper, which has the equivalent called "20 minutes” in Paris, Zurich and Madrid, hopes to get the first profit only next year. However, they have surprised the team of photographers with their sense of sociability and the attention given to the Babel in Vilnius.

Erika Lastovskytė,

Dionizas Bajarūnas,

Translation Asta Kraujalytė

To Outplay the Professional

Dionizas — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:15:00 +02:00

“Are you afraid of journalists?” The recorder and a camera with flash dazzling need no comment. Journalists are trying to get you. The only surprise is they are not adult professionals, but 12 years old children. (audio)

It was the 1^st of June by Babel Lithuania. 20 schoolchildren from the secondary school of “Antakalnis” were the participants of the performance set up in the square of Europe on International Children’s Day. They were trying to find out the public opinion on journalists working in Lithuania. The event was the part of the campaign called “Generation Europe”, which is running all over Vilnius through the whole summer. This time it was dedicated to the youngest part of Vilnius community.

The square of Europe has not ever seen hard working people at the lunch time so many. 20 persistent youngsters had 5 controversial questions about journalists working in Lithuania to ask. More than 200 people visiting, or working in Vilnius municipality and business center have answered. Students, workers and public officials just could not resist. Even politicians, who often ignore professional journalists in Lithuania, answered the questions with devotion.

The Vilnius vice-mayor Algirdas Paleckis was the most important catch of Motiejus Pelėda and two of his classmates. The politician was not sparing of words for children. He did not slow down, while talking, however. Fortunately, the crowd on his way to the shopping center stopped him and the children were able to get all the answers.

By this performance the local cafebabel.com team in Vilnius points out: even children are able to gather, or winkle out the information. Meanwhile, for the actual journalists who analyze and report the facts to the society, BABEL LITHUANIA wishes to be more self-sufficient and to inspire them to do everything that is possible for the community of Vilnius to be better informed.

Junior journalists: Laura Gataveckaitė, Domantas Girtavičius, Motiejus Pelėda, Ignas Janulevičius, Mažvydas Leckevičius, Greta Makauskaitė, Ieva Dargytė, Raimundas Šiaudkulis, Tomas Simniškis, Tadas Skiparis, Eglė Usonytė, Algirdas Radauskas, Eglė Gradauskaitė, Eglė Lukoševičiūtė, Ignas Braziulis, Lina Ulevičiūtė, Ieva Juodeikytė, Milda Marcinkevičiūtė, Tomas Petraška, Austė Štuikevičiūtė.

Indre Kumpikevičiūtė, Vilnius

Translation Erika Lastovskytė

The most interesting answers attached.