At the end of September the Europe on the ground, - the journalistic experience inspired by cafebabel.com took place in Vilnius. In the debate organized by Babel Lietuva and moderated by the professional journalist Rimvydas Paleckis the question how the Lithuanian media could become more transparent was answered by three editors of weekly magazines and the advisor of the Inspector of Journalist Ethics.

 

 

Everyone in Lithuania already knows which media is not transparent. Everyone acknowledges, that the information it offers in many cases is not of a high quality. Nevertheless, even the journalists who participated in the debate did not agree who is responsible for the distorted perception of journalism in Lithuania.

Jurga Tvaskienė, the ex-editor of the weekly magazine „Panorama“, which was closed down by owners because of not bringing enough profit, passed the responsibility to the Institute of Journalism. She claimed that the publishers do not carry out the mission of informing the society anymore, but rather take advantage of the inexperience and idealism of the young journalists for making money. Therefore, the Institute should prepare students for the tainted media market.

The editor of the weekly business magazine Verslosavaite.lt Nerijus Budrys believes that businessmen prefer to buy commercials in the media, which deliver negative headlines, but not news. Accordingly, the owners of the media were named as the group, which conditions the decline in the quality of information, because using these headlines they are trying to get the fast profit. However, the advisor of the Inspector of Journalists Ethics Deividas Velkas stated that they are not as almighty as it may seem. He also added, that the newspaper published by the Institute of Journalism, or any other public institution would be the great alternative, which could bring more positive news to the active members of society.

By common assent, the editors and journalists were nominated as most powerful in striving for more transparent media in Lithuania. They can always resist to the pressure of the media owners. However, the chairperson of the Lithuanian Union of Journalist Dainius Radzevičius, who attended the debate, stated that at first, journalists should resist without taking the risk of their wellbeing.

Dionizas Bajarunas