Efforts to influence the editorial independence of public service media are not allowed

LTV calls for a critical appraisal of social media recordings, the obvious aim of which is to discredit public service media. “The news stories produced by LTV about the Belarusian hybrid war against the European Union should be seen in a broader context than with selectively selected excerpts and individual quotations taken from the context that distort reality,” the statement said.

LTV emphasizes that it is a public, not a state media. Consequently, attempts by politicians and officials to influence the editorial independence of the public media, for example by publicly indicating how the situation on the border between Belarus and the European Union would be reflected and whose statements would or should not be included in the news stories, are unacceptable.

Any demands on what content Latvian Television has to create can be considered as interference in the operation of the mass media.

“Freedom of expression and the press are an integral part of the democratic system. The right to freedom of expression is one of the fundamental foundations of a democratic society and one of the most important conditions for its progress. It is not just about ‘information’ or ‘ideas’ innocent or indifferent, but also to those who offend, shock or disturb a person or part of the population, in a spirit of pluralism, tolerance and openness without which a democratic society cannot exist, “LTV said in a statement.

Its representatives point out that the story or publication attracts various comments – some find the content challenging, others welcome it, but there is absolutely no reason to question the editorial position of LTV News Service and the public media portal LSM.lv about covering important national events and issues in Latvia.

In recent years, LTV has regularly reported on Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine from war zones in eastern Ukraine, protests by Belarusians against the Lukashenko regime and the falsification of election results, as well as opposition protests against Vladimir Putin in Russia. LTV is now reporting from Poland and Iraq on a hybrid war organized by Belarus against the European Union.

“The task of the public media is to reflect the reality, also informing how certain countries use the situation on the border of Belarus and the European Union to their advantage. It is impossible to provide as comprehensive information as possible, ignoring the rhetoric of these countries. also ambiguous quotes from the heads of state, because they describe the position of these countries, “the statement states LTV.

It emphasizes its values ​​of responsibility, excellence and independence. LTV News Service and public media portal LSM.lv perform their duties in accordance with these values ​​and high ethical standards, act professionally and openly.

Objectivity is a fundamental value that is reflected in all news broadcasts and publications,

both by carefully weighing which events and how to reflect them, and by trying to include the views of different parties in each report.

Public television emphasizes that it researches and covers a very wide range of issues and topics of public importance, and provides the most comprehensive and multifaceted information possible on the essentials, including the Belarusian hybrid war against the European Union.

LTV points out that in order to improve and develop professional quality, the evaluation and analysis performed in the public media is a continuous daily process. LTV is open to criticism, but expects the evaluation of industry professionals without stratification of the interests of individual groups or politicians. The Latvian Media Ethics Council already exists to review media work and provide opinions. LTV believes that the establishment of the Ombudsman Institute provided for in the Law on Public Electronic Media and its Management will also facilitate the opportunities to obtain a professional assessment.

CONTEXT:

The neighbor has convened a meeting of the Saeima Commission for Human Rights and Public Affairs to evaluate the work of the public media. In a conversation with LETA, the politician emphasized that neither the deputies nor the commission could determine for the public media what to publish or broadcast on them, however, the parliamentarians “have questions and need clarity” about how the news is presented in general.

The microblogging site, Twitter, has sparked a debate over whether Poland is being slandered in social media coverage. A neighbor pointed out that the issue would be discussed in the commission because “democracy is not permissiveness”.

“For Development / About!” The Saeima faction opposes what the Neighbor said in the discussion and emphasizes that the law stipulates that the public electronic media are free from political, economic, certain interest groups and other interference in their activities.

Also the Latvian Association of Journalists in a statement to the media pointed out that the pressure on the public media due to the coverage of the border crisis is unacceptable.

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