To those who still think that journalism should be complimentary, I have to say – stop polluting the air, says journalist Jānis Domburs. What should be the mission of public media, why quality journalism is expensive, is the era of Škiela and Lemberg over and what he once wrote poems about, a conversation with Jānis Dombur At the crossroads of an era.
I have high demands on myself and everyone else around me. And in general, tall people do not have to prove anything. This is what the tall and demanding journalist Jānis Domburs has said. Of the more than 80 guests interviewed on the show so far, Jānis seems to be the youngest participant in the conversation.
Does Jānis Domburs also listen to and analyze the ceremonial speeches of state leaders on New Year’s Eve, or is it the time when Jānis Domburs rests.
Jānis Domburs: Depends. If I’m on vacation across Latvia, I see what’s happening there. I was not abroad this year. I analyzed in a clear mind on January 1, 2. If it happens, I can hear it, but it’s in the background.
This time I heard with one ear, the next day I reread the text, listened to the video, also read some of the reviewers, I can’t say anything new. I think we have an interesting nation or people, I think we need higher ambitions. I read the president of Estonia, Lithuania and Finland [runas] I looked, through that prism I saw many things that were not there and that were needed. Starting with weighing human affairs, which some have praised, with global geopolitical affairs.
Second, I liked that the Lithuanian president’s speech was shorter than the others. He emphasized – 20 years in the European Union and NATO. Basically, it is a question of where we come from and where we are going. From that point of view, I didn’t expect many things.
If we look back at the past year and ask – what happened in Latvia last year? – what are the events, people, life situations that come to your mind first?
Jānis Domburs: You could talk about it for half the program. The themes through which those events appear come to mind. In addition, those that have happened, others that have not happened. I found two things worthy of attention when talking about Ukrainian refugees. I tried to put together already a year ago. The number of people who work is doubtfully small compared to those who live on benefits and compared to Lithuania and Estonia. Now there are SRS data for December and the numbers do not convince us that we fully integrate them as part of our society. This is an anti-event. I’m also worried about the things that didn’t happen.
The second is an epic about the trial, disappearance and murder of Leona Rusiš. We went through all kinds of decisions and documents that the police, the court, and the prosecutor’s office say. What is learning?
To me, those events are so journalistic… Of course, there was an epic with the change of governments and the change of president, but I would rather raise whether the society and the country become more responsible in some aspects. How we grow.
You have been associated with Latvian Television for many years, we are currently speaking on Latvian radio. This is likely to be a year of big changes for both public media, if the Saeima votes for their merger. How do you look at unified social media and how do you see yourself in it?
Jānis Domburs: I look at the fact that this idea, this setup, should be sold much better, in the best sense of the word, to the public. Whether it can be sold to politicians or whether they are good buyers is debatable. But
non-Latvian speaking, stakeholdersand we all are steikholders In the 21st century, it is necessary to tell much more clearly that when talking about national culture, starting from cultural heritage and ending with modern things, public media is needed. There you can express yourself, there you can develop, there you can show a lot more, and you need a lot more social media channels and platforms. When it comes to national sports, public media is necessary. In all sectors, you can go – about national business, the rule of law. They are needed in context, not media for media’s sake, but for the balanced development of all sectors and the country.
I think there is a lot left undone. Therefore, there is a lot of misunderstanding in society and there is not much pressure in politics. About pressure in society… this is not about media literacy, but about democracy literacy or state literacy, why the media is needed. Why can’t you “go out” with commercial media in a small country where there are few markets. America is not here, not even England, France, Germany. It is not possible. Maybe in the post-Soviet society it is possible. Against the background of all this are the employees of Latvijas TV and Latvijas Radio, who, I also understand, are cringing.
Radio people have been more cautious, can you understand their skepticism?
Jānis Domburs: I understand, of course. It’s not like everyone is clapping their hands in delight on TV as far as I’ve been talking. No. But I think the story is common. You can combine bad and you can combine well. Can create added value and can create from two defections one much greater defection than one plus one. I think the big story is how the joke was Soviet times – you pretend to work, we pretend to pay. It’s similar here – we’re not going to give you more money because you’re doing a bad job; you give us more money, then we will work better… Such a conversation will, of course, go round and round. Until it is somehow elevated by some leadership to another level, we can always understand everyone, we will always have a hundred risks. And they are. I think that another bar can be raised there, and it is in the context of what you are asking, where I see my place. I see there a place in internal creative disputes.
(..) synergy is possible, but it is possible with investments, with good managers who do not formally do, and with the mentioned stakeholder good pressure, we would go ahead to make the public order truly public.
Would you also be ready to get involved in the unified media at the administrative level?
Jānis Domburs: (..) Of course, my experience is so big, wide and variegated, if you need any advice from me – anytime. I would be ready if the conversation happened. I don’t think those talks are happening yet.
In 2006, a number of young people held a picket in support of Jānis Dombur. In Latvia, there have not been many cases when people take to the streets to defend journalism or a particular journalist.
Jānis Domburs: Thank them. It was a branch of the social democratic youth, I think it was them.
I’m for capitalism – I’m for those who work well getting paid well. I am for the fact that in competition, those who get something should be ensured, no matter if it is sports, music or art, or something else, and they should be motivated. I understand that there is no American or Spanish market where after two seasons you have two villas and three apartments. But I think it is very important to think about motivation.
Second, these can be tools to “hang around”, and this can be stupid. And it is very difficult to distinguish evil from stupidity. But what worried me then and still worries me, I hope it will always worry me, is that I through myself… I was lucky, I started in “Awakening” and then there was radio “Free Europe”, they were popular and well-funded reactions, and I saw what can be done if you can attract the best shots, where I was one of and not immediately and in all aspects the best. But what does it give, what power does it give.
After that, fighting alone, I also realized that you can plan a million things, the question is where are the resources – do you earn it yourself and sleep inside, or does someone redistribute the people’s money. Therefore, I return to the story, whether we should have distributed 50 million to all the wealthy in this year’s budget to finance the increase in tariffs of the “Distribution network”, or should we have – there are millions for oncology patients, and millions more, for example, for media development.
The interviewing style of Jānis Domburas is always evaluated differently, but in Latvia the ideas about how to interview were changed by the BBC interview with Vaira Vīkis-Freiberg in 2000. At that time, several journalists expressed their opinions, including Jānis Domburs. Did this interview change the public perception of how a journalist can talk to a politician?
Jānis Domburs: I don’t remember changing anything. But I think it is very important to separate the form and the content and not to put the form above the content. Everything I do in the studio – tones, intonations and something else – there is a lot of form there. The question is, with what content have I come to this discussion. And I think that this is the main reference point for me and now enough people who know that and how I prepare for the show. And they understand that if I start talking to someone in harsher tones, then I have a reason. And I can defend this foundation of mine before all commissions, all instances, councils, in court and before St. Peter in the hall. Anywhere. That is one fundamental thing.
Second, the live broadcast doesn’t lie. The third thing, which seems very important to me, was Sebastian’s first question at the beginning – are you playing with fire. A very good question, it’s just a good question in my opinion. It is a great moment that if there are people in Latvia who still imagine or imagine that journalism should be complimentary, service-oriented and know what else, I have the old saying against it – don’t pollute the air.
Latvijas Radio invites you to express your opinion about what you heard in the program and supports discussions among listeners, however, reserves the right to delete comments that violate the boundaries of respectful attitude and ethical behavior.
2024-01-06 23:11:07
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