2023-10-06
We invite you to register for the Baltic Media Forum
On 8 November, LRT together with the Lithuanian Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME) and the Lithuanian Journalism Centre (LJC), are organising the Baltic Media Forum in Vilnius, at the Tech Park Conference Centre (Antakalnio g. 17).
The conference for media professionals from the Baltic region and beyond will raise awareness about the biggest challenges both public service media and commercial/local media are facing nowadays as well as motivate outlets to seek solutions and cross-border cooperation.
“Quality media is like a good compass in turbulent times. The conference paves the way for all of us to explore the vital role of trusted and reliable journalism in today’s world. It is also the place to look for new solutions to the challenges of the digital and AI world we are facing now,” says Gunta Sloga, Director of the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence.
“The annual Baltic Media Forum is a meeting point for all those who care about freedom of expression and the quality of journalistic work. It brings together a community of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian journalists, media researchers, and organisations that support professional journalists. This is important because without a strong community, it is difficult to defend the right and duty of journalists to freely collect and disseminate information,” says Dr Džina Donauskaitė, Director of the Lithuanian Journalism Centre.
“As a public service broadcaster, LRT is not only honoured but also responsible for bringing together the community of journalists for discussions, providing opportunities to share with each other the best and most relevant experience and thus contribute to better journalism,” says Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė, Director General at LRT.
During the event, presentations, panel discussions, and seminars on the main challenges faced by modern-day media will take place, featuring major issues such as the meaning and impact of the European Media Freedom Act on the freedom of expression and media independence from political pressure, to more practical issues, such as the use of artificial intelligence in editorial offices. In light of Russia’s war in Ukraine, special emphasis will be placed on war coverage.
Media experts from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Canada, and leading European media organisations will give presentations and participate in discussions. Ukrainian journalists will talk about the peculiarities of working as journalists during wartime.
The event will also include several practical seminars led by journalists from the LRT Investigations Division and Radio Documentary, as well as from the DW Akademie.
This Forum is an annual event which has been organised annually by the BCME, Baltic public service media organisations, and local partners since 2017. On a rotation basis, it’s held in the three Baltic capitals each year – Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn. It brings together journalists and other media professionals and experts, public, commercial, national, and regional media from the Baltic States and beyond. The conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, will take place following previous Baltic media forums held in Tallinn and Riga.
Registration for the event is open until 3 November.
Contact information for inquiries – inter@lrt.lt
BALTIC MEDIA FORUM 2023
November 8, 2023, Vilnius
Venue address: TechPark Conference Centre, Antakalnio Str. 17, Vilnius
Organisers: LRT, Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME), Lithuanian Journalism
Centre (LJC)
PROGRAMME
8:30 Participant registration.
9:00–9:10 WELCOMING REMARKS BY MONIKA GARBAČIAUSKAITĖ-BUDRIENĖ, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF LRT.
9:10–9:30 Keynote address. IMPORTANCE OF THE EUROPEAN MEDIA FREEDOM ACT FOR MEDIA AND JOURNALISM IN EUROPE.
Audrius Perkauskas, Deputy Head of the Audiovisual and Media Services Policy unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (online).
9:30–10:10 Panel discussion. EUROPEAN MEDIA FREEDOM ACT: DEFENDER OR HARASSER OF THE FREE PRESS?
Deimantas Jastramskis, Associate Professor at the Vilnius University,
Renate Shroeder, Director of the European Federation of Journalists,
Wouter Gekiere, Head of the Brussels Office of the European Broadcasting Union.
Moderator: Gunta Sloga, Director of the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence.
10:10–10:50 Panel discussion. ETHICS IN PSM ORGANISATIONS: THE PRESSING ISSUES IN THE BALTIC PSM AND THE ROLE OF ETHICS INSPECTORS.
Anda Rožukalne, Latvian Public Media Ombudsman Officer,
Daina Elena Andrikienė, Journalist Ethics Inspector at LRT,
Tarmu Tammerk, Ombudsman at ERR.
Moderator: Živilė Kropaitė, LRT Journalist.
10:50–11:10 Coffee break
11:10–11:50 Presentation. A JOURNALIST – A PAWN IN AN INFORMATION WAR? INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IN AND ABOUT UKRAINE DURING THE WAR.
Alla Sadovnyk and Inna Biletska, Investigative Journalists, Ukrainian PSM UA:PBC – Suspilne.
11:50–12:20 Study presentation. THE EFFICIENCY OF THE JOURNALISTS’ ACCESS TO INFORMATION MECHANISMS IN THE BALTIC STATES. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY CHANGE FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE MEDIA.
Dionizas Litvaitis, Freelance Journalist and Media Researcher.
12:20–13:30 Lunch break
13:30–14:20 Panel discussion. POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA: WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM?
Lutz Kinkel, Managing Director at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (online).
Tadeusz Kowalski, Member the National Broadcasting Council of Poland (KRRiT),
Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė, Director General of LRT,
Péter Bajomi-Lázár, Professor of Mass Communication at the Budapest Business School, University (online). Moderator: Džina Donauskaitė, Director of the Lithuanian Journalism Centre.
14:20-15:00 Presentation. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MODERN MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS: HOW CAN JOURNALISTS BENEFIT FROM CHATGPT AND OTHER AI SOFTWARE? THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES.
Sil Hamilton, AI Researcher-in-Residence at Hacks/Hackers, former Advisor to the Associated Press on the use of AI in the newsroom.
15:00– 15:30 Presentation. JOURNALISM, WAR, AND REFUGEES: HOW TO SENSITIVELY TELL THE STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA? Bruce Shapiro, Executive Director of the Columbia University’s Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma (online).
15:30–15:50 Coffee break
15:50–17:20 WORKSHOPS (taking place simultaneously. Only for those attending in-person):
Room 1. TELLING IMPORTANT STORIES IN SOUND. A RADIO DOCUMENTARY MASTERCLASS.
Presented by Inga Janiulytė-Temporin and Vaida Pilibaitytė, Radio Documentary Journalists, LRT.
Room 2. WHO IS PUSHING THE PRO-PUTIN MESSAGE? RUSSIAN SPIES AND AGENTS IN EUROPE: WHAT HAVE THE PUBLIC BROADCASTERS OF THE BALTIC COUNTRIES FOUND OUT?
Presented by Indrė Makaraitytė and Jurgita Čeponytė, Investigative Journalists, LRT.
Room 3. APPLYING A FREE COLMENA DIGITAL TOOL FOR LOCAL AND COMMUNITY MEDIA PRODUCTION.
Presented by Vivienne Gager, Project Officer at DW Akademie.
17:20–17:30 Closing of the Forum.
The event is hosted by Vykintas Pugačiauskas, International News Editor, LRT.
The event will be held in English with simultaneous translation into Lithuanian (with the exception of the workshops which will be held in English only).