On 3 December, the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences hosted a seminar entitled “Media behaviour and ‘information deserts’: the integrity of news in the face of contradictions”.
At this open seminar, scientists and representatives of institutions analysed media resilience in the context of contemporary politics, focusing on news production, dissemination, and choices at the intersection of public communication theory and practice.
Ruslanas Iržikevičius, Director of the Media Support Fund, who participated in the event, emphasised in his presentation the importance of state support for the media amid threats to democracy.
“State support for professional media is not a charitable act, but a strategic imperative. It addresses critical market imperfections, supports democratic infrastructure and strengthens national security in an era of information conflicts,” said the MRF director.
He also emphasised that by prioritising transparency, investing in the quality of journalism and actively helping media organisations adapt through innovation – giving them “fishing rods” – we are turning the potential “risks” of state funding into a solid foundation for a resilient and informed society. “The best defence of a democratic society is a strong, professional, diverse and accessible media,” said R. Iržikevičius.
At the seminar organised by academic Andrius Vaišnys, presentations were also given by Deividas Velkas, Head of the Public Information and Copyright Policy Group at the Ministry of Culture, and researchers Auksė Balčytienė, Rūta Kupetytė, Darius Remeika, Renata Stonytė, Rimgailė Kasparaitė, and Yoanna Koleva. The topics of the presentations can be found at.
