The shareholders of the Media Support Fund (hereinafter the Fund) have approved a list of 50 Fund experts. Expert evaluation is a cornerstone of the process of deciding which projects will receive state funding and what added value they will bring to the Lithuanian media, ensuring its quality, diversity and compliance with ethical standards.
The importance of experts in the Fund’s activities
By evaluating applications, experts make a significant contribution to ensuring the independence, quality and diversity of media content – their decisions ensure that funding is allocated based on the applicants’ competence, the quality and relevance of the proposed content, social and cultural significance, and adherence to ethical principles. The involvement of independent professionals in their respective fields in the evaluation process reduces the risk of political or other influence, ensures a transparent project selection process and creates the conditions for funding both projects aimed at a broad audience and niche projects that the market alone would often be unable to sustain, thus ensuring the meaningful use of public funds and strengthening the resilience of the Lithuanian media.
“The work of the experts determines the quality of the Fund’s decisions and the future of the Lithuanian media. The Fund’s Council, which makes the final decisions, only amends the experts’ recommendations in exceptional cases. This shows that the work of the experts is not a mere formality – it is an important mechanism of democracy, ensuring that quality journalism is supported and accessible to the people of Lithuania. Furthermore, the Institute of Experts is the Fund’s direct link to the public,” says the Fund’s Director, Ruslanas Iržikevičius.
The three-stage expert selection process
Individuals wishing to become experts must meet criteria of impeccable reputation, competence and independence, and the selection is carried out through a public competition.
When assessing the applications submitted by experts, the Fund’s administration first carries out an administrative compliance assessment. This determines whether the documents have been submitted in accordance with the requirements set out in the competition guidelines and assesses whether the applicants meet the conditions specified in the guidelines. Subsequently, the Fund’s Council assesses the candidates’ experience in the fields of cultural, regional, news, investigative and educational journalism, as well as media in the languages of national communities and the diaspora, information literacy, information security or strengthening public resilience.
The final list of experts is approved by the Fund’s shareholders. From the compiled list of experts, the Fund’s Board forms expert working groups based on the specific evaluation requirements and the experts’ areas of expertise. Inclusion on the list does not guarantee participation in all evaluations of applications submitted to the Fund.
A total of 72 individuals submitted applications to become Fund experts. Nine applicants did not meet the administrative requirements, and a further 13 did not achieve the pass mark. A total of 50 Fund experts were selected.
The following experts have been selected for a two-year term at the Media Support Fund:
- Natalija Akulova
- Česlovas Burba
- Daiva Červokienė
- Jurga Čižikaitė
- Liutauras Elkimavičius
- Natalia Frolova
- Eglė Gelažiūtė-Pranevičienė
- Daiva Grikšienė
- Andrius Gudauskas
- Loreta Huber
- Sigita Jacinevičienė-Baltaduonė
- Eglė Juozėnaitė
- Laurynas Katkus
- Kęstas Kirtiklis
- Juta Kiudė
- Denisas Kolomyckis
- Jonė Janina Kučinskaitė-Sarafinienė
- Eglė Kuktoraitė
- Ainius Lašas
- Patricija Lenčiauskienė
- Monika Lipšic
- Arnas Mazėtis
- Jolanta Mažylė
- Juliana Miliut
- Maksimas Milta
- Mindaugas Nastaravičius
- Asta Pakarklytė
- Aleksandra Pister-Gainienė
- Silva Pocytė
- Austėja Raščiūtė
- Nijolė Raudytė
- Mindaugas Reinikis
- Karolina Rybačiauskaitė
- Audronė Rimkutė
- Gedas Salyga
- Roberta Salynė
- Laura Sėlenienė
- Daiva Siudikienė
- Gerimantas Statinis
- Vygandas Šimbelis
- Adomas Šimkus
- Pavel Šostak
- Edvardas Šumila
- Jurga Tumasonytė
- Asta Urbanavičiūtė-Globienė
- Ramunė Vaičiulytė
- Laurynas Vaičiūnas
- Dainius Vaitiekūnas
- Ilona Valantinaitė
- Nerijus Žeronas
