On 9 June 2025, the activities of the Media Support Fund (MRF) were presented at a meeting between the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania and representatives of municipalities in Kaunas. The participants of the event were addressed by Ruslanas Iržikevičius, Director of the Fund, who reviewed the first year of the new Fund’s activities, the context of its establishment, and the prospects for regional media.
During his presentation, the director emphasised that the Media Support Fund, established in 2023, replaced the Press, Radio and Television Support Fund, which had been operating for many years. The new Fund’s activities are based not only on the allocation of funding, but also on the creation of sustainable instruments to help media outlets adapt to rapidly changing market conditions.
Iržikevičius emphasised that one of the most critical areas of the Fund’s activities is regional media. In 2024, more than €2.2 million was allocated to this area, with funding reaching 62 media outlets. Even greater support is planned for 2025, to reduce the number of “white spots” – municipalities where the media does not yet benefit from state support.
Ambitious initiatives of the Fund were also presented: the MRF Content Bank is being created, and a digital platform for regional media, as well as a “sandbox” of technological and competence tools, are planned. This demonstrates the Fund’s ambition to become not only a distributor of support, but also an active creator of the media ecosystem.
After the presentation, the director answered questions from the audience and discussed the practical aspects of regional editorial offices’ work, as well as possible models for cooperation with municipalities.
We want to thank the Ministry of Culture for the invitation and the opportunity to communicate directly with municipal representatives. These meetings help us better understand the needs of the local media and work together to create a vibrant information democracy in Lithuania.
