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“Media against crime and corruption in Lithuania”

FLARE member: Vusa

Location: Parliament of Lithuania III Hall, European Information Office, 13:00-17:00

Description:

On April 14th this year 2009, VUSA, Vilnius university Students’ association, has organized an event joining the FLARE Network’s campaign “Season of Legality”. The event consisted of a conference mainly focused on young journalists, the goal being to prepare and motivate them for the fight against crime and corruption with the powerful tool they have got – publicity.

The conference opening FLARE activity in Lithuania and the subject being fight against crime and corruption, Lithuanian Parliament Seimas was chosen as the venue of the event. Five noted speakers were invited to represent their view and advices. Michele Curto, the president of FLARE Network, Sergejus Muravjovas, the executive director of Transparency International Lithuania, Dainius Radzevičius, the chair of Lithuanian Journalists Union, Rūta Grinevičiūtė, a host of investigative journalism TV programme and Aurelijus Katkevičius, the chief editor of the magazine “Business Class” (“Verslo Klasė”).

Although most relevant to young journalists, the conference was lucky to attract well known publicists, former chief of Special Investigations Service, chief of the Centre of Crime Prevention in Lithuania, representatives of Parliament members. Michele Curto gave the speech first. He represented the roots, reasons and goals of FLARE. The passion towards fighting organized crime by civil activist groups left an impression to the audience and other speakers, who openly expressed the will to lose the prepared power-point presentation and talk directly to the public as well.

Michele Curto inspiringly stressed how important it is to investigate and talk publicly about organized crime that is growing at enormous rates compared to legal economy. An astounding number was presented, mafias’ incomes growing internationally from 4% to 10% of world’s GDP in 6 years only till 2005. Michele was later an active member of a discussion, providing inputs on the media situation in Italy, suggestions on improving it in Lithuania. He shared concerns over Italian media being half owned by only one person Silvio Berlusconi.

Luckily for Lithuania, Dainius Radzevičius has stated beforehand, media is rather competitive and although corporations often buy newspapers, TV channels in order to have intimidating power, it is not easy for the media to form a one sided opinion throughout the whole Lithuania. Sergejus Muravjovas from Transparency International gave a speech next. He informed on the current situation of media transparency in Lithuania, provided data on which media and why is considered corrupted. Particularly useful for the journalists was the part where he taught how to spot bought articles and how to write objectively as possible.

A heated discussion ensued when Rūta Grinevičiūtė started doubting the reliability of data presented by Mr. Muravjovas. According to the data, TV channel Ms. Grinevičiūtė works for is considered to be amongst the most corrupted means of media in Lithuania. The discussion One of the suggestions Sergejus Muravjovas suggested citizens can fight crime and corruption through medias was publicity. He stated that business that are socially responsible should talk more about the ways they meet corruption openly for the social good, facts of bribery must not be considered unimportant and we must demand financial transparency of media owners.

Dainius Radzevičius, the chairman of Lithuanian Journalists’ Union, speaking next, provided examples on how openly exposing crime as a journalist is not an easy process, yet, although sometimes fired from jobs, persecuted by courts, in most cases active citizens win in the long run, remaining true to themselves, making tremendous services for society and getting work where they are able to enjoy the freedom of speech eventually. He encouraged journalists that media is the only powerful weapon enough today to move bureaucracy where it’s stuck and achieve revolutionary victories over crime and corruption.

Rūta Grinevičiūtė, an investigative journalism TV show talked about her personal victories using the power of speech in fighting unjust. Also about the poor conditions of investigative journalism in Lithuania and the reasons it is so. Aurelijus Katkevičius, spoke about investigative journalism in Lithuania and compared it to the official standards. He showed examples of a few successful investigative journalism projects in Lithuania and talked on the reasons there are only so few of them.

Mr. Katkevičius shared insights and provided references for commencing the so useful and science paper-comparable work of investigative journalism. The event was found to be successful among those who participated. Hopefully some will try a hand at investigative journalism, others at least be able to understand when medias are being abused as a tool of disinformation and will know what should be done by them as individual citizens finding themselves in contact with organized crime or corruption.