Press release, 7 May 2014
Participants of the Conference,
One of the major goals of the media is to inform society about daily developments in life and, sometimes, about events that evoke wide public response, and to properly shed light on problems that arise.
By addressing acute social problems, the media directly informs citizens about events in the country and encourages public authorities to improve their work and serve to members of society and defend their legitimate interests.
The ability to convey a message quickly and objectively without distorting, glamourizing, degrading or reinforcing its meaning or content not only demonstrates how professional journalists are, but also shows their civic and personal maturity and their responsibility towards people and the country.
It is not easy to purify the truth and the substance of the problem and to accustom to vast flows of information these days. I therefore understand that the media faces big challenges.
However, responsibility towards readers, listeners and viewers should remain the primary principle of professional ethics in journalism, not least because the influence of the media is very huge. After all, the media in the whole world has been acknowledged as the fourth power, making a significant impact on people’s opinion.
When speaking about the media in the context of national security today, I would particularly like to stress the importance of responsibility.
It has become even more relevant, as the geopolitical situation in the region is increasingly getting tense. There are those who seek destruction in Europe or disseminate disinformation and propaganda in Lithuania that is detrimental to peace and stability. It is therefore necessary to take immediate actions to identify and eliminate such targeted information or indirect attempts to disseminate ill-considered and detrimental information in our media.
I am convinced that the topic of the Conference is very relevant and important. I hope that the presentations to be given and the debate to follow will be of particular use to all the participants.
What is more, we have yet another occasion today.
I would like to congratulate all representatives of the media, who are participating in the Conference, as well as their colleagues, who have stayed in editorial offices, on the day of the reinstatement of the press, the language and the book. With time, this day has become a professional festival of journalists. I wish inexhaustible creative ideas, accurate expression and sharp attitude.”
