The media institutions in Lithuania excluded from their broadcast schedule programs that promoted pro-Kremlin narratives after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, said associate professor at the Vilnius University Dalia Bankauskaite. According to her, such actions do not affect the freedom of opinion, as Russia says, but ensure the country’s security. Watchdog expert Valeriu Pașa expressed his confidence that the Center for Strategic Communication will be able to counter Russian propaganda and fake news and to secure Moldova’s information space, IPN reports.
In July, Parliament adopted a law to create the Center for Strategic Communication and Disinformation Combating whose goal is to strengthen cooperation between institutions in the fight against disinformation, information manipulation and foreign interference. Watchdog expert Valeriu Pașa said the Center could cooperate with media institutions to make a common front against Russian propaganda.
“I hope the Center for Strategic Communication, which has the monitoring and analysis component, will swiftly identity disinformation campaigns with a major impact, which can have effects on elections, on social cohesion and the country’s stability. It will ask the press to combat fake news. The press should not be instructed as it is not party or state press, but there are media institutions that are ready to help voluntarily, keeping the editorial independence, as this means to respect the national interest, not the interests of a politician or another. We cannot change the way in which the Russian Federating pursues its foreign policy. Not even the biggest countries, through sanctions, managed to change this aggressive policy. This will remain so, but we should act to became insusceptible to these subversive actions,” Valeriu Pașa stated in the program “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova channel.
Strategic communication expert from Lithuania Dalia Bankauskaite said that her country protected its information space from pro-Russian narratives immediately after the war in Ukraine started.
“I will give the examine of Lithuania. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, different kinds of information appeared, but the way in which the players from the information space acted was the most important thing. The TV channels of media service providers simply removed the Russian programs from their broadcast schedule. Also, many radio stations avoided interviewing persons who delivered pro-Kremlin narratives. This was done willingly. The legislation is another aspect. Data about persons who incite hatred, provocations are transmitted to investigation bodies and the suspension of the license can be later decided. Pluralism and the freedom of opinion should not be detrimental to other freedoms and the wellbeing of the state, should not affect state security,” stated Dalia Bankauskaite.
In December 2022, by a decision of the Commission for Exceptional Situations, the broadcast licenses of six TV channels were suspended for the period of the state of emergency in a move to protect the information space and to prevent disinformation through the dissemination of false information.
