Suchergebnisse

The article examines how the structural conditions (ownership, management, financing, and accountability) of public service media (PSM) functioning established by public policy decisions align with citizens' attitudes. The empirical research employs the case of Lithuanian PSM because of relatively favorable conditions created for developing the PSM as a project of democracy and civil society. A document analysis was performed, and a representative survey of the Lithuanian population was conducted in response to the research questions. The analysis concludes that the intentions of public policy and civil society are quite different concerning the operating conditions of PSM. The citizens would like to have more say in the management of the PSM and to see the PSM much more accountable to society.

This paper focuses on the making of communications policy in Lithuania, specifically regarding net neutrality. The study employs a multiple stream model to analyze the conditions of the political process and the activity of political actors. The paper claims that the Lithuanian communications policy has become essentially denationalized since the country's accession to the European Union. The issue of net neutrality policy has been framed in the context of EU policy, while the national agenda of net neutrality policy lost its significance. The denationalization of the net neutrality policy-making was harmonized with the agencification of policy formulation stage.

[only abstract in English; full article and abstract in Lithuanian]
The aim of this article is to find out whether the structural conditions for an effective activity of the public broadcaster were created in Lithuania. The legal regulation of management and financing of the Lithuanian public broadcaster (LRT) are analyzed. The article also explores what political and economic circumstances were decisive in the media policy process regarding the change of the structural conditions for the effectiveness of the LRT. It is claimed in the article that the structural conditions for the effective activity of the LRT were only partially created during the 27 years of statehood. First, the model of formation of the LRT Council balanced the political representation between the LRT Council members that are delegated by three sides: the governing coalition, the opposition of the Seimas and the President. However, such regulation does not decouple the LRT's management from any concrete political conjuncture and from any possible political coalitions in the LRT Council. Second, since 2015, the funding of LRT has been related to the revenues of the state and municipalities' budgets (1.5 percent from the income tax and 1.3 percent from the excise revenues). However, such a financing model of the LRT is not sufficient to exclude it from the level of the least financed public service media outlets in the European Union.

[only abstract in English; full article and abstract in Lithuanian] The aim of this article is to find out whether the structural conditions for an effective activity of the public broadcaster were created in Lithuania. The legal regulation of management and financing of the Lithuanian public broadcaster (LRT) are analyzed. The article also explores what political and economic circumstances were decisivein the media policy process regarding the change of the structural conditions for the effectiveness of the LRT. It is claimed in the article that the structural conditions for the effective activity of the LRT were only partially created during the 27 years of statehood. First, the model of formation of the LRT Council balanced the political representation between the LRT Council members that are delegated by three sides: the governing coalition, the opposition of the Seimas and the President. However, such regulation does not decouple the LRT's management from any concrete political conjuncture and from any possible political coalitions in the LRT Council. Second, since 2015, the funding of LRT has been related to the revenues of the state and municipalities' budgets (1.5 percent from the income tax and 1.3 percent from the excise revenues). However, such a financing model of the LRT is not sufficient to exclude it from the level of the least financed public service media outlets in the European Union. ; [straipsnis ir santrauka lietuvių kalba; santrauka anglų kalba] Straipsnyje analizuojama politikos subjektų vadybinės ir finansinės įtakos Lietuvos nacionaliniam radijui ir televizijai (LRT) raida ir politinės (ir ekonominės) aplinkybės, lėmusios struktūrinių sąlygų, būtinų visuomeninio transliuotojo efektyviai veiklai, kaitą Lietuvoje nuo 1990 m. Teigiama, kad per 27 valstybingumo metus Lietuvoje tik iš dalies sukurtos struktūrinės sąlygos veiksmingai visuomeninio transliuotojo veiklai. Pirmą nepriklausomybės dešimtmetį įtvirtintas parlamentinis (vyriausybinis) LRT modelis, kai transliuotojo valdymas tiesiogiai priklauso nuo politinės valdžios, jos darbo ciklų, o dauguma pajamų skiriama iš valstybės biudžeto, kiekvienais metais keičiant pajamų dydį ir nenustatant lėšų skirstymo kriterijų. 2000 m. įteisintas LRT tarybos sudarymo modelis padėjo rasti politinių įtakų balansą tarp Seimo pozicijos, opozicijos ir Prezidento, tačiau LRT vadyba nebuvo atsieta nuo konkrečios politinės konjunktūros ir galimų politinių koalicijų LRT taryboje. Nuo 2015 m. įvestas LRT finansavimo iš biudžeto modelis, gaunamas pajamas fiksuotu procentu susiejant su mokamais į biudžetą mokesčiais, atribojo politikus nuo sprendimo kasmet nustatyti LRT finansavimo dydį, tačiau tai Europos Sąjungos kontekste negarantuoja LRT solidesnio finansavimo, nes pagal procentinę dalį nuo šalies BVP finansavimas 2016 m. buvo du kartus mažesnis negu ES šalių vidurkis.

Lithuanian governments had been conducting liberal economic policies regarding media subjects for almost two decades, till the end of 2008. However, the economic crisis in 2008 influenced the Lithuanian government to apply the measures of fi scal consolidation: in similar fashion, liberal media policy was adjusted with the state gaining more power. The aim of this article is to analyze Lithuanian media policy decisions and their effects on media sectors, organizations and workers during the period of the economic crisis and since then. The article claims that essentially reduced liberalization of taxation, slightly reduced commercialization of the national media environment and reinforced overly bureaucratic system of media regulation resulted in a lesser degree of liberalism in the Lithuanian media policy from the end of 2008 to 2015.

Straipsnyje nagrinėjami teisinės, politinės ir ekonominės aplinkos veiksniai, ribojantys žiniasklaidos laisvę Lietuvoje. Analizuojama 2012–2013 m. situacija, įvertinant ankstesnių metų teisines, politines ir ekonomines aplinkybes, turinčias įtaką analizuojamo laikotarpio žiniasklaidos laisvės padėčiai Lietuvoje.Straipsnyje teigiama, kad žiniasklaidos laisvę Lietuvoje riboja teisės aktuose numatytos teisės laisvai gauti ir skleisti informaciją neužtikrinimas žiniasklaidos veikloje, perdėtai griežtos teisės aktų (ypač Baudžiamojo kodekso) normos, reglamentuojančios atsakomybę už netinkamą raišką viešojoje erdvėje, nepakankamas informacijos šaltinio atskleidimo reglamentavimo apibrėžtumas. Pagrindiniai politiniai veiksniai, ribojantys žiniasklaidos laisvę, yra susiję su politiniu žiniasklaidos pajungimu, naudojant žiniasklaidos nuosavybės bei finansavimo svertus. Ekonominiai veiksniai, turintys didžiausią įtaką žiniasklaidos laisvės varžymui: nepakankamas žiniasklaidos organizacijų ekonominis pajėgumas, valstybės finansinė politika žiniasklaidos subjektų atžvilgiu, žiniasklaidos organizacijų nuosavybės ir rinkos dalies koncentracija, žiniasklaidos organizacijų nuosavybės ir veiklos skaidrumo stoka, menkos žurnalistų ir redaktorių socialinės garantijos.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: žiniasklaida, laisvė, teisinė aplinka, politinė aplinka, ekonominė aplinkaFactors of limitation of media freedom in LithuaniaDeimantas Jastramskis SummaryThe analysis presented in this article reveals what factors of legal, political and economic environment reduce the media freedom in Lithuania.The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania stipulates that everyone has a right to hold opinions and freely express those, to obtain and disseminate information, whereas censorship of mass information is prohibited. The right to collect, obtain and publish information is stipulated by laws. However, journalists not always are able to access public records through clear administrative procedures in a timely manner.There are articles determining libel and defamation in the Lithuanian Penal Code (journalists and other citizens can be punished by fines or become imprisoned for up to two years). Although penalties for "irresponsible journalism" are applied only in exceptional cases, libel and defamation articles in the Penal Code stimulate self-censorship of some journalists.There are no special legal acts in Lithuania that would restrict the ownership concentration of the media organisations or the parts of the market that they occupy. Due to insufficient restriction on the property concentration in media, the legal environment (in relation to the independent media variety) is not assessed as very favourable.In Lithuania some editorial office owners (as well as editors) may support some political forces and consequently, the media administered by them disseminate quite biased political content. This is very obvious in the regional municipalities, where a large part of the local media is financially dependent on politicians and the main shareholders of the local media are also politicians. In connection to the political-financial influence on editorial offices self-censorship of journalists is a part of daily routine in some media organizations.There is an excessive concentration of media ownership in the hands of private interests that can be linked to the powerful societal actors. Highly concentrated groups that control organizations both in the media market and other fields of economy limit the variety of the media content on the national, regional and local levels.Since the property relations of the Lithuanian media subjects are only partially publicised and internal norms of behaviour and rules of the editorial offices are usually not developed, the management transparency of the media organisations is quite low.The economic pressure on the journalists is huge. Also one of the measures of reducing the journalist social benefits is a widespread practise not to enter into labour or authorship contracts, but rather to force them to work as freelancers on the basis of certificates issued by the State Tax Inspectorate.The analysed legal, political and economic factors of intervention in the media work process shows that the media independence from external actors is not ensured but the situation cannot be assessed as extremely critical from this point of view.

There is an excessive concentration of media ownership in the hands of private interests that can be linked to the powerful societal actors. Highly concentrated groups that control organizations both in the media market and other fields of economy limit the variety of the media content on the national, regional and local levels. Since the property relations of the Lithuanian media subjects are only partially publicised and internal norms of behaviour and rules of the editorial offices are usually not developed, the management transparency of the media organisations is quite low. The economic pressure on the journalists is huge. Also one of the measures of reducing the journalist social benefits is a widespread practise not to enter into labour or authorship contracts, but rather to force them to work as freelancers on the basis of certificates issued by the State Tax Inspectorate. The analysed legal, political and economic factors of intervention in the media work process shows that the media independence from external actors is not ensured but the situation cannot be assessed as extremely critical from this point of view.

There is an excessive concentration of media ownership in the hands of private interests that can be linked to the powerful societal actors. Highly concentrated groups that control organizations both in the media market and other fields of economy limit the variety of the media content on the national, regional and local levels. Since the property relations of the Lithuanian media subjects are only partially publicised and internal norms of behaviour and rules of the editorial offices are usually not developed, the management transparency of the media organisations is quite low. The economic pressure on the journalists is huge. Also one of the measures of reducing the journalist social benefits is a widespread practise not to enter into labour or authorship contracts, but rather to force them to work as freelancers on the basis of certificates issued by the State Tax Inspectorate. The analysed legal, political and economic factors of intervention in the media work process shows that the media independence from external actors is not ensured but the situation cannot be assessed as extremely critical from this point of view.

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama Lietuvos žiniasklaidos industrijų: laikraščių, žurnalų, radijo, televizijos ir interneto žiniasklaidos kaita nuo rinkos santykių pradžios Lietuvoje (pereinant į demokratiją XX amžiaus devintojo dešimtmečio pabaigoje). Straipsnyje nustatoma, kokiose industrijos gyvavimo ciklo stadijose veikė Lietuvos laikraščių, žurnalų, radijo, televizijos ir interneto žiniasklaidos industrijos 2011–2013 metais. Lietuvos žiniasklaidos industrijų gyvavimo ciklų stadijoms nustatyti taikomi šie kriterijai: vartotojų dalis arba vartojimo mastas (trukmė), industrijos subjektų apyvarta, bendras veiklos pelnas ir įmonių (transliuotojų) skaičius. Straipsnyje teigiama, kad 2011–2013 m. Lietuvoje leidžiamų laikraščių industrija veikė industrijos gyvavimo ciklo smukimo stadijoje, žurnalų industrija – brandos stadijoje, periodinės spaudos (laikraščių ir žurnalų) industrija – smukimo stadijoje, radijo ir televizijos industrijos – brandos stadijoje, o interneto žiniasklaidos industrija – augimo stadijoje.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: žiniasklaidos industrija, gyvavimo ciklas, stadija, pajamos. Deimantas Jastramskis. Stages in life-cycle of the industriesof the Lithuanian mediaDeimantas Jastramskis SummaryThe article analyzes changes of the industries of the Lithuanian media (newspapers, magazines, radio, television and internet) since the period of the transition to democracy in Lithuania (in the end of the eighties of the 20th century) when free market relations in Lithuania started. Stages in the life-cycle ofthe industries of Lithuanian newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and internet media are ascertained. Stages in the life-cycle of the industries of Lithuanian media are determined according to certain criteria: the share of users (or the duration of use), the number of companies (broadcasters), the total turnover and profit of industry subjects.The article claims that in 2011–2013 the Lithuanian newspaper industry has been functioning in the stage of decline, the magazine industry in the maturity stage, the industry of the periodical press (newspapers and magazines) in the decline stage, the industries of radio and television in the maturity stage, and the internet media industry in the growth stage.

There is an excessive concentration of media ownership in the hands of private interests that can be linked to the powerful societal actors. Highly concentrated groups that control organizations both in the media market and other fields of economy limit the variety of the media content on the national, regional and local levels. Since the property relations of the Lithuanian media subjects are only partially publicised and internal norms of behaviour and rules of the editorial offices are usually not developed, the management transparency of the media organisations is quite low. The economic pressure on the journalists is huge. Also one of the measures of reducing the journalist social benefits is a widespread practise not to enter into labour or authorship contracts, but rather to force them to work as freelancers on the basis of certificates issued by the State Tax Inspectorate. The analysed legal, political and economic factors of intervention in the media work process shows that the media independence from external actors is not ensured but the situation cannot be assessed as extremely critical from this point of view.

There is an excessive concentration of media ownership in the hands of private interests that can be linked to the powerful societal actors. Highly concentrated groups that control organizations both in the media market and other fields of economy limit the variety of the media content on the national, regional and local levels. Since the property relations of the Lithuanian media subjects are only partially publicised and internal norms of behaviour and rules of the editorial offices are usually not developed, the management transparency of the media organisations is quite low. The economic pressure on the journalists is huge. Also one of the measures of reducing the journalist social benefits is a widespread practise not to enter into labour or authorship contracts, but rather to force them to work as freelancers on the basis of certificates issued by the State Tax Inspectorate. The analysed legal, political and economic factors of intervention in the media work process shows that the media independence from external actors is not ensured but the situation cannot be assessed as extremely critical from this point of view.

Straipsnyje nagrinėjami teisinės, politinės ir ekonominės aplinkos veiksniai, ribojantys žiniasklaidos laisvę Lietuvoje. Analizuojama 2012–2013 m. situacija, įvertinant ankstesnių metų teisines, politines ir ekonomines aplinkybes, turinčias įtaką analizuojamo laikotarpio žiniasklaidos laisvės padėčiai Lietuvoje.Straipsnyje teigiama, kad žiniasklaidos laisvę Lietuvoje riboja teisės aktuose numatytos teisės laisvai gauti ir skleisti informaciją neužtikrinimas žiniasklaidos veikloje, perdėtai griežtos teisės aktų (ypač Baudžiamojo kodekso) normos, reglamentuojančios atsakomybę už netinkamą raišką viešojoje erdvėje, nepakankamas informacijos šaltinio atskleidimo reglamentavimo apibrėžtumas. Pagrindiniai politiniai veiksniai, ribojantys žiniasklaidos laisvę, yra susiję su politiniu žiniasklaidos pajungimu, naudojant žiniasklaidos nuosavybės bei finansavimo svertus. Ekonominiai veiksniai, turintys didžiausią įtaką žiniasklaidos laisvės varžymui: nepakankamas žiniasklaidos organizacijų ekonominis pajėgumas, valstybės finansinė politika žiniasklaidos subjektų atžvilgiu, žiniasklaidos organizacijų nuosavybės ir rinkos dalies koncentracija, žiniasklaidos organizacijų nuosavybės ir veiklos skaidrumo stoka, menkos žurnalistų ir redaktorių socialinės garantijos.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: žiniasklaida, laisvė, teisinė aplinka, politinė aplinka, ekonominė aplinkaFactors of limitation of media freedom in LithuaniaDeimantas Jastramskis

SummaryThe analysis presented in this article reveals what factors of legal, political and economic environment reduce the media freedom in Lithuania.The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania stipulates that everyone has a right to hold opinions and freely express those, to obtain and disseminate information, whereas censorship of mass information is prohibited. The right to collect, obtain and publish information is stipulated by laws. However, journalists not always are able to access public records through clear administrative procedures in a timely manner.There are articles determining libel and defamation in the Lithuanian Penal Code (journalists and other citizens can be punished by fines or become imprisoned for up to two years). Although penalties for "irresponsible journalism" are applied only in exceptional cases, libel and defamation articles in the Penal Code stimulate self-censorship of some journalists.There are no special legal acts in Lithuania that would restrict the ownership concentration of the media organisations or the parts of the market that they occupy. Due to insufficient restriction on the property concentration in media, the legal environment (in relation to the independent media variety) is not assessed as very favourable.In Lithuania some editorial office owners (as well as editors) may support some political forces and consequently, the media administered by them disseminate quite biased political content. This is very obvious in the regional municipalities, where a large part of the local media is financially dependent on politicians and the main shareholders of the local media are also politicians. In connection to the political-financial influence on editorial offices self-censorship of journalists is a part of daily routine in some media organizations.There is an excessive concentration of media ownership in the hands of private interests that can be linked to the powerful societal actors. Highly concentrated groups that control organizations both in the media market and other fields of economy limit the variety of the media content on the national, regional and local levels.Since the property relations of the Lithuanian media subjects are only partially publicised and internal norms of behaviour and rules of the editorial offices are usually not developed, the management transparency of the media organisations is quite low.The economic pressure on the journalists is huge. Also one of the measures of reducing the journalist social benefits is a widespread practise not to enter into labour or authorship contracts, but rather to force them to work as freelancers on the basis of certificates issued by the State Tax Inspectorate.The analysed legal, political and economic factors of intervention in the media work process shows that the media independence from external actors is not ensured but the situation cannot be assessed as extremely critical from this point of view.

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama Lietuvos žiniasklaidos industrijų: laikraščių, žurnalų, radijo, televizijos ir interneto žiniasklaidos kaita nuo rinkos santykių pradžios Lietuvoje (pereinant į demokratiją XX amžiaus devintojo dešimtmečio pabaigoje). Straipsnyje nustatoma, kokiose industrijos gyvavimo ciklo stadijose veikė Lietuvos laikraščių, žurnalų, radijo, televizijos ir interneto žiniasklaidos industrijos 2011–2013 metais. Lietuvos žiniasklaidos industrijų gyvavimo ciklų stadijoms nustatyti taikomi šie kriterijai: vartotojų dalis arba vartojimo mastas (trukmė), industrijos subjektų apyvarta, bendras veiklos pelnas ir įmonių (transliuotojų) skaičius. Straipsnyje teigiama, kad 2011–2013 m. Lietuvoje leidžiamų laikraščių industrija veikė industrijos gyvavimo ciklo smukimo stadijoje, žurnalų industrija – brandos stadijoje, periodinės spaudos (laikraščių ir žurnalų) industrija – smukimo stadijoje, radijo ir televizijos industrijos – brandos stadijoje, o interneto žiniasklaidos industrija – augimo stadijoje.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: žiniasklaidos industrija, gyvavimo ciklas, stadija, pajamos.

Deimantas Jastramskis. Stages in life-cycle of the industries of the Lithuanian mediaDeimantas Jastramskis
SummaryThe article analyzes changes of the industries of the Lithuanian media (newspapers, magazines, radio, television and internet) since the period of the transition to democracy in Lithuania (in the end of the eighties of the 20th century) when free market relations in Lithuania started. Stages in the life-cycle of the industries of Lithuanian newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and internet media are ascertained. Stages in the life-cycle of the industries of Lithuanian media are determined according to certain criteria: the share of users (or the duration of use), the number of companies (broadcasters), the total turnover and profit of industry subjects.The article claims that in 2011–2013 the Lithuanian newspaper industry has been functioning in the stage of decline, the magazine industry in the maturity stage, the industry of the periodical press (newspapers and magazines) in the decline stage, the industries of radio and television in the maturity stage, and the internet media industry in the growth stage.

The article analyzes the development of state support policy for media organizations in Lithuania in 1991–2012. There are examined direct subsidies from the state budget and indirect subsidies such as value added tax exemption. The value added tax on press sales has changed several times. The exemption of the value added tax for periodicals was removed in 2009–2012. Media organizations receive state budget subsidies through the public body of the Press, Radio and Television Support Fund. The total amount of subsidies from the state budget changes every year. It depends on the political will of the Lithuanian Parliament. The article claims that the media support policy in Lithuania has not been consistent and effective.

The article analyzes the development of state support policy for media organizations in Lithuania in 1991–2012. There are examined direct subsidies from the state budget and indirect subsidies such as value added tax exemption. The value added tax on press sales has changed several times. The exemption of the value added tax for periodicals was removed in 2009–2012. Media organizations receive state budget subsidies through the public body of the Press, Radio and Television Support Fund. The total amount of subsidies from the state budget changes every year. It depends on the political will of the Lithuanian Parliament. The article claims that the media support policy in Lithuania has not been consistent and effective.