LRT council member says journalists protesting proposed legal changes understand long-term risks

A proposed amendment to Lithuania’s public broadcaster law has sparked a new protest from the Journalists’ Professional Association and the Cultural Assembly, with a member of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) council calling the move understandable.

Deimantas Jastramskis, a council member at LRT, told ELTA that journalists recognise the potential long-term consequences if the amendments are adopted. “They have the right to express how they understand their professional freedom, which is currently guaranteed—but the proposed changes could alter much of that,” he said.

“Journalists understand not only what is happening now, but what could happen in a few months,” Jastramskis added.

Core concern: external editorial interference

The most contentious proposal, according to a professor at the Centre for Journalism and Media Research, is a restriction on external journalists contributing to LRT’s content. “The key issue is interference in editorial policy,” the professor said. “The editorial team should regulate its own work—choosing sources, following journalistic principles and ethical norms. There should be no top-down control.”

The working group behind the amendments has proposed that “no other media outlet may operate on LRT’s channels or website without the council’s permission,” and that individuals linked to other media may only participate in LRT content under council-approved editorial policies, with declared conflicts of interest.

Current law already prohibits other radio and TV stations from operating on LRT’s channels without approval.

Broader restrictions and bureaucratisation

Jastramskis noted that earlier criticism focused on easing the dismissal of LRT’s director-general, but the latest draft introduces additional “pitfalls” for media freedom. “The project has expanded. When it was limited to one issue, it was clearer. Now, the dismissal process remains unresolved, and new concerns have emerged—attempts to impose editorial decisions from above, bureaucratisation of governance, and an unjustified management board with unclear membership and purpose,” he said.

Misuse of audit findings, says council member

While lawmakers cite a State Audit Office (VK) report to justify governance changes, Jastramskis accused them of misrepresenting its findings. “Initially, the proposals were based on the VK’s recommendations, but most of what the Seimas is now proposing doesn’t follow from them,” he said.

He added that he had repeatedly suggested mandatory periodic VK audits of LRT to prevent misinterpretation, a practice already in place at Estonia’s public broadcaster. “No one has listened,” he said.

The protest, under the slogan “Hands Off,” reflects broader concerns over political influence on LRT’s independence.