Regional TV association defends Laučius appointment to ethics commission

LRT reported that the Regional Television Association (RTA) defended its decision to nominate journalist Vladimir Laučius to the Public Information Ethics Commission, despite criticism over his drunk-driving incident. RTA chair Vilma Marciulevičiūtė said the association had considered his professional competence and experience.

“The Regional Television Association, in delegating V. Laučius to the commission, was guided by his professional competence, long experience in journalism and record during his previous term,” Marciulevičiūtė told the ELTA news agency. She said Laučius had represented the RTA on the commission for almost two years and had performed his duties responsibly and professionally.

Marciulevičiūtė said RTA members knew the circumstances of Laučius’ criminal case when considering his candidacy. The association does not tolerate legal violations, she said, but believes a person’s suitability for a professional self-regulatory body should be assessed as a whole. One incident, she added, should not necessarily erase a person’s professional reputation permanently.

She also said Laučius met the requirements for commission members under the Law on Public Information, which does not include a requirement of impeccable reputation. “In light of these circumstances, the association saw no reason to reject his candidacy,” she said.

Critics say appointment undermines trust

Earlier, Birutė Davidonytė, head of the Association of Professional Journalists, told ELTA that Laučius’ appointment discredited trust in the entire commission. She said it was difficult to trust an ethics body if its members were expected to judge others’ conduct while not meeting standards of impeccable reputation themselves.

Davidonytė said the absence of an impeccable-reputation requirement in the commission’s statutes was a gap that associations should ask lawmakers to address. She said the appointment raised questions about the commission as a whole, including members who had done nothing wrong.

The statutes of the Public Information Ethics Association say commission members are appointed for three-year terms and must have a university degree and at least five years’ experience in journalism, law or media-related work. Members may serve no more than two consecutive terms.

ELTA contacted Laučius, but he declined to comment.

Other groups also nominate members

Under the Law on Public Information, members of the Public Information Ethics Association each nominate one representative to the commission. LRT nominates one member, while the Media Council nominates three from candidates put forward by universities offering journalism studies. The commission held the first meeting of its new term on October 6.