Davidonytė says Laučius appointment undermines trust in ethics commission

The appointment of journalist and political scientist Vladimir Laučius, who has driven while intoxicated, to the Public Information Ethics Commission (VIEK) risks undermining confidence in the entire body, Lithuanian Journalists’ Professional Association chair Birutė Davidonytė told ELTA, LRT reported.

Davidonytė said the commission assesses whether journalists’ work is ethical, but Laučius does not meet the standard of impeccable reputation. Applying ethical standards to others but not to commission members makes it difficult to trust the body, she said.

She added that even one questionable appointment could raise doubts about the commission’s decisions and affect confidence in all its members, including those who had done nothing wrong. Laučius declined to comment. The Regional Television Association, which nominated him, was asked to explain its decision; ELTA said it would update its report when it received a response.

Davidonytė also called for the association to ask lawmakers to address what she described as a gap in the rules: the association’s statutes set requirements for commission members’ education and work experience but do not require impeccable reputation.

Under the statutes, members serve three-year terms and must have a university degree and at least five years of experience in journalism, law or media-related work. They may serve no more than two consecutive terms.

New commission begins work

The new VIEK held its first meeting on October 6. Gintaras Sarafinas agreed to chair the commission, with Vaiva Radikaitė as deputy chair. The body has 14 members, 11 of whom also served from 2023 to 2026.

Under the Law on Public Information, members of the Public Information Ethics Association each delegate one representative to the commission. LRT appoints one member, while the Media Council selects three from candidates proposed by universities offering journalism studies.