Media Matters Series
The Media Matters Series is a monthly in-person event that brings together journalists, media professionals, students and anyone interested in the role of media in society. Held at SSE Riga, the series creates a space for open conversations about topics such as media independence, freedom of expression and the influence of journalism on public life. Through these events, we aim to encourage thoughtful discussion, share perspectives and support stronger connections within the media community, particularly across the Baltic region.
In the next edition of the Media Matters event series, we invite journalists, media representatives, journalism students, as well as other interested parties to attend a lecture by Holger Roonemaa, a Tallinn-based investigative journalist and Head of the Investigative and Fact-Checking Desk at Delfi Estonia.
In this presentation, Holger will talk about how Baltic journalists have been investigating Russian espionage, sabotage and other malign activities targeted against Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The lecture will include behind the scenes chapters, showing how investigative series such as the Kremlin Leaks and the Say Privet project were born. Holger and his colleagues have focused on Russian investigations from before 2022, but ever since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they have strategically built pan-European teams to bring their stories in front of a wider audience. Here is a chance to learn how Baltic journalists can change the European perspective on Russia.
When: April 29, 18:00–20:00
Location: SSE Riga (Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Strēlnieku iela 4a, Riga)
Language: English
We invite journalists, media representatives, and journalism students to attend a lecture by Šarūnas Černiauskas, founder of the Center for Investigative Journalism Siena (Lithuania) and recipient of the Peter Greste Baltic Freedom of Speech Award in 2017 and 2025.
In the summer of 2025, work of investigative journalists led to one of the most significant political crises in Lithuania’s recent history. A series of joint investigations conducted by Siena.lt and Laisvės TV brought public attention to alleged misconduct at the highest levels of government, ultimately contributing to the resignation of Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and his entire cabinet.
This lecture will examine how investigative reporting influenced these political developments and explore the developments that followed. Particular attention will be given to debates surrounding the future of Lithuania’s national broadcaster, LRT, and to the prominent role played by media professionals in public demonstrations, which brought together thousands of citizens to oppose proposed amendments to the law governing the public broadcaster.
As noted by Šarūnas Černiauskas, “Journalists decided to forget competition for the time being and organised some of the largest protests in Lithuania’s modern history. The country is still in turmoil, and freedom of speech is under an unprecedented threat. All of that, indirectly, is a fallout of Siena’s and Laisvės TV’s investigations.”