Regional Media Is Changing: Do Local Journalists Still Feel Safe?

Journalism in Lithuania’s regions carries a personal risk that is less common in larger cities. Reporters often write about people they know, encounter on the street or even have as neighbors.

That closeness can produce an immediate response. A journalist may receive a phone call or personal message, or be stopped while walking through town after publishing a story.

At the same time, the way people consume local information is changing. Regional news no longer travels only through local news portals and newspapers. Facebook groups, community channels and the accounts of local politicians have also become important sources.

The discussion asks what people in the regions now expect from journalists and whether local media remains a trusted place to understand events in their communities. Delfi journalists Romas Sadauskas-Kvietkevičius, who works in Dzūkija, and Ramonda Mikučionytė of the Jūsų Panevėžys portal discuss those questions.

The material forms part of “Facts and Journalism,” an information and education project designed to strengthen media literacy, explain journalism’s role, encourage trust in reliable information sources and help audiences identify disinformation. The project also examines the effects of addiction on people and society and receives partial funding from Lithuania’s Media Support Fund.