Storm Fallout: LSM Board Reprimands Anita Brauna and Zane Eniņa

Latvian Public Media’s board has reprimanded two senior editors over how the broadcaster handled coverage during the August 22 and 23 storm.

Disciplinary action went to LSM editor-in-chief Anita Brauna and Zane Eniņa, head of the Latvian Radio news service. Other employees included in the review received verbal reprimands.

The board assessed each employee’s duties, authority, professional responsibility, actual conduct and explanations of what happened. It concluded that the seriousness of the storm had not been assessed quickly enough and that decisions to adapt content and programming came too slowly.

The controversy had already led Uģis Lībietis, head of the Latvian Radio news service, to resign after criticism of the broadcaster’s storm reporting. Latvian Television’s investigative program De facto also reported that Brauna’s position could be at risk.

The review found shortcomings in LSM’s internal cooperation, decision-making and ability to adjust programming as conditions developed. The public broadcaster is now revising its procedures for crisis management, decisions and cooperation between editorial departments.