Media4Change is an international movement that examine problems that are outside of the media agenda. We monitor the portrayal of the most stigmatized groups in society and aim to make good global practices a source of inspiration for decision-makers and other members of the movement. We keep the issues of human rights, investigative journalism, and media literacy on our radar.

In response to the arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich, the Media Council to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania addresses the European Broadcasting Union, the Council of Europe and UNESCO regarding the dire situation of independent media in Belarus.

On National Communities’ day, Media4Change talks to Ernest Alesin, the head of the Association of Lithuanian Media in the Languages of Ethnic Communities, which unites several media outlets in Polish, Russian and English, about the impact of ethnic media in ethnic communities.

One-fifth of media content about the LGBTI+ community in the last six months is negative. According to 2019 and 2020 data, negative context appears usually appears in less than that – 14%. In the light of International Day Against Homophobia, we draw attention to the worsening portrayal of the community in the media.

Participants of the Media4Change’s Investigative journalism competition from Lithuania and Slovakia spent 36 hours per week on understanding the principles of investigative journalism, exploring various important topics in their fields of interest, deepening analytical skills and networking with like-minded people. A workshop week full of inspiring and creative online workshops and discussions was the final element of the second stage of the Investigative journalism competition. During the sessions 15 teams from Lithuania and 9 from Slovakia improved their investigations’ plans for the final evaluation.

Among the groups monitored by Media4Change, the Jewish community stands out as the most positively portrayed group. Sania Kerbelis, the chairman of the Šiauliai Jewish community, says that the image of the community depends on the initiatives that draw society’s attention.