Public Broadcaster Funding Sparks Concerns Over Prioritized Independence
Vilnius, Lithuania – Writer Jolanta Blažytė has raised concerns regarding the purpose of public funding for Lithuania’s national broadcaster, LRT, questioning whether the focus has shifted from providing information to simply ensuring the institution’s independence.
Blažytė’s critique stems from comments made by LRT’s leadership expressing worry that political efforts to ensure freedom of expression and pluralism within the broadcaster could be interpreted as attempts to restrict its editorial independence.
“It turns out that we pay taxes to the public broadcaster - LRT - not to receive thorough information, but to ensure LRT’s independence, which, not a secret, begins and ends at the promotion of one party,” Blažytė wrote in an article published on respublika.lt.
She extends this concern to other areas of public spending, posing rhetorical questions about whether taxes are increasingly allocated to guarantee the autonomy of institutions – such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, and SODRA (the State Social Insurance Fund Board) – rather than to deliver the services thay are intended to provide.
Blažytė illustrates her point with examples, questioning if taxes would continue to be paid to these entities even if desired services, like healthcare or education, were not provided, simply to uphold their independence. She also referenced defense taxes and their potential allocation, questioning if funds would be used for national defense or simply to ensure the independence of certain individuals.
Concluding her argument, Blažytė suggests the creation of a “self-Governorate” funded by taxpayers, drawing a parallel to past tribute systems where collectors had little understanding of the needs of those they taxed.