100th Anniversary of Journalism Studies in Lithuania

“We live in a time when the media is experiencing major transformations. Journalistic principles such as factuality, objectivity, and impartiality have been increasingly dwindling lately. There have been changes not just in the authority of the media but also in the habits of information consumption. The revolution of digitization has, in some sense, deprofessionalized journalism. Nevertheless, the public’s desire to know and understand reality has not changed”, says Vytautas Magnus University’s (VMU) teacher, Professor Dr. Auksė Balčytienė.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the launch of journalism studies in Lithuania. VMU, which is continuing the tradition of educating the specialists of this field, will bring together journalism professionals, researchers, and the public in an exceptional event on 15 May, at which the university’s teachers, graduates, and students as well as schoolchildren will share their thoughts about the past, present, and future of journalism. 

“Journalism is not just a trade and a profession but also a way of thinking, a mission to educate the public and build the standards of professionalism. Today, most of us are tired from social networking and the constant noise of information and communication. The question arises, what kind of information do we need? We want to bring back the discourse on why journalism matters and why choosing journalism studies is worthwhile”, Head of VMU Dept. of Public Communication, Prof. Dr. Kristina Juraitė explains the aim of the event.

In an interview, VMU professors shared their thoughts on the beginnings of journalism studies in the wake of Lithuania’s declaration of independence, as well as the transformations of both the studies and journalism itself. 

Launching of studies coincided with the birth of a young state

Prof. Juraitė notes that journalism lectures first started at VMU in 1925; later on, in 1941, the Dept. of Sociology and Journalism was founded. “The first journalism lectures at the University of Lithuania were held in 1925-1926 by Professor Juozas Eretas (1896-1984), who came from Switzerland and founded the ELTA news agency in 1920. Following in his footsteps was Juozas Keliuotis (1902-1983), one of the most famous Lithuanian interwar journalists, who was the publisher and editor of the cultural magazine Naujoji Romuva. Keliuotis studied at Sorbonne University in Paris and its School of Journalism, where he attended lectures of not just journalism but also sociology and philosophy.

In his lectures, Keliuotis raised issues that remain relevant to this day: the professionalism of journalism, freedom of speech, accountability of the press etc. Thus, the idea to combine journalism and sociology at VMU was definitely not a coincidence. The Western experience that Keliuotis brought from Paris encouraged him to look at journalism as a project dedicated to modernization of the nation, the public, and the state, which is significant not just socially and politically but also professionally and morally”, the professor explains.  

Adding to her colleague’s insights, Prof. Dr. Auksė Balčytienė says that the emergence of journalism studies in Lithuania was influenced by the technological revolution as well as political developments. “The early 20th century marked the rise of radio and the first media agencies. At the same time, a young democratic state was being built, and it needed all of those institutions. These were the main motives that incited the search for professionals while realizing at the same time that the genre of journalism is distinct from common literature. For instance, historically, in Europe, those who became journalists were usually people who couldn’t realize themselves as writers but managed to adapt successfully in journalism”, Prof. Balčytienė observes.

Prof. Dr. Juraitė comments that the first journalists were often those who felt compelled to participate in the public life and nurture ideas of nationality and statehood. “For instance, Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė met Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis at the first exhibition of Lithuanian fine art, to which she was sent by the newspaper Vilniaus Žinios. We are more familiar with her as a public figure, writer, and teacher, but we know less about her activities as a press representative. In the late 19th century, the seeds of journalism were already alive and closely linked to the national movement and revival. If we look at the members of the Council of Lithuania, we’ll see that many signatories of Lithuania’s Act of Independence actively worked with the press, they were journalists, editors, or publishers. In this technological and political context, the start of journalism lectures was a continuation of all that, and, by the way, a relatively early initiative globally, which outpaced not just our neighbours, but also many Western countries as well”, VMU teacher notes.

Students were ambitious and demanding

When the tradition of VMU’s journalism studies was revived in 1998, they were purposefully first launched at Master’s rather than Bachelor’s level. “Being a journalist doesn’t mean being a young student who only ever tries to describe what happened where, when, and how. Rather, it means having a broader perspective and understanding the mission of one’s occupation. This mission is to inform in a precise, correct, and balanced manner, while also understanding the immense responsibility one bears in a role like this”, Prof. Balčytienė emphasises. 

She recalls that the students of the time stood out for their ambition and high standards. “These students were well-educated people who knew what they wanted. They came from very diverse study fields – from English philology and philosophy to history and political science. From today’s perspective, the youth of the time were united by hunger, curiosity, and desire to understand and learn. They had a strong sense of responsibility. It was the generation of the millennium shift, which was highly skilled at reading books and long texts and analysing them. They had a long-distance runner’s mindset, i.e. first you read and observe the situation, and only then do you communicate. Today’s era is different – the distance is much shorter. You have to grasp and process information much faster and broadcast what is relevant”, the professor explains.

Prof. Juraitė remembers the students of the late 1990s as a generation of idealists who came to study with the desire to contribute to the development of the state and the spread of free speech. From the very start, the revived study program had a strong focus on historical and political perspectives. 

“Politics is the engine of our democratic system’s creation. Meanwhile, journalism is another engine which is dedicated to providing information, engaging people, inviting them to participate. We built a hub of not just studies but also scientific analysis, as we primarily looked at journalism from evolutionary perspective. For this reason, we chose to analyse this field through political, historical, social, and, of course, technological aspects. We also prioritised improvement of journalism’s functioning in a democratic society. Journalism is not just a process of transmitting a message. It has its own rituals, traditions, and values. One of its roles is to bring communities together. However, journalism may also have negative aspects, e.g. when it’s associated with corruption or serves one political agenda. We must discuss all of these things as well”, Prof. Balčytienė argues.

The public lacks understanding of journalism

In Prof. Juraitė’s view, even from the perspective of today, we can see that the functions and the place of the media in the society, as well as the media’s relation to the social and cultural realities, were reflected in the lectures of Juozas Keliuotis, the pioneer of modern journalism studies, at the start of the 20th century. The expert notes that journalism goes together with life but also takes on a mission and assumes the responsibility for the public’s awareness, knowledgeability, and critical thinking, all of which have been and will continue to be important.

“We had a period when it seemed like we could relax and look for new possibilities of communication; we could become the creators and disseminators of this information ourselves. However, in critical times, or when a turning point comes, you realize that professional journalists are equally necessary. Their place and their mission are vital”, Juraitė stresses. 

Prof. Balčytienė observes that the Sąjūdis period showed how hungry the public was for long-hidden information; however, as a society, we still haven’t managed to foster respect for and understanding of journalism. This is also reflected in the youths who gather in universities. “Journalism can truly contribute to the development of critical thinking. But each of us can also help journalism a lot as well, once we realize what its purpose and function is – not just as an occupation but also as a phenomenon in society”, Balčytienė says.

University as a space for safe and respectful discussions 

Over more than three decades of independence, considerable investments have been made in strengthening journalism, public education, and democratic development. However, in Prof. Juraitė’s opinion, we as a society took an inert path, thinking that we don’t have to put in extra effort into assurance of democratic stability.

“If we look at the Civic Empowerment Index, the role of NGOs is not grasped well enough and trust in journalism remains low. We must help the public realize that high-quality journalism exists. Some sources really do provide the latest, vital, and reliable information; we can and must trust them – both the public broadcaster and the main news portals”, she asserts. Prof. Balčytienė adds that increasing trust in journalism is, first of all, a task for the community of journalists themselves. Explaining this to the public needs to be very simple and rely on specific, everyday examples.

“Professional journalists take part in our various projects. They hold lectures for students in which they analyse real-world situations and practical challenges. Journalism studies and a university is the perfect place to make mistakes, experiment, discuss, and discover your own values, all of which you do with colleagues and friends. It is a safe space that gives you a chance to contemplate your mission as a professional and to test yourself in certain situations. Here, opposing views or arguments can meet and be heard, using the language of arguments and facts”, the professor assures.

According to the VMU lecturer, one person might be very brave and able to work under extreme conditions, e.g. become a war correspondent. Another person’s professionalism might manifest in impartially commenting on a situation without necessarily being at the scene. “This is the greatest strength of the studies: to help each student try out certain situations individually. Then, it becomes easier for a person to see what kind of environment is best suited for their self-realization. We can discuss such things in a safe, attentive, and responsive setting. It also becomes a psychological reinforcement”, the professor describes the benefits of the studies.

Studies that prepare professionals

In over 25 years since the restoration of journalism studies at VMU, this program has undergone multiple transformations: changes not just in teachers and content of lectures, but also the title of the study program itself. The Master’s degree study program Future Media and Journalism, which is taught in English, is one of the most ambitious ones in all of VMU. In 2021, an expert group of the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education unequivocally named it the leading journalism program in Lithuania. In 2024, VMU study programs in the field of communication were recognised as the best in Lithuania. Those who study journalism strive to address the most complex issues of the modern profession: to maintain the goals of classical journalism and highlight the problems of the digitized media environment.

“Human-centred perspective is the main driving force behind the study process. No matter which solutions we make or technologies we use, and no matter how algorithms affect us, everything operates in interaction with people. A person’s choices, ambitions, motivation, life experience, inequalities faced by society, traditions, values, and geography – those are the main things that constitute the essence of journalism studies”, Prof. Balčytienė underlines.

According to Prof. Juraitė, study modules are oriented towards an understanding of the information-communication system both contextually and institutionally. “In lectures we talk about technologies and how they change journalism, how they’re affected by society, politics, and economics. Students learn various strategies of creating news and content, delve into topics such as post-truth and modern information wars, search for the best format for digital storytelling, and engage in investigative journalism practice. The department houses the Romas Sakadolskis Media Laboratory, named after the journalist, where students can practically apply the skills acquired in lectures”, the professor describes the studies.

The young generation will be invited to join the discussion

Marking the 100th anniversary of journalism studies in Lithuania, on May 15th, the university will invite its community members, graduates, schoolchildren, and everyone interested in journalism to attend an exceptional event titled “The Beginning of Beginnings: 100 Years of Journalism Studies in Lithuania”.

According to one of the organizers of this initiative, Prof. Juraitė, the aim of the event is to not just celebrate this significant anniversary, but also to invite young people to look at journalism from a different perspective.

“School students, who are probably one of the main audiences of this event, definitely have a certain image of journalism, but it does not necessarily reflect what it truly is. They follow podcast hosts, have topics they explore, and know what matters to them. I think that this is a generation which has a completely different understanding of journalism. The task of our event is to show that what they imagine also has a professional level. On our side, we will present a historical perspective and share the thoughts of alumni, department staff, and students. But we also want to hear from school students – they will have a chance to showcase their experiences during a quiz that will take place at the event”, Prof. Balčytienė says.

The university community will also receive attention during the event. The keynote, “The University as an Institution for Cultivating a Modern Nation”, will be delivered by Professor Antanas Kulakauskas. This will be followed by a discussion titled “So Why Journalism?” featuring journalists, university lecturers, and graduates. It will be moderated by journalist and Assoc. Professor of the Dept. of Public Communication, Rytis Zemkauskas.