Media gives most attention to Lithuania's healthmin during govt 1st yr, least to energmin

VILNIUS – Lithuania's Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga got the biggest media focus during the first year of the government's term, while Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas got the least attention from the press.

Experts say Veryga's visibility was due to the measures to restrict alcohol consumption and the situation surrounding the prescription medication. The second place is held by Education and Science Minister Jurgita Petrauskiene due to the initiative to restructure the university network.

The data was received by BNS from Lithuania's media monitoring and research company Mediaskopas.

The government of Saulius Skvernelis was sworn in exactly a year ago – on Dec. 13 of 2016.

From that day, Veryga was mentioned in more than 16,000 media reports.

Vilune Kairiene, head of monitoring and analysis division at Mediaskopas, he was in particular spotlight in May during the parliamentary discussion of the measures to limit accessibility of alcohol and in November media reports of the situation in pharmacies that started demanding prescription for some of the medication.

Petrauskiene, the education and science minister, is far behind Veryga in terms of mentions – she was mentioned in nearly 9,000 reports. Her activities drew the biggest focus in January when the government presented the guidelines for restructuring of the university network.

Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius is third on the list. Kairiene said the mentions in September and October were not about his activities as the diplomacy chief but about his decision to leave the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party.

The energy minister, Vaiciunas, is least visible in the media – he was mentioned six times less than Veryga. Other ministers with little media attention include Justice Minister Milda Vainiute and Interior Minister Eimutis Misiunas.

The media survey was conducted by monitoring national, regional and district publications and magazines, online portals, news agencies, radio and television broadcasts.