VU and VMU Signed a Cooperation Agreement to Raise the Level of Journalism in Lithuania

On 10 September, Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), Vilnius University (VU), and the steering group of the Romas Sakadolskis Journalism Forum signed a cooperation agreement to organise International Forums on Journalism by Romas Sakadolskis. The agreement was signed by Prof. Juozas Augutis, Rector of VMU, and Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, Rector of VU.

LRT and the Internet Media Association also joined the universities as partners of the Forum, which became the most important and solid platform for discussions on the state of Lithuanian journalism and media.

"Journalism, similarly to university education, is going through a challenging phase. New technologies and forms of social connection are challenging the traditional way of disseminating and transmitting knowledge. It is very important for journalists to reflect on their work and to see its societal and educational function. This also requires cooperation with universities. The Forum provides journalism with an opportunity for open internal discussions and discussions with representatives of academia to exchange views and achieve quality journalism," says Prof. Petrauskas, Rector of VU.

According to Prof. Augutis, Rector of VMU, this agreement is a step forward in developing innovative and responsible journalism: "Academia can achieve so much more when it is united behind a common goal. We believe that this cooperation will help to develop a new generation of journalists who will be able to responsibly and creatively address the media challenges of the future. We also expect the Forum to continue promoting critical thinking, media literacy, and ethical standards among young professionals."

An unprecedented event

According to the Forum’s steering group, which includes Emilija Sakadolskienė, Auksė Balčytienė, Paulius Gritėnas, Edmundas Jakilaitis, Renata Matkevičienė, Artūras Morozovas, Audronė Nugaraitė, Donatas Puslys, Rytis Staselis, Rytis Zemkauskas, and Ina Žurkuvienė, in the modern world, we no longer can afford to have an old-fashioned understanding of journalism; it is more than news reporting.

"Journalism today is a form of business, entertainment, communication, information, and disinformation. As a progressive global society, we can and must interpret the processes of journalism from several perspectives at once: from the perspective of professionals, academic researchers, as well as business and society. This extremely interesting and, at the same time, complex field is what the Romas Sakadolskis Journalism Forum attempts to discuss every year," say the organisers. "The Forum is entering its fourth year, having grown and united most Lithuanian media. At the same time, the purpose of the Forum remains as clear as it was four years ago: to empower media professionals to produce better quality journalism. We appreciate that and have high hopes for it. Change will not come quickly, but it will come."

Emilija Sakadolskienė, a member of the Forum’s steering group and wife of Romas Sakadolskis, welcomes the fact that the agreement unites the universities where Romas Sakadolskis taught. "This is an unprecedented event in the history of our media. We care about the quality and future of our journalism, which we believe is good for society and our country’s future. Mr Sakadolskis was also concerned about this," says Ms Sakadolskienė.

The Annual Sakadolskis Journalism Awards

This year’s International Academic Forum on Journalism by Romas Sakadolskis will take place on 13 September at the "Paviljonas" cultural bar. Augustinas Šemelis, Laisvė Radzevičienė, Agnė Narušytė, Audronė Nugaraitė, Antanas Jonušas, Raimondas Kuodis, Liudas Ramanauskas, Laurynas Šeškus, and James LeMay will give presentations at the event. There will also be four debates, one of which, "How does the media prepare for work during a crisis, conflict or emergency?", will be broadcast live at 16:45 by lrt.lt, delfi.lt, 15min.lt, lrytas.lt, and tv3.lt. Vaidotas Beniušis, Benas Gerdžiūnas, Tomas Rytel, and Daiva Ulbinaitė will participate in the event, which Artūras Morozovas will moderate.

The Forum culminates in the annual Romas Sakadolskis Journalism Awards, given to journalists for outstanding work in factual, opinion, entertainment, investigative, and cultural journalism. These awards recognise and encourage journalists to continue striving for the highest professional standards.

The International Forum on Journalism by Romas Sakadolskis is an annual event that brings together journalism professionals, researchers, and students in a space for discussion and analysis of the state of journalism in Lithuania and worldwide. The Forum seeks not only to reflect the current reality of journalism but also to anticipate its future directions. The Forum will address issues such as the media’s influence on public opinion, journalists’ responsibilities, ethical principles, the latest technologies changing the nature of journalists’ work, etc.

Romas Sakadolskis (1947–2016) was a Lithuanian and American journalist, long-time correspondent of ‘Voice of America’ and head of its Lithuanian section. He was present at all the most important events of the restoration of Lithuania’s Independence and told the audience about them. Mr Sakadolskis brought to Lithuania a Western understanding of the media. As a lecturer at Vytautas Magnus University and Vilnius University, he taught his students rigorous, fact-based journalism and dreamt of real journalistic investigation.

The Forum is organised by Vytautas Magnus University and Vilnius University. For the second year, the Forum will be organised in cooperation with the US Embassy in Lithuania.