Latvia: Discussions about Municipal Newsletters and Media Independence
Ieva Andersone, LL.M
Within the last year, in Latvia there have been numerous debates on the rights of local governments to publish their newsletters with editorial content and paid advertisements. The local governments are referring to their duty to provide information to their municipalities, but journalists and media are worried about the potential impact to free competition and media independence. The response from public and legal authorities so far has been contradictory.
According to the Law on Local Governments, the municipalities have a general duty to inform the inhabitants of the respective municipality on the decisions and binding regulations adopted.…