‘Do Trolls Live Here, in the Republic of Moldova?!’ Experts from Lithuania Will Consult BCC in Combating Fake News

Use of the rapid response mechanisms by the broadcasting regulator in combating false news and hate speech, as well as examination of some solutions of combating misinformation were the subject of the ‘Combating Hate Speech in the Media: Experience of Lithuania for the Republic of Moldova’ round table. The event was organised by Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) on Thursday, 15 November, having a number of representatives of the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania (RTCL) as guests.

Chairman of RTCL, Mantas Martisius, said that the main challenge faced by Lithuanian broadcasting regulator in combating misinformation was that they could not quickly sanction broadcasters that violated the law due to some provisions of the legislation. In some cases, these broadcasters had a registered address in other countries - such as Great Britain or Norway, and then requests of the Commission should have been sent abroad, the answers were expected - this delayed the entire process.

The law also stipulated that sanctions shall be applied gradually, and only after the application of tougher punishments, such as suspension of rebroadcasting or of license confiscation. Lithuanian expert considers that combating misinformation could be more effective if the regulator would have the prerogative to react promptly to such phenomena.
‘Rapid response instruments, approved at European level, were one of the goals of Lithuania, because in case of elections, referendums and other sensitive events, when time plays an important role, we should be able to immediately react to possible violations of broadcasters. Such provisions have already been adopted and in December they will be published in the Official Journal of EU to enter into force in about 21 months. The regulator will be able to react quickly in such cases and even if these provisions will not solve all of the problems, they will significantly reduce inter-ethnic hate speeches etc.’ explained Mantas Martisius.

He added that in combating propaganda it is important not to affect freedom of expression.
In this respect, Dainius Radzevicius, member of the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania mentioned that effectiveness of combating propaganda may be ensured not by restrictive measures but by intelligent, self-regulatory measures, that would not allow such phenomena to manifest. A mandatory condition in this respect would be development of public and private media in a pluralistic and diverse environment, Radzevicius underlined.
‘Do trolls also live here, in the Republic of Moldova?!’ Dainius Radzevicius asked, half in jest and half seriously, referring to the propaganda which expanded on the online audiovisual platforms. In his opinion, it is important that journalists, civil society get involved in the exposing of trolls, in order to reduce their impact.

He also says that another way of combating hate speech would be ensuring access to information of public interest. ‘The standards of a developed country imply securing the access to information. We do not just combat fake news, but bring people reliable information. If such standards exist in a country, then you do not have to fight with anyone, because propaganda disappears in such conditions’, Radzevicius said.

A Cooperation Agreement was signed at the round table between the Broadcasting Coordination Council of Republic of Moldova and Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania. According to BCC Chairman Dragos Vicol, BCC, as a result, will be able to benefit from Lithuanian good practices in combating hate speech, fake news, misinformation and propaganda. ‘An election campaign, a referendum are coming and we will need such expertise’ Vicol mentioned.
The round table was organised with the support of the ‘Promoting media freedom and pluralism in the Republic of Moldova’ Joint Project of European Union and Council of Europe.