About Lithuanian Journalism Centre

The Lithuanian Journalism Centre (LJC) has been established under the Open Society Fund-Lithuania by the decision of the OSFL Board of March 30, 1995. The Centre has been registered as a self-dependent non-governmental non-profit institution of informal education. The LJC is managed by the Administration.

The Lithuanian Journalism Centre:

• organizes mid-career training courses for mass media professionals;
• provides basics of journalism for 5 months to Bachelors of other specialties; 
• organizes  courses on Public Relations (duration – 5 months); 
• consults secondary school students who intend to study journalism; 
• organizes conferences, seminars and workshops on mass media problems; 
• publishes books on journalism.
  

During years of its existence, Lithuanian Journalism Centre has played a major role in improving the professional level of Lithuanian journalists and enforcing democratic norms as well as developing international co-operation. 1995-2001, LJC and its partners (Council of Europe, Baltic Media Centre, the UNESCO, experts of journalist organisations of Lithuania) have participated and presented to the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania the following laws of the Republic of Lithuania:
1996 – The Law on the Provision of Information to the Public
1996 – LR Law on the National Radio and Television
2000 – Amendments to the Law on the Provision of Information to the Public
2000 – LR Law “On the Negative Impact of the Media in Respect to Minors“.

Publishing activities: Encyclopaedia of Journalism, 1997, supported by the Journalism Centre of Nordic Countries; Freedom and Responsibility of Journalism. Council of Europe Instruments on Mass Media, supported by the Council of Europe, 1996; Code of Ethics of Journalists and Publishers, 1996, the conference for the adoption of the Code was held with the support of the Baltic Media Centre; Language Notes for Journalists, 1998.

In 1995-2010, LJC arranged conferences and seminars both for Lithuanian and foreign journalists. Topics of the conferences and seminars were as follows:

• the legal framework of Lithuanian media and its development;
• integration of Lithuania into the European Union; 
• ethics and culture of the media; 
• limits of the freedom of the media in a democratic society and the EU standards;
• investigative journalism; 
• internet journalism: the relationship between traditional and electronic journalism; 
• media cases at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and at Lithuanian courts;
• marketing and management of regional press; 
• radio journalism (proficiency, the work of the News Service, etc.); 
• seminars for photographers and designers; 
• election experience and analysis, political reporting, etc.
  

Over 6000 Lithuanian and foreign journalists took part in those events; from Lithuanian both journalists from bigger towns and cities and from regions, while some of the seminars were dedicated exclusively to regional media. A number of journalists participated in study visits abroad.