JRL NEWSWATCH: “Latvia battles to curb Russian media influence” – DW

“Latvia is fighting to counter the spread of Moscow’s disinformation. Given its large Russian-speaking community, this is a tough task.”

“… Latvia gained its long-awaited independence in the 1990s … then became a member of the [EU] and NATO. But … the country’s Soviet past still has a potent impact …. Even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine … Latvian authorities were beginning to pull the plug on Russian state media …. bann[ing] 20 Russian media outlets … [as] a threat to national security. … [Yet] Russian state TV channels … [reportedly are] still accessible via the internet and satellite …. Russian state TV is not the only tool of Russian propaganda[] and … disinformation[] in Latvia. Social media [reportedly] has also become an information battlefield … [T]o promote the Latvian language, Latvia has passed a law … eliminat[ing] Russian from the school curriculum. … Another attempt by Latvians to distance themselves from Moscow has been the removal of Soviet memorials, of which there are around 300 in [Latvia] …”

Click here for: “Latvia battles to curb Russian media influence; Latvia is fighting to counter the spread of Moscow’s disinformation. Given its large Russian-speaking community, this is a tough task.” – Deutsche Welle/ Maria Katamadze