RSU completes study on public perception of media and journalism in Latvia and Estonia

Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) has completed a two-year study on how people in Latvia and Estonia form their perception on media and journalism. The study concludes with recommendations for media professionals and media policymakers on how to minimise distrust between the media and society. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the RSU Faculty of Social Sciences under the leadership of Jānis Juzefovičs, using an innovative, the so-called non-media-centric and open-ended approach, focusing not only on what people think about the media and journalism, but also on how these perceptions are shaped by people’s everyday experiences and within a broader social and political context.

A combined approach used to study public opinion 

To gain an in-depth understanding of public opinion, the study combined several data collection methods. First, qualitative research was conducted in Latvia and Estonia last spring, during which participants wrote essays about their lives, society, politics, and the media, and later participated in in-depth individual interviews.

‘When the study design was chosen, the main emphasis was placed on allowing participants to freely formulate the topics and questions that were meaningful to them, rather than answering pre-defined prompts. Therefore, 

the relatively rarely used essay writing method in social sciences allowed them to be given only a broad topic, while shaping its development independently,’

explains lead researcher Jānis Juzefovičs.

Based on the results of the qualitative research, a public opinion survey was conducted in both countries earlier this year.

Co-creation workshops for developing recommendations

In close collaboration with media industry representatives and with a broader involvement from the non-governmental sector, recommendations for media professionals and media policymakers were developed during the study. ‘It was important for us not just to prepare recommendations, but to involve the industry professionals in their development, and that is why we organised special co-creation workshops,’ Juzefovičs explains.

The recommendations are available in Latvian, Estonian, and English, they cover both countries and have already been presented to media editorial teams and institutions responsible for media policy.

Read the recommendations on the project page

‘The study confirmed that our perceptions about media and journalism are not evolving in a vacuum, as they largely reflect our views on the political environment, society, and how we ourselves feel within society. Therefore,

 there are things that media editorial boards and policymakers can do to foster trust in the media, but there are also factors beyond their control, such as overall trust in institutions’, 

emphasises Juzefovičs, Scientific Project Manager of the RSU grant Making Sense of Media: A Non-Media-Centric and Open-Ended Approach to the Study of Media-Related Experiences and Perceptions.

A podcast as a platform for dialogue with the industry and wider society 

Alongside the study, a podcast series Media & Society was produced in English for media professionals, researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the relationship between media and society in Latvia and Estonia. Over 12 episodes, media professionals from Latvia and Estonia, digital content creators, media researchers and policymakers, as well as audience representatives discussed hot topics in media - society relations, including declining trust in the media, news fatigue, societal polarisation, and other issues.  

‘Over the 12 podcast episodes, it becomes clear that the media and media policymakers in both countries face the same challenges, yet the solutions they choose are not always the same. 

Although we are neighbouring countries, we have few shared platforms to discuss current media issues. The podcast will be engaging and useful also for anyone outside the industry who wants to better understand the media environment in both countries,' says Juzefovičs.

Photos from the recording of the final episode of the podcast. Photos: Courtesy of the grant researchers

Research grant Making Sense of Media: A Non-Media-Centric and Open-Ended Approach to the Study of Media-Related Experiences and Perceptions, No RSU-ZG-2024/1-0007, is an interdisciplinary research initiative conducted within the project RSU Internal and RSU with LASE External Consolidation No 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/005 and is funded by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility and the state budget.