Latvia's Radio 1 has not violated any professional principles according to the Ombudsman, but it's advised that LSM clarify their social media posts' purposes.
The Ombudsman for Latvia's public electronic media, Edmunds Apsalons, addressed complaints regarding posts on the Facebook page of Latvia's Radio 1 (LR1), asserting that while the station did not breach any professional principles of the Latvian Public Media (LSM), it is recommended that LSM inform readers about the reasons for their posts on social media. The complaints indicated that in January, LR1's Facebook profile predominantly featured information about the political party 'Progressives', with significantly less about the political alliance 'New Unity'. The submitter argued that this imbalance failed to reflect LSM's principles of diversity of opinion, objectivity, accuracy, and neutrality.
Upon reviewing the claims according to LSM's Editorial Guidelines, the Ombudsman concluded that the selection of text posts on Facebook was within the parameters allowed by the current content of LR1's radio program and the relevance of media content to the audience. This suggests that while the platform's content serves its intended audience, improvements can be made in transparency, offering insights into the motivations behind particular posts to address perceptions of bias. Apsalons' recommendation highlights the ongoing scrutiny of media practices, particularly concerning political representation and impartiality during a politically charged environment in Latvia.
