‘Reversed censorship’? Assessing media self-regulation in the Baltic countries
‘Reversed censorship’? Assessing media self-regulation in the Baltic countries

Summary/Abstract: A paradigm shift in the European media and communications policy from public service orientation towards market liberalization raises the question of effective mechanisms for safeguarding public interest and counterbalancing the commercial objectives of the media industry. This article dis­cusses the efficiency of one of particular mechanism, self-regulation, in the context of the Baltic States and their extremely liberal media policies. Due to the imbalance between market forces and regulation, within the conditions of immature civic and media cultures, the media in the Baltic countries have developed a unique form of ‘reversed’ censorship. Governments establish censor­ship to limit the freedom of the press; ‘reversed’ censorship is established by the media to limit the freedom of expression. The ideology of a free media has been turned into a means of increasing the power of the media. Voices demanding accountability or criticizing the media for irresponsible performance are suppressed, as the media do not tolerate external criticism.

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