International Media and Latvian Sovereignty: From Liberation to Today’s Vexation

Abstract

This report examines the significance of international news in Latvian politics. Today, in light of coverage stemming from the crisis in Ukraine, news from Russia is a prominent concern, but a generation ago Latvian politicians working for independence from the USSR devoted their primary attention to news from the West. This study examines the relationship between press and politics in the twilight of the Soviet era and contrasts it with today’s “information war” between the small Baltic state and its neighbor Russia. In the process, it suggests directions for future research based on the case of Latvia in conjunction with insights derived from research on the “CNN effect.”