Propaganda as a key element of the informational war was the topic of the meeting of the Discussion Club at the School of Advanced Journalism on Monday, October 5. The guests of the second meeting of the Discussion Club were two Lithuanian experts: Laurynas Kasčiūnas and Tomas Dapkus.

At the meeting, the two experts talked with the SAJ students about the views of Lithuanian experts about the informational war currently led by Russia in the region, a war that has gained more speed and connotations once the situation in Eastern Ukraine had escalated, as well as about the challenges of countering propaganda. 'Every media outlet is entitled to have its own editorial policy. However, the public should have the freedom to choose between propagandistic media and equidistant media that promote a different editorial policy. There must be an alternative, as it is in free democratic societies; still, there is almost no alternative in Russia,' said Laurynas Kasčiūnas.

The experts were asked whether the Ukrainian authorities were entitled to forbid Russian television channels that are considered propagandistic, and to what extent it would impact the freedom of expression in the region. Tomas Dapkus said that from his point of view Ukraine had a good reason to forbid propagandistic media: 'Of course, in a normal situation it would not be right to shut a TV station down by a political decision. In Lithuania, for instance, it is not possible unless all legal and constitutional means fail. However, there is war in Ukraine, and these media broadcast messages inciting to war.'

The students have also discussed the current situation in the Moldovan society and the issue of Moldova's European integration, stating that the European Union should be tougher with Moldovan authorities, making them implement true reforms, as promised. In response, the guests said that there was some truth to their views, but only the people of Moldova can and may exercise pressure over local political leadership though.

Laurynas Kasčiūnas is the acting Director of the Center for East European Studies in Vilnius. He used to be the foreign policy adviser to the Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament. Tomas Dapkus is the moderator of a weekly news program broadcast by LNK, the largest TV station in Lithuania; he also works for the national radio and for one of the most important news portals in the country, Alfa.lt. They visited Chisinau under a project of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aiming at combating Russian propaganda in Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.