What’s Next for Media and Society Relations in Latvia and Estonia? | Nellija Ločmele, Mari-Liis Rüütsalu, Rita Ruduša and Tarmu Tammerk | 12

In this final episode of Media & Society, we look back at the key questions that have shaped the season and ask what comes next for the relationship between media and society in Latvia and Estonia. From news fatigue and trust to media literacy, polarization, and the future of journalism, this conversation brings together several of the themes that have run through the series. To close the season, host Līga Ozoliņa is joined by four distinguished guests: Nellija Ločmele, editor-in-chief of IR magazine; Mari-Liis Rüütsalu, former member of the management board of Express Group; Rita Ruduša, media expert with extensive experience in journalism and the NGO sector; and Tarmu Tammerk, ombudsperson at Estonian Public Broadcasting. Together, they reflect on how journalism can remain relevant in a fragmented and emotionally exhausted information environment, what media organizations can do to respond to distrust and disengagement, and why questions of responsibility, representation, and democratic resilience are becoming more urgent than ever. As a season finale, this episode offers not only a summary of earlier discussions, but also a broader reflection on the future of media in Latvia and Estonia.   The podcast series is hosted by Līga Ozoliņa, a PhD student at Rīga Stradiņš University and a researcher at the Social Sciences Research Centre. Theme song: Jeremy Blake, Science Montage, Youtube audio library The podcast series is recorded at Rīga Stradiņš University’s multimedia studio and is produced as part of the Scientist 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), which is carried out under the project 'RSU Internal and RSU with LASE External Consolidation' (No. 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/005). The project is funded by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility and the state budget of the Republic of Latvia. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.