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On 18 June, LRT, in cooperation with the Lithuanian Journalism Centre, will organise the International Investigative Journalism Festival in Lithuania for the third time.
“This year, the International Investigative Journalism Festival is becoming a timely part of the global GlobalFact conference taking place in Vilnius. The war in Ukraine and the disinformation campaigns being carried out across Europe against this backdrop are bringing fact-checkers and investigative journalists together around common topics. In June, journalists from Poland, Estonia, Moldova and Ukraine will share how they have investigated the Kremlin's influence operations in their countries.
Attacks on the media are also often part of those same operations. Journalists from Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary and Georgia, who have faced persecution and taken part in protests against pressure on the media in their countries, will share their experiences. Guests from the United States will discuss whether democracies can withstand authoritarian leaders' attacks on truth. These topics are relevant to journalists, leaders, political analysts and all active citizens. Register now for the Festival day, which is open to the public and free of charge – places are limited, so it is worth acting quickly,” says Džina Donauskaitė, Head of the Lithuanian Journalism Centre.
“Investigative journalism is currently on the rise around the world not only because it can uncover a great deal of intriguing information hidden from the public and expose complicated corruption schemes. As the world order we have known begins to crumble, the work of investigative journalists reminds us that a system of values still exists, and that black is not white,” says Indrė Makaraitytė, Head of the LRT Investigative Group.
This year's Investigative Journalism Festival is being held together with another international event – the GlobalFact conference of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) of the international Poynter Institute, which will take place in Lithuania for the first time and is being organised together with the portal Delfi as the main conference partner.
The International Investigative Journalism Festival is being integrated into the programme of the GlobalFact conference and held as part of it, giving conference guests from around the world an opportunity to learn about journalistic investigation experience from Lithuania, the other Baltic States and the broader Central and Eastern European region.
On the Festival day, keynote presentations will be delivered by award-winning author and disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz from the United States and NBC News investigative journalist Jane Lytvynenko, who covers the Russia-Ukraine war.
The discussions held during the Festival will focus on investigative methods used to expose Russia's hybrid operations in foreign countries, as well as the Kremlin's plans in the Baltic region and beyond.
The discussions will also examine the latest methods used to undermine free media and ways to resist them, as well as forms of protest in defence of media freedom.
LRT has organised the International Investigative Journalism Festival together with the Journalism Centre every two years since 2022. The Festival is intended for the LRT journalistic community, Lithuanian and foreign media experts, and the general public.
By organising the Investigative Journalism Festival together with its partners, LRT seeks to present to the public and experts relevant and high-profile journalistic investigations carried out by Lithuanian and foreign journalists, as well as the methodologies used in those investigations; to demonstrate to the public the role of investigative journalism in democratic accountability processes; to broaden professional networks and promote the sharing of experience among journalists and experts from Lithuania, the Baltic States, the Central and Eastern European region and other foreign countries participating in the Festival; and to promote the dissemination and visibility of LRT's investigative journalism experience.
The international GlobalFact 2026 conference, into whose programme this year's International Investigative Journalism Festival is being integrated, will take place in Vilnius on 17–19 June. More than 500 participants from 80 countries are expected to attend.
LRT is a partner of the IFCN network. In 2023 and 2026, LRT was granted the status of a signatory to the IFCN Code, confirming that LRT's journalism complies with and adheres to the IFCN principles of ethics and transparency.
Only pre-registered guests are invited to attend the International Investigative Journalism Festival. The participation is free of charge. Due to the large number of GlobalFact visitors, the number of participants in the Investigative Journalism Festival is limited.
Those wishing to attend the International Investigative Journalism Festival are invited to register by completing the form here.
Participation in the full three-day programme of the GlobalFact conference is subject to a fee. Registration is handled by the Poynter Institute. More information about the GlobalFact conference and registration is available here.