“We do not expect to make profit, but we believe and perceive it to be our mission as reporters to help spread the word about Lithuania to the world,” says Rimvydas Vakatka, 15min.lt editor-in-chief. “In the modern world, a country as small as Lithuania must take charge of informing others about herself and not wait until someone else vouchsafes a word in our favour.”
Russian-speaking readers of 15min.lt will get up-to-date information on current events in Lithuania and abroad, sneaks into lives of celebrities, psychological advice, updates on how our closest neighbours in Latvia and Estonia are doing, as well as news from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other countries.
“Vast majority of Russian, Belorussian, and Ukrainian residents of the country can speak fluent Lithuanian, so the task for the Russian 15min.lt is not so much to inform the Russian-speaking citizens as to broadcast accurate information about Lithuania in the Eastern sphere, where media freedom often remains under tight restrictions and our country gets a very biased coverage,” Mr Valatka defines the mission of 15min.lt in Russian thus.
The English version is primarily intended for foreign residents who have settled in the country and follow its public life. They will be provided with information on current events in Lithuania as well as broader commentary on the country's politics, economics, society and culture.
“It is our hope the 15min.lt in English will give a chance to know Lithuania not only to diplomats who work here, but to every citizen of our global world interested in Lithuania and Lithuanians, their art, literature, and, of course, basketball,” says editor-in-chief Valatka.
Norwegian Schibsted Media Group, owner of online news 15min.lt and printed weekly “15min”, also runs four Russian-language news outlets in the Baltics: Latvia's number one portal TVNET and three online portals in Estonia: “Postimees”, “Den za dnem”, and “Limon”.
