About us

“Publikai” is an independent, radical publication whose aim is to foster wider discussions on matters which are important for the whole society. Therefore our motto is: freedom of press and freedom of speech. With the help of the written and spoken word we want to encourage critical and independent thinking, since we deem this to be a precondition for democracy. Our view is that as many individuals as possible should take part in debates on current events and future possibilities.

Democracy is a way for the society to discuss important matters and make collective decisions. Mass media in turn is a forum where the democratic conversation can take place — and without such a conversation the democratic process is a mere illusion. The media environment in Latvia currently does not provide a framework for such a democratic conversation for the citizens of our country. Media in our country is too homogeneous and superficial; it is also characterized by a provincial view of the events in the world.

We are breaking this tradition by offering a radical view and critical analysis, based on specific core values. Cornerstones of our activities are freedom, democracy, human rights, equality, and social justice. At the same time we are not led by blind faith. We urge people to contemplate upon and discuss different forms of democracy and boundaries of human rights. We want to explore the present and influence the future.

Our publication is independent from political parties and movements, but it does not mean that “Publikai” is apolitical. On the contrary: in our view politics is a sphere of action not reserved exclusively for the political elite and public relations and advertisement agencies that serve them. One of the core duties of journalists is to critically analyze political power. We are fully convinced that such analysis stems from a viewpoint that hierarchic and authoritarian ideas are contrary to the very essence of democracy. We explore and criticize manifestations of such ideas, wherever they might emerge.

And finally — democracy should function locally, regionally and globally. Therefore the perspective of “Publikai” will always be as wide as possible, viewing events and processes in Latvia in the context of the whole world, including comparisons of trends from other countries. The people of Latvia need to be aware and understand the events in other countries well enough in order to be able to assess the processes in our country and actively participate in them.

We are confident that the problems of today can be solved, that challenges can be overcome. The future is not inevitable — we can affect and change it for the better. Moreover, it can and should be done through democratic means. “Publikai” is our contribution to such means.