Media and Military in Latvia

In democratic, lawful state each citizen has the right provided with the law to know about everything that occurs inside the country and in the world. The different processes occurring in the world show that without publicity there is no democracy as without democracy there is no publicity. However it is very hard to find a real example where publicity and democracy are realized to the full spectrum. Always there are objective and subjective circumstances which directly or indirectly limited these freedoms. All over the world protection and safety of the state is that sphere where plenty of interdictions and restrictions at the publication of the information are.
Media in a democratic society should be dialectically an opposite pole to the state point of view, and not just the tool of propaganda. The most effective decision of concrete problems and formation of the positive public attitude are possible to achieve at constructive discussion of the various points of view. However to observe to the given principle it is not simple. But not only journalists should follow this principle, but also the state representatives. But as experience shows, it is difficult and disease process.
Latvian MOD is necessary to solve many important tasks which are connected with protection and safety of the state:
By the end of 2006, the Latvian state shall transfer to professional army.
By the end of 2004, we shall restructure the National Armed Forces to ensure that Latvia fulfils its commitments in the collective defence system.
We shall ensure a total control and defence of our air space through the assistance by other NATO states.
We shall develop the Latvian Brigade to provide a permanent participation of one battalion in the NATO operations.
We shall actively participate in defining and implementing of the European joint security and defence policy, continue the Baltic military co-operation projects.
We shall develop the National Guard to provide for the tasks of collective defence.
We shall provide the National Armed Forces with modern armament and equipment.1
MoD should inform a society on concrete actions on achievement of these tasks in due time not only because money of tax are spent, but also therefore to achieve support of a society in realization of specific targets of protection of the state.
The task of this work is to analyze MoD and armies cooperation with Media in the decision of specific objectives, and to determine, how this cooperation helps to realize the defence and security policy of the state. And also to determine lacks of this cooperation and to give recommendations how to improve it in the future.

1.1.Analysis of the Problem

Relations MoD and army with Media in the best way are characterized official policy by work of militaries with mass media. All of us very well understand that publicity and independence of media are huge democratic gain. In this time we are sure, that it is not allow confuse independence to permissiveness that to which it is trusted a feather, a microphone, a television camera. MoD and army with understanding and the responsibility concern to critical publications in printed editions, radio and TV, but when the criticism passes a side of reasonable, and sometimes has offensive character, it causes impartial indignation. Therefore МoD and army should support very close connections with media and continuously supervise the attitude of a society to army and publications in mass media about it. First of all it is necessary to do in order to preclude publications of false information that can aggravate relations between army and a society. As the second it will possible to react in due time and effectively on incorrect and false information about events in army.…