New Books on Journalists' Memories: Lack of Editorial Oversight Raises Questions
Two books published in 2025 compile journalists' memoirs about the 1991 barricades and press work in the 1990s, but a reviewer notes they lack a common editorial framework.
Two collections of memoirs published earlier this year have drawn particular interest from contemporaries: “Latviešu prese trakajos deviņdesmitajos” (The Latvian Press in the Crazy Nineties) and “Posteņos. Barikādes atceras žurnālisti” (At the Posts. Journalists Remember the Barricades). Both books follow a similar structure, bringing together accounts written by various journalists. One focuses on the 1991 barricades, the other on working in press editorial offices during the 1990s, a period of immense change for society, the economy, and the media landscape.
According to the journalists themselves, freedom of expression at that time was greater than today, though not everyone found this period successful. Among the compilers, publicist Ēriks Hānbergs is listed first, joined by other contributors. However, the review argues that both publications lack a unifying framework, which is usually the responsibility of the book's editor. After reading, questions arise about the purpose of these books—whether they reveal the true state of the press during the transition period, merely recount amusing and surprising anecdotes in the style of “criminal excellence fund,” and whether all questions about the barricades have been answered.
