Journalist: during storm crisis, battery radio was the only lifeline for many Latvians
After the recent destructive storm, Diena economics editor Magda Riekstiņa is calling for a review of how Latvia informs residents during crises, criticizing Latvian Radio for failing to provide timely updates during power outages. She also urged residents to take official warnings more seriously.
Speaking on TV24's programme "Preses Klubs," journalist Magda Riekstiņa said the recent powerful storm exposed serious shortcomings in how Latvia communicates with residents when electricity, internet and mobile networks go down.
Riekstiņa noted that social media was full of complaints from people across various regions of Latvia, and that for many, a battery-powered radio became the only remaining connection to the outside world. Those with past experience or knowledge of emergency procedures reportedly knew this option existed, while others were less prepared.
Criticism of Latvian Radio
According to Riekstiņa, many people complained online that Latvian Radio continued broadcasting its regular programming, including radio dramas, at a time when listeners needed urgent, practical information. She called this an error, arguing that public radio must recognize that during a crisis it may be the only information channel available to some listeners.
She urged that crisis communication planning consider not only residents in central areas where infrastructure is typically restored quickly, but also people in remote regions — citing Piedruja near the Belarusian border, Nereta, and areas of Ventspils municipality — where outages can last longer and technical alternatives are less accessible.
In her view, publicly funded media should, during crises, provide regular and practically useful information on regional conditions, traffic restrictions, electricity and water supply, communications problems, and how to get help.
Residents also bear responsibility
However, Riekstiņa stressed that responsibility should not fall solely on the state, municipalities or media. She noted that some people dismissed cell broadcast warnings as unnecessary scaremongering, an attitude she called potentially dangerous, since a severe storm warning implies risks such as falling trees, blocked roads and power outages.
Riekstiņa said the storm revealed two parallel problems: the state and public media need to improve their ability to reach people when modern communications fail, while residents themselves need to take warnings seriously and be prepared for at least the first hours or days of a crisis.
