Is it wise to take away from Russians their information channels?

Based on amendments to the law, the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) decided this morning to ban the distribution in Latvia of the remaining 80 Russian-registered TV channels that were previously available to Latvian viewers.

The banned channels include E TV, Иллюзион+, Кино24, Мир ТВ, Охота и рыбалка, Перец!, Русский Иллюзион and others.

No objection is possible to this decision. There is a war, so there are no other options. Russian propaganda is pure lies and disinformation, next to which even Goebbels can only stand aside and nervously smoke. The people who live in its information space are brainwashed - it is very difficult to talk to them, they believe that there are Banderites or Nazis in Ukraine who need to be “de-Nazified”.

Such people do not only live in Russia. They also exist in Latvia and in other post-Soviet and non-post-Soviet countries. Unfortunately, it has been naive to think that this was all innocent.

But there is a decision that is not very wise. Decisions made in seething anger can never be good. The issue of a public television channel in Russian is closed, said Sanita Upleja-Jēgermane, a member of the Public Electronic Mass Media Council (SEPLP). Latvijas Radio reports this with a reference to Latvijas Avīze.

However, it is clear that a decision is in the making.

The lack of public television in Latvia means even more social disintegration - the gap between Latvians and those who do not speak Latvian at home.

One might think: what is preventing non-Latvians from integrating, why don't they know how to speak Latvian? But we should be calmer about it. There is no need to meddle in their affairs, there is no need to stick our nose in their house to sniff what soup they are cooking today. We too would be happy if they did not meddle in our business.

Meduza, the anti-Putin journalists, have been working in Latvia for a long time. Now there is also Novaya Vremya, Current Time and other media. Many journalists, artists and actors have chosen Latvia as their temporary home - until Putin croaks.

Meanwhile, Latvian Russians are still confused. Their minds are changing. After Mariupol, Bucha, Irpin, such changes are taking place. But it will not be immediate. They do not yet believe and cannot accept that what is happening is really happening.

Probably at least 100,000 Latvian citizens and non-citizens are still living with the ideas of Russian TV in their heads. The box is now closed, but its “background radiation” will remain for a long time to come.

In these circumstances, some information channels should be financed by the state in order to be able to reach this brainwashed public - to be able to tell them how things really are.

We should not move towards the side where everything is bad and other people are to blame. But that's where things are going...

But instead, everything is being done not to address this audience. Is that wise?