Regulation of online media in Latvia

The field of media has been divided into Russian speaking or writing and Latvian speaking or writing media mainly because of historical events in Latvia in the last millennium, including the russification and migration policy implemented during the Soviet occupation. As a result, Latvians comprise a little more than 60% of the population. The gap between the media targeting the Latvian-speaking audience and the Russian-speaking audience is wide. This split makes the available market for media even smaller, because these two groups demand different products.1 Several media formats, especially online media, have made use of this situation offering their outlets in both Russian and Latvian languages.2 Additionally, the television and radio stations from Russia are competing with the local media.3 Compared to Latvian media companies, these channels have more financial resources, allowing them to provide more diverse content.