ABSTRACT
Freedom of expression was already included in the founding documents of the Latvian state in 1918, but it has been protected at a constitutional level only since 1998. Latvian media law consists of two core legislative acts adopted by Parliament: the Law on the Press and other Mass Media and the Electronic Mass Media Law. Mass media are registered in the Mass Media Register; however, the registration is not mandatory for online media. Liability rules for breach of privacy and defamation in mass media are applicable not only to mass media and journalists, but also to unregistered online media platforms and private individuals, including bloggers, who have published their statements in mass media. The share of the media market offering radio is more diverse. There are two self-regulatory authorities, which aim to protect journalists and their press freedom. These are: the Latvian Association of Journalists and the Latvian Union of Journalists.
