EROBEŽOTI KANĀLI UN STABILA AUDITORIJA: LATVIJAS RUSOFONĀS AUDITORIJAS MEDIJU LIETOJUMS UN ATTIEKSME PRET MEDIJIEM PĒC KRIEVIJAS PILNA MĒROGA IEBRUKUMA UKRAINĀ

This study analyzes media consumption behavior and perceptions of media and journalism among the Russophone audience in Latvia following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent closure of Russian state-controlled television channels. These measures have signifi-cantly reshaped the structure of the Russian-language media available in Latvia. The research is based on focus group discussions with participants from all regions of the country and is interpreted through the uses and gratifications theory, with particular attention to the need for information acquisition. The participants can be classified into three groups according to their level of interest in the news: active consumers, “news-snack” users with partial interest, and individuals who are largely unin-terested. Restrictions on Russian-controlled channels have transformed Russophone news habits, prompting audiences to seek reliable or alternative sources to satisfy their needs for information, cultural experience, and identity affirmation. Some participants associated these shifts with broader changes in the media landscape, noting increased distrust of mass media and skepticism toward journalists. Although most participants reported feeling generally well-informed, the combination of transformed consumption patterns and skeptical attitudes suggests limited opportunities to fulfill information needs and may undermine a core function of a democratic society: enabling citizens to learn from the news and understand the world around them