Lithuania has strong ties with its emigre community in the US, Canada and Australia. Many Lithuanians view emigration to the US and Western Europe as their best chance for making a decent living. But the coalition collapsed in June 2001 when the New Union party withdrew from the government. The media is free and independent from the state, and there are no government-owned newspapers. Nonetheless, the national broadcaster occasionally encounters attempts by politicians to influence its editorial policy, mostly through managerial appointments.
Small publications have to be aware of the dangers of costly lawsuits.