Social platforms and the transformation of media landscapes in the Baltic states

The aim of this study was to examine structural transformations of the media environment and the specific features of public discourse in the Baltic states under conditions of social media dominance and algorithmic content governance. The methodological framework of the study was based on a combination of a systems approach, secondary analysis of financial reports of media holdings and disinformation monitoring data, comparative analysis of regulatory practices of national Digital Services Coordinators, and the case-illustration method to assess media literacy initiatives. The analysis of media market indicators demonstrated the adaptation of the region’s leading media group (Ekspress Grupp) to the Digital First strategy, which was confirmed by the growth dynamics of digital subscriptions and the transition to direct content monetisation models aimed at ensuring financial autonomy. Within the examination of the regulatory framework governing digital markets and services, it was found that the early implementation of the European Union’s Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts enabled the formation of an effective supervisory architecture that combines technical oversight with human-rights-oriented mechanisms to counter algorithmic discrimination. A systematic review of the socio-communicative consequences of platformisation revealed the multi-platform nature of information disorders, where the ecosystems of Telegram, TikTok, Facebook and X function as channels for the dissemination of unmoderated content, thereby intensifying the risks of social polarisation. The examination of editorial practices, particularly the processes of multimedia content conversion and algorithmic subscription pricing, showed that the integration of artificial intelligence tools contributes to the optimisation of operational costs and the overcoming of language barriers, while simultaneously creating risks of the “algorithmic impoverishment” of the news agenda. Furthermore, the analysis confirmed that the disintermediation of political communication requires the revision of approaches to cognitive security through the expansion of the media literacy paradigm. The conclusions substantiate that the sustainability of media systems in the Baltic states depends on the development of a model of digital sovereignty based on the synergy of technological innovation and regulatory resilience. The results of the study may be utilised by public regulators to improve oversight of digital platforms, by media managers to optimise monetisation strategies and implement artificial intelligence solutions, and by educational institutions in the development of programmes on media literacy and cognitive security