Professional Affiliation

PhD, University of Washington

Wilson Center Project

Signal Strength: Lessons from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Latvian Service

Project Summary

This projects investigates the role Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Latvian service played in the dissolution of the USSR. Specifically, it asks: How did the Latvian service operate internally and how did it impact social and political change on the ground? A mixed-methods approach will be used, including content analysis of RFE/RL broadcasts and critical expert interviews. The Latvian service had a significant impact on its listenership at a critical turning point in the Baltic popular revolutions, but research on the service is lacking. This subject merits work that is much more widely accessible to academics and policy makers alike; its tactical lessons remain critical case studies for engaging with autocratic regimes today.