Kristjan Pihl: "Democracy doesn't work when journalists are afraid of lawyers"

"Pealtnägija" journalist Kristjan Pihl discusses participatory experiments, freedom of speech, and the watchdog role of democracy. Pihl has worked in a closed hospital ward during the coronavirus pandemic and covered the war in Ukraine from multiple perspectives.

"Pealtnägija" programme author Kristjan Pihl is one of Estonia's most prominent investigative journalism representatives, and he does not limit himself to purely classical investigative stories but also practises participatory journalism experiments. Pihl is willing to go where the average reporter rarely finds themselves.

Experience from field work to hospital wards

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Pihl worked in a closed hospital ward to give readers and viewers an idea of what actually happens behind closed doors. On the high seas, he had to battle both seasickness and fever to bring the story home. Additionally, he has covered the war in Ukraine from several different angles, giving the Estonian public a thorough picture of the conflict.

Freedom of speech and democracy

According to Pihl, press freedom is the foundation of democracy. "If people remain silent and journalists are afraid of lawyers, then democracy no longer works," he said in an interview. He emphasises that a journalist's role is to be society's watchdog and raise issues that would otherwise remain hidden.

Pihl also reflected on the dangers posed by media under pressure and what happens when journalists allow themselves to be intimidated. In his view, participatory experiments are one way to bring to the public stories that cannot be conveyed in any other way.