The Lithuanian public's trust in the news media stands at a record high of 81 percent, a recent poll shows.

Baltijos Tyrimai (Baltic Surveys), a British-Lithuanian polling firm, says its latest figures on public trust of the media represent a surge of 6 percentage points since March.

President Valdas Adamkus, in a report quoted in Monthly Update/Lithuania, praised the establishment of free, uncensored news media as one of his country's greatest achievements in the past eight years.

In addition, Lithuanian journalists experience less government control than any of their colleagues elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a report by the Freedom House Institute. In compiling its report on press freedom in the region, U.S. Freedom House considered media laws, government decisions, political and economic pressure, and oppression of journalists.

Monthly Update/Lithuania is compiled at the country's embassy in Washington from a variety of sources.

Nieman Foundation at Harvard offers opportunities for study

The Nieman Foundation is the oldest mid-career fellowship program for journalists in the world. The program was inaugurated with the first class of Nieman Fellows in 1939. Fellowships are awarded to working journalists "of particular accomplishment and promise" for an academic year of study at Harvard University. Most classes at Harvard College and in the graduate schools are open to the fellows during their 10-month appointments. Fellows do not receive course credits or a degree during the year. Mid-career journalists with at least three years of experience may apply. The annual deadline for applications is January 31 for U.S. journalists, and international applicants have until March 1. For more information and registration materials, visit the web site at: http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/Nieman/Nieman%20At%20Harvard.html Send e-mail to sgoldstein@harvard.edu.

$20,000 award established for investigative reporting

An award from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) will honor excellence in investigative reporting.

Journalists or teams of journalists of any nationality who have created investigative stories that are eligible for the competition may compete. The award comprises $20,000 in cash and a trip to the United States for its presentation, according to the Center for Public Integrity (CPI), a nonprofit nonpartisan research organization in Washington, D.C. The consortium is a CPI project. The award is endowed by the John and Florence Newman Foundation.

The contest entry can be a single piece of work or a single-subject series, on a transnational topic of world significance. The work must have been published or broadcast in general information media between January 1, 1997, and June 1, 1998. The story or series must involve reporting in a minimum of two countries. Entries must be submitted in the original language accompanied by an English translation where necessary and postmarked by August 15. Audio entries should be sent on cassette, with accompanying script; video entries should be sent on VHS cassette in NTSC format with accompanying script. Three copies of each entry are required. For more information on contest rules and the award, visit the ICIJ Web site at http://www.icij.org; send e-mail to info@icij.org; or write to ICIJ; The Center For Public Integrity; 1634 Eye St., N.W.; Suite 902; Washington, D.C., 20006, U.S.A. Tel.: (202) 783-3900/2999. Fax: (202) 783-3906.