ENIn the 1980s, as the Soviet Union and its eastern European empire stumbled towards disintegration, the people of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania needed not only their own steadfast resolve, but also the help of the Baltic diaspora in the West to regain independence. An important component of their strategy was to influence public opinion, especially in the United States, to support their aspirations of freedom and complete independence. Baltic heritage journalists were essential players in this campaign. This presentation looks at the role played by the Baltic Nezvs, an English language publication in the San Francisco Bay Area, its staff and editor, Janis Jekabsons, in shaping public perception of the quest for Baltic freedom from the USSR. Despite numerous early rebuffs and rejections by much of the Western media, Baltic diaspora journalists persisted and can take pride in their efforts to help restore independence to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.