Mass media in the Czech Republic

Last updated

The mass media in the Czech Republic refers to mass communication methods through broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet and their influence on population.

Contents

History

In November 1989, Czechoslovakia returned to a liberal democracy through the peaceful "Velvet Revolution" (led by Václav Havel and his Civic Forum). In the following years the country went through a rapid economic transformation. This also affected the media that became free of the heavy-handed control of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and were able to develop in a competitive environment. [1] However, even before the Velvet Revolution and despite the persecutions, there were illegally published magazines within the Samizdat phenomenon, which allowed for the circulation of dissident ideas among people who possessed positions of cultural power and authority.[ clarification needed ] Václav Havel – the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until its dissolution in 1992 – was one of them. Since the Soviet Union’s dissolution, most Czech media outlets have been owned by non-Czech western companies. This situation changed after the global economic recession of 2008, when many of them were acquired by Czech firms. In early 2014, eight out of the ten most influential figures in the media were Czech or Slovak.[ citation needed ]

Media outlets

Czech Republic has four main daily newspapers: Lidové noviny (former dissident publication); Mladá fronta DNES (with a centre-right orientation); Právo (with a centre-left political position) and Blesk, all based in Prague. [2] Both Lidové noviny and Mladá fronta DNES are a part of the MAFRA publishing group, owned by Andrej Babiš, the former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. As of 2018, the MAFRA group is a part of a trust fund along with other Babiš's companies. [3]

Blesk, a tabloid newspaper, with more than 1 million readers per average issue is the most-read national daily newspaper. [4] Blesk’s publisher Czech News Center also publishes Aha!, another tabloid newspaper which focuses on the news about the Czech celebrities. Overall the country accounts for 7 print news outlets and over 20 online news portals. [5]

There has been a decline in circulation on Czech daily newspapers since 2009, which slowed down in 2016. [6] In the same year Seznam Zpravy and Info.cz were launched. [6] The first one, a news site combining daily video, text-based news and video commentaries, was introduced by the country’s leading web portal and second-biggest search engine Seznam.cz and has quickly become the top online news media in the country. [6] On the other hand, Info.cz was launched by the Czech News Center as a news server with the aim of emphasising quality information. [6]

Finally, the Czech News Agency (Česká tisková kancelář or ČTK in Czech), previously the national state press agency, is the first and main Czech media with domestic and foreign information services. As it is not financed with state budget, its income derives from selling news to subscribers. [7]

Television and radio

Commercial television has a major place in the Czech media landscape and attracts almost half of the total advertising spend. [6] Before the collapse of communism, the only broadcaster in Czech Republic was the Czechoslovak Television, which was transformed into the public service broadcaster “Czech Television” in 1992. Czech Television operates two terrestrial public broadcast channels: mainstream CT1 and cultural channel CT2, while CT24 (for news) is a digital public channel. [2] The first national commercial licence was granted to Television Nova in 1993. The TV station soon gained a dominant position on the television market managing to keep it so far. Prima televize is the second private national TV channel. [2] Broadcast media regulatory authority is the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting (RRTV), while public-service ČT is regulated by its own council. [8]

Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. In Division Two of the Charter, Article 17, these expression rights are defined: however, the Charter prohibits speech that might infringe on national security, individual rights, public health, or morality. [9] Defamation is still a crime in the country, although in 2005 the Constitutional Court ruling found [10] that value judgement is legally protected. [8] Cross-ownership in the media industry is legally limited under the Law on Radio and Television Broadcasting No. 231 of 2001, which defines the license and regulation policy for broadcasting and the role of Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting. However, these ownership restrictions do not apply to foreign ownership and are considered to be “minimal” by some observers. [4] Other important regulations are the Press Law (No. 46/2000), the Act on Czech Television No. 483 and the Act on Czech Radio No. 484. Both began to apply in 1991 and have been amended several times. They provide on the so-called “small” councils that control only Czech Radio and Czech TV (ČT).[ further explanation needed ] Moreover, Law No. 106 of 1999 regulates the Free Access to Information, Law No. 45 of 1995 regulates Advertisements and the discipline regarding copyright is provided by Law No. 35 of 1996.

Media freedom and censorship

In 2021 Reporters without Borders (RSF) ranked Czechia 40 out of 180 countries in its 2021 World Press Freedom Index, down from 13 in 2015. [11] However RSF also underlined the fact that in recent years there had been a “rise of the oligarchs” in the media landscape, and stated that the public broadcaster Czech Television "is facing an upheaval after some of the members of its supervisory board were replaced by well-known figures who are very critical of investigative reporting". [11] [12] In its 2016 report, Freedom House stated that criminal defamation, concentrated media ownership as well as ownership of media by politicians as the main obstacles for media freedom. [8] In 2021 Freedom House stated that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš had been increasing his control over Czech media since 2013, when he bought Mafra media group. During the Covid-19 pandemic Mafra benefited disproportionately from state aid. [13] Some notable incidents concerning censorship and media freedom took place in the country:

Disinformation

According to the Prague Security Studies Institute, there is a pro-Russian disinformation campaign originating from numerous pro-Russian websites, social media communities, printed periodicals as well as radio broadcasts targeting Czechs and Slovaks. [18]

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the private association CZ.NIC, which administers the .cz web domains, blocked 8 websites considered to be used for Russian propaganda. [19] David Kotora, from Transparency International Czech Republic, confirmed that the sites blocked have been used by Russia to spread propaganda for many years. He however also warned against censorship type of measures that should be limited in time in order not to stifle the freedom of speech. [19]

Media ownership

Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, all mass media in Czechoslovakia were governed by the state, state organisations or political parties. [4] Since the Soviet Union's dissolution, most Czech newspapers used to be owned by non-Czech western conglomerates: until 2007, 70% of Czech magazines and newspapers were owned by German and Swiss corporations. The process of the media returning to Czech ownership started with the 2008 financial crisis. [20] The restructuring of ownership culminated in 2015 when the German Verlagsgruppe Passau, the last major non-Czech European media group in the country, left the market: it sold its local publishing house Vltava Labe Media to Penta Investments, which owns media holdings both in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. Despite this media ownership turmoil, research shows that journalists are not affected by the ownership change and tend to view journalism ethics and the ability of journalism to exert power more seriously than before. [21] The new ownership structure of Czech media led to an increase in live news coverage, tabloid-style content and so-called Google journalism, although investigative journalism is still strong in the country. [8] On the other hand, the increase of the ownership concentration presents a threat to the media pluralism of the country. [22] Andrej Babiš, former Czech Prime Minister, owns two of the most influential daily newspapers (Lidové Noviny and Mlada Fronta Dnes) and one of the most popular news website iDnes.cz. [12] However, some experts consider the Czech Republic to be one of the hubs in the EU territory for the few Pan-European media companies controlling large part of broadcasting market in Europe. [23]

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia</span> Czech political party

The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia is a communist party in the Czech Republic. As of 2022, KSČM has a membership of 20,450, and is a member party of The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL in the European Parliament, and an observer member of the European Left Party. Sources variously describe the party as either left-wing or far-left on the political spectrum. It is one of the few former ruling parties in post-Communist Central Eastern Europe to have not dropped the Communist title from its name, although it has changed its party program to adhere to laws adopted after 1989.

<i>Mladá fronta Dnes</i> Czech newspaper

Mladá fronta Dnes, also known as MF DNES or simply Dnes (Today), is a daily newspaper based in the Czech Republic. As of 2016, it is the second-largest Czech newspaper, after the tabloid Blesk.

<i>Lidové noviny</i> Czech daily newspaper

Lidové noviny is a daily newspaper published in Prague, the Czech Republic. It is the oldest Czech daily still in print, and a newspaper of record. It is a national news daily covering political, economic, cultural and scientific affairs, mostly with a centre-right, conservative view. It often hosts commentaries and opinions of prominent personalities from the Czech Republic and from abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martina Sáblíková</span> Czech speed skater and cyclist

Martina Sáblíková is a Czech speed skater, specializing in long track speed skating. She is an Olympic gold medal winner and a multiple European and World allround champion. She became the first Czech to win two Olympic gold medals at one Winter Games in 2010. Sáblíková also competes in inline speed skating and road cycling races as a part of her summer preparation for the skating season. In cycling, she focuses on individual time trial discipline in which Sáblíková holds multiple Czech Republic National Championships titles and belongs to the world's top 15 female time-trialists. Sáblíková is the elder sister of fellow speedskater Milan Sáblík.

Reflex is a Czech weekly magazine focusing on political, social and cultural topics. It was founded in 1990 and is currently owned by company Czech News Center. It is one of the Czech Republic's most controversial and widely read social-political magazines; its print circulation of 60,000 copies reaches approximately 270,000 readers. Polls conducted by the Czech Publishers Association in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 placed Reflex first in its category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladislav Krejčí (footballer, born 1992)</span> Czech footballer

Ladislav Krejčí is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a left-winger for Hradec Králové.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mafra (company)</span> Czech media company

Mafra is a Czech media group that publishes printed and internet media, headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. From 2013 to 2023, it was a subsidiary of Agrofert holding conglomerate owned by trust of Andrej Babiš, the former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. Mafra owns some of the most popular media in the Czech Republic, including MF DNES and Lidové noviny newspapers, and the most visited Czech news server iDnes. In September 2023, Agrofert sold the group to the Czech billionaire investor Karel Pražák.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Pavelka</span> Czech footballer

David Pavelka is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Sparta Prague and the Czech Republic national team.

Martin Frýdek is a Czech footballer who plays as a defender for FC Luzern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Czech parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic on 20 and 21 October 2017. All 200 members of the Chamber of Deputies were elected and Andrej Babiš of ANO 2011, also the leader of the resultant government, became the Prime Minister. The coalition government following the 2013 parliamentary elections consisted of the two largest parties: the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, and ANO 2011 (ANO), led by former Finance Minister and businessman Andrej Babiš, alongside the Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU–ČSL). The largest opposition party was the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM), followed by centre-right parties TOP 09 and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrej Babiš</span> Czech politician and businessman

Andrej Babiš is a Czech politician and entrepreneur who served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as the Minister of Finance and deputy prime minister from 2014 to 2017. Babiš has been the founding leader of the political party ANO 2011 since 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jiří Korn</span> Czech musician and actor

Jiří Korn is a Czech recording artist and actor. Korn is a highly acclaimed musician in his native Czechoslovakia, and remains after his five decade long career one of the most prominent Czech singer-songwriters, but is internationally perhaps best known for his single Miss Moskva, which received radio play in most European countries, including France, Germany, Croatia, Hungary and Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petr Pavel</span> President of the Czech Republic since 2023

Petr Pavel is a Czech politician and retired army general, currently serving as the president of the Czech Republic since March 2023. Prior to this, he held the position of Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2015 to 2018, and served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces between 2012 and 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leoš Mareš</span> Czech musician

Leoš Mareš is a Czech television and radio presenter and singer. He has hosted a number of singer search television programmes, including Česko hledá SuperStar, X Factor and Hlas Česko Slovenska. He joined Česko Slovensko má talent as a judge in 2013. He is one of the highest-paid television presenters in the Czech Republic. A 2014 Forbes report listed Mareš as one of the 50 most influential people in Czech media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milan Chovanec</span> Czech politician

Milan Chovanec is a Czech politician. He served as Minister of the Interior of the Czech Republic in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka from 2014 to 2017, and served as acting leader of the Czech Social Democratic Party from June 2017 to February 2018. He was also a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic from 26 October 2013 until his resignation on 14 April 2019. Previously he served as governor of Plzeň Region between 2010 and 2014 and as a member of Plzeň City Council from 2002 until 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markéta Pekarová Adamová</span> Czech politician (born 1984)

Markéta Pekarová Adamová is a Czech politician who is the President of the Chamber of Deputies since 2021 and leader of TOP 09 since 2019. She has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jana Černochová</span> Czech politician

Jana Černochová is a Czech politician who has served as Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of Petr Fiala since December 2021. She has been a member of the Czech parliament since 2010, representing the Civic Democratic Party (ODS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alena Schillerová</span> Czech politician and lawyer

Alena Schillerová is a Czech politician and lawyer who served as Minister of Finance in the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš from 2017 to 2021. Schillerová is the first woman in the history of the Czech Republic to hold the office.

Mojmír Chytil is a Czech footballer who currently plays as a forward for Slavia Prague and the Czech Republic national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klára Dostálová</span> Czech politician

Klára Dostálová is a Czech politician and economist who has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic since 2017. She served as Deputy Minister of Local Development in the Second Cabinet of Andrej Babiš from 2014 to 2017 before being appointed permanently from December 2017 until 2021. In 2020, Dostálová returned to the council of the Hradec Králové region, of which she has been a member from 2016 until 2017. Dostálová is active in politics as a non-party member of the ANO movement.

References

  1. ↑ Kettle, Steve (1996). "The development of the Czech media since the fall of communism". Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics. 12 (4): 42. doi:10.1080/13523279608415322.
  2. 1 2 3 "Czech Republic profile". BBC News. 2015. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  3. ↑ "Babiš puts his Agrofert in trust fund over conflict of interest". Prague Daily Monitor (originally ČTK). 6 February 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Czech Republic - Media Landscape | European Journalism Centre (EJC)". European Journalism Centre (EJC). Archived from the original on 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  5. ↑ "Czech Republic Newspapers & News Media - ABYZ News Links". www.abyznewslinks.com. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Czech Republic". Digital News Report. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  7. ↑ Eva Rybková, Veˇra Rˇihácˇková (2013). Mapping Digital Media: Czech Republic (PDF). Open Society Foundations.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Czech Republic". freedomhouse.org. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  9. ↑ "Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "Defamation and Insult Laws in the OSCE Region: A Comparative Study". European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  11. 1 2 "Czech Republic". Reporters Without Borders.
  12. 1 2 "Czech Republic : Rise of the oligarchs | Reporters without borders". RSF (in French). Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  13. ↑ "Czech Republic: Nations in Transit 2021 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "The Czech Republic Press, Media, TV, Radio, Newspapers - television, circulation, stations, papers, number, print, freedom, broadcasting". www.pressreference.com. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  15. ↑ "The Czech Media Landscape - European Journalism Observatory - EJO". en.ejo.ch. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  16. ↑ "IPI condemns military police raid on Czech television offices". International Press Institute. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  17. ↑ "Czech media freedom: Let citizens decide fate of media-abusing politicians | News | European Parliament" . Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  18. ↑ "The pro-Russian disinformation campaign in the Czech Republic and Slovakia". Resource Centre, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  19. 1 2 Sanchez, Elena; Kanter, James (1 March 2022). "EU begins belated crackdown on Kremlin disinformation". EUobserver. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  20. ↑ Lenka Waschková Císařová, Monika Metyková (2015). "Better the Devil You Don't Know: Post -Revolutionary Journalism and Media Ownership in The Czech Republic". Media Studies. 6–11: 15.
  21. ↑ Roman, Hájek; Sandra, Štefaniková; Filip, Láb; Alice, Tejkalová (2015). "Czech Journalists' Refreshed Sense of Ethics in the Midst of Media Ownership Turmoil". Media and Communication. 3 (4): 52–61. doi: 10.17645/mac.v3i4.348 .
  22. ↑ "Local oligarch conflicts of interest dominate Czech media | Reporters without borders". RSF (in French). Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  23. ↑ "Media ownership: towards Pan-European groups?". Respurce Centre, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.