Media of the Czech Republic

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The Media of the Czech Republic refers to mass communication methods through broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet.

Contents

Overview

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, which became Czech Republic in 1993, went through a rapid economic transformation. This also affected the media that, on the other hand, became free of the heavy-handed control of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and was able to develop in a competitive environment (Steve Kettle, The development of the Czech media since the fall of communism Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics, Volume 12, 1996 - Issue 4: Post‐Communism and the Media in Eastern Europe, p. 42). However, before the revolution that set the country free from Soviet control, despite persecution there were illegally published magazines within the samizdat phenomenon, which permitted to circulate dissident ideas among people who possessed positions of cultural power and authority. Among them there was also Václav Havel, the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until its dissolution in 1992. Since the Soviet Union’s dissolution, most Czech media outlets used to be owned by non-Czech western companies, while after the global economic recession of 2008 many were acquired by Czech firms. In early 2014, eight out of the ten most influential figures in the media were Czech or Slovak .

In 2017 Freedom House[1] defined Czech Republic's press freedom status as “free", while the country ranks 23rd among 180 countries in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index prepared annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) [1] . However RSF also underlines the fact that in recent years there have been a “rise of the oligharcs” in the media landscape [2] . According to Freedom House [3] , limits to the country’s media pluralism and independence are presented by concentration of media ownership and ownership by politicians.

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 [4] . Both Lidové noviny and Mladá fronta DNES are a part of the MAFRA publishing group, owned by Andrej Babiš, the current 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. [5] Blesk, a tabloid newspaper, with more than 1 million readers per average issue is the most-read national daily [6] . Blesk’s publisher Czech News Center also publishes Aha!, another tabloid newspaper which focuses on the news about the Czech celebrities. The daily has a right-wing stance and its major audience is represented by the Czech youth. Overall the country accounts for 7 print news outlets and over 20 online news portals [7] . There has been a decline in circulation on Czech daily newspapers since 2009, which slowed down in 2016. [8] In the same year Seznam Zpravy and Info.cz were launched [8] . 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 [8] . On the other hand, Info.cz was launched by the Czech News Center as a news server with the aim of emphasising quality information [8] . Finally, the Czech News Agency (Česká tisková kancelář, ČTK), 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 [9] .

Television and radio

Commercial television has a major place in the Czech media landscape and attracts almost half of the total advertising spend [8] . Before the collapse of communism, the only broadcaster in Czech Republic was “Czechoslovak television”, which was transformed into the public service broadcaster “Czech television” in 1992. Czech TV (ČT) operates two terrestrial public broadcast channels: mainstream CT1 and cultural channel CT2, while CT24 (for news) is a digital public channel [4] . 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 [4] . Broadcast media regulatory authority is the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting (RRTV), while public-service ČT is regulated by its own council [3] .

Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution, i.e. 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 [10] . Defamation is still a crime in the country, although in 2005 a Constitutional Court ruling found [11] that value judgements are legally protected [3] . 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. [6] 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 went into force 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). 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 2017 Freedom House defined Czech Republic’'s press freedom status as “free", while according to Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index it is ranked 23rd among 180 countries. However in its 2016 report, Freedom House also states that criminal defamation, concentrated media ownership as well as ownership of media by politicians as the main obstacles for media freedom [3] . Despite of the good ranking of Czech Republic in RSF’s media freedom chart, some relevant episodes concerning media freedom and censorship took place in the country:

Moreover, some experts sustain a pro-Russian disinformation campaign is taking place in Czech Republic, which allegedly originates from multiple sources: numerous pro-Russian websites, social media communities, printed periodicals as well as radio broadcasts [16] .

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 [6] . 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 [17] . 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-Press , 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. [18] 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 [3] . On the other hand, the increase of the ownership concentration represent a threat to the media pluralism of the country [19] . Andrej Babiš, former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance 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) [2] . 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 [20] .

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

Concentration of media ownership is a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of the mass media. Contemporary research demonstrates increasing levels of consolidation, with many media industries already highly concentrated and dominated by a very small number of firms.

The mass media in Communist Czechoslovakia was controlled by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ). Private ownership of any publication or agency of the mass media was generally forbidden, although churches and other organizations published small periodicals and newspapers. Even with this informational monopoly in the hands of organizations under KSČ control, all publications were reviewed by the government's Office for Press and Information. Censorship was lifted for three months during the 1968 Prague Spring but afterward was reimposed under the terms of the 1966 Press Law. The law states that the Czechoslovak press is to provide complete information, but it must also advance the interests of socialist society and promote the people's socialist awareness of the policy of the communist party as the leading force in society and state.

Miloš Zeman 3rd President of the Czech Republic

Miloš Zeman is a Czech politician serving as the third and current President of the Czech Republic since 8 March 2013. He previously served as Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2002. As Leader of the Czech Social Democratic Party during the 1990s, he transformed his party into one of the country's major political forces. Zeman was Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Czech parliament, from 1996 until he became Prime Minister two years later in 1998.

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

Mladá fronta Dnes, also known as MF DNES or simply Dnes (Today), is a daily newspaper in the Czech Republic. Its name could be translated into English as Youth Front Today. As of 2016, it is the second largest Czech newspaper, after the Czech tabloid Blesk.

<i>Lidové noviny</i> daily newspaper published in Prague

Lidové noviny is a daily newspaper published in Prague, the Czech Republic. It is the oldest Czech daily still in print. 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.

Josef Tošovský is a Czech economist and former governor of Czech National Bank. From 16 December 1997 to 17 July 1998 he was the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic in a caretaker government.

Jaromír Štětina Czech senator of Czech Parliament, publicist and writer

Jaromír Štětina is a Czech journalist, writer and politician. He is known to most as a war correspondent from the conflict areas of the former Soviet Union. Since 2014, Štětina has served as a member of the European Parliament for the Czech Republic.

Since 1991 Estonia has changed from being a former Soviet republic to a member of the European Union and the European Monetary Union, making a rapid transformation in several fields, including the media, which is a vibrant and competitive sector. For many years Estonia has been among the top ten in Reporters Without Borders’(RSF) Press Freedom Index. In 2017 it has been ranked 12th out of 180 countries by RSF while Freedom House assigned Estonia’s press freedom a score of 16/100. A cross-media landscape that embraces traditional media as well as the Internet and digital media characterises the contemporary media system in Estonia.

In Slovakia, political information is disseminated through the mass media: television, radio, the press, and the internet. The public is becoming increasingly reliant on the internet for news, with television and the press becoming less important as news sources.

Czech Pirate Party political party in the Czech Republic

The Czech Pirate Party or Pirates is a liberal political party in the Czech Republic, founded in 2009. Following the 2017 legislative election, it is the third largest party in the Chamber of Deputies, with 22 out of 200 seats. The parliamentary party sits in opposition to the ruling cabinet and party leader Ivan Bartoš serves as the chairman of the Committee on Public Administration and Regional Development. The party is represented by three Members of the Senate of the Czech Republic, the most recently elected being Lukáš Wagenknecht in 2018. That same year, the party entered a number of municipal assemblies and formed a governing coalition in the Prague City Assembly, with Zdeněk Hřib becoming the Mayor of Prague. In the 2019 European election, the party gained three MEPs, joined the Greens–European Free Alliance parliamentary group and campaign leader Marcel Kolaja was elected one of fourteen Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament.

The Czech Footballer of the Year is awarded in the Czech Republic by the Football Association of the Czech Republic. Eligibility extends to Czech players in the Czech Republic and abroad. Awards for young player, coach and Czech First League personality of the year are also awarded. The award was first presented in 1965, as an award for the whole of Czechoslovakia. It was won by Ján Popluhár.

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.

Mafra (company) company in the Czech Republic

Mafra is a Czech media group that publishes printed and internet media, headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. It is a subsidiary of Agrofert holding conglomerate that is owned by trust of Andrej Babiš, the current 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.

2013 Czech political corruption scandal

The 2013 Czech political corruption scandal started with a raid against organized crime which was conducted in the Czech Republic in June 2013 by the Police Unit for Combating Organized Crime and the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Olomouc. It involved several highly positioned state officers and politicians, as well as controversial entrepreneurs and lobbyists. The scandal affected the top levels of Czech politics, including Prime Minister Petr Nečas and his coalition government. On 17 June 2013, it resulted in the resignation of the Prime Minister and the cabinet. Nečas also quit as leader of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS).

2017 Czech legislative election All 200 seats of the Chamber of Deputies, lower house of the Parliament, were available for the election.

Legislative elections were held in the Czech Republic on 20 and 21 October 2017. All 200 members of the Chamber of Deputies were elected and the leader of the resultant government – Andrej Babiš of ANO 2011, became the Prime Minister.

Andrej Babiš Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Andrej Babiš is a Czech politician serving as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic since December 2017 and the founding Leader of ANO 2011 since 2012. He previously served as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from 2014 to 2017. Prior to entering politics, he was a businessman.

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Martin Pohl, better known by his stage name Řezník or M.Engele, is a controversial Czech rapper, an exponent of the horrorcore genre in the Czech Republic. He is known for his provocative songs glorifying violence against women, homeless people, drug addicts, gays, and Ukrainians. Řezník uses general horrorcore themes and he has collaborated with many interprets like King Gordy, Bizarre, Lex the Hex Master, Mastamind, Madchild, Necro, Brotha Lynch Hung, Sean Strange, Snowgoons, Scum, Razakel, J Hexx Project, members of Butcher's Harem, etc. According to a leaked poll result of the national Czech music award Český slavík, he won in 2013 in the category "Internet Star". He was, however, disqualified from the poll by the organizers, due to alleged objectionable conduct expressed in his songs. It led to protests of notable Czech artists, such as Tomáš Klus and Matěj Ruppert. In November, 2013, Tomáš Klus announced his departure from Český slavík, while Ruppert returned his own award which he received in 2006, accusing the organizers of censorship.

Leoš Mareš Czech presenter and singer

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.

Radio Impuls (Czech Republic) Czech private radio station

Radio Impuls is a private radio station founded in the Czech Republic in 1999 when it replaced the nationwide station Rádio Alfa, which lost its license.. It is the most popular radio station in the country by number of listeners. Since 2014, it has been owned by Agrofert group, a company owned by Andrej Babiš, the second richest man and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.

References

  1. ↑ "2017 World Press Freedom Index | Reporters Without Borders". RSF. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  2. 1 2 "Czech Republic : Rise of the oligarchs | Reporters without borders". RSF (in French). Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Czech Republic". freedomhouse.org. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  4. 1 2 3 "Czech Republic profile". BBC News. 2015. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  5. ↑ "Babiš puts his Agrofert in trust fund over conflict of interest". Prague Daily Monitor (originally ČTK). 6 February 2017.
  6. 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.
  7. ↑ "Czech Republic Newspapers & News Media - ABYZ News Links". www.abyznewslinks.com. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Czech Republic". Digital News Report. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  9. ↑ Eva Rybková, Veˇra Rˇihácˇková (2013). Mapping Digital Media: Czech Republic (PDF). Open Society Foundations.
  10. ↑ "Charter of Fundamental Rights and Feedoms" (PDF).
  11. ↑ "Defamation and Insult Laws in the OSCE Region: A Comparative Study". European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  12. ↑ "The Czech Republic Press, Media, TV, Radio, Newspapers - television, circulation, stations, papers, number, print, freedom, broadcasting". www.pressreference.com. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  13. ↑ "The Czech Media Landscape - European Journalism Observatory - EJO". en.ejo.ch. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  14. ↑ "IPI condemns military police raid on Czech television offices". International Press Institute. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  15. ↑ "Czech media freedom: Let citizens decide fate of media-abusing politicians | News | European Parliament" . Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  16. ↑ "The pro-Russian disinformation campaign in the Czech Republic and Slovakia". Resource Centre, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ Roman, Hájek; Sandra, Štefaniková; Filip, Láb; Alice, Tejkalová. "Czech Journalists' Refreshed Sense of Ethics in the Midst of Media Ownership Turmoil". Media and Communication. 3 (4). doi:10.17645/mac.v3i4.348.
  19. ↑ "Local oligarch conflicts of interest dominate Czech media | Reporters without borders". RSF (in French). Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  20. ↑ "Media ownership: towards Pan-European groups?". Respurce Centre, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Retrieved 2018-03-01.

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