Director General of Czech Radio supports stronger protection of press freedom
Director General of Czech Radio René Zavoral appreciates the joint call of national and international media organizations urging Czech political parties to commit to stronger protections of press freedom ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. The initiative has been introduced in collaboration of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), and the Czech Association of Online Publishers (AOV).
“Czech Radio welcomes the efforts of Reporters Without Borders and other organizations to draw attention to the need to protect the independence of public service media. Only free and editorially independent media can fulfil their long-term mission, which is to provide verified information, cultivate public debate, and serve as a reliable point of reference in a complex social environment. It is also very important to warn against legislative interventions that could restrict freedom of expression or introduce non-transparent media oversight. In this context, I agree with the need to maintain a stable and transparent model of public media funding.
I also appreciate the call to protect journalists from attacks and to ensure the confidentiality of their sources, as these are all conditions without which no editorial office can function freely or responsibly. I would also like to support the protection of copyright and the rights of publishing houses from abuse by digital platforms, including generative AI models. This is an aspect of technological development that we at Czech Radio have been trying to highlight for a long time.
We consider the “Ten Recommendations for Maintaining Media Freedom in the Czech Republic” by Reporters Without Borders and other organizations to be an important impetus for politicians, experts, and the general public to ensure that the debate on the media is not conducted in the shadow of emotions, but with an awareness of what is really at stake,“ emphasized Mr Zavoral.
Ten demands for maintaining media freedom
The coalition presented a set of 10 key recommendations aimed at strengthening media independence, ensuring better access to public information, and protecting journalists from legal and physical threats. The initiative comes in light of persistent concerns about political pressure, media concentration in the hands of oligarchs, and an increase in legal harassment through SLAPP lawsuits (strategic lawsuits against public participation).
The signatory organizations emphasize that freedom of the press must be a non-negotiable cornerstone of Czech democracy. They call on all political parties to include clear, actionable commitments to media freedom in their electoral programs and to back them with concrete legislative and policy measures after the elections.