On Wednesday, November 12, LIV co-organized a discussion featuring Dr. Martin Štefek from Charles University and Brian Hioe from New Bloom. The event explored the state of media freedom in Central Europe, highlighting the changing landscape and growing threats faced by independent journalism in Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary.
Speakers discussed the latest RSF World Press Freedom Index, which compares the level of press freedom enjoyed by journalists and media in 180 countries and territories: Czechia ranks among the global top ten at 10th place, while Poland and Slovakia respectively rank around 31 and 38. Hungary, however, has dropped significantly to around 68th place, illustrating the decline of media independence and the broader democratic backsliding in the country.
Several factors were identified as contributing to these worrying trends:
- Political interference and increasing pressure from party politics have weakened the independence of journalists and media institutions.
- Regulatory capture, for example, through media councils and funding mechanisms, has enabled governments to exert influence over both public and private outlets.
The discussion also referenced the European Media Freedom Act (2024), which defines and protects media freedom within the EU. However, as Dr Štefek noted, not all member states follow these principles. In Hungary, for instance, two-thirds of parliament elect the members of the Media Council for nine-year terms. When the Fidesz party, Orban’s party, held a two-thirds majority, it was able to appoint loyal members, undermining pluralism and independence in the country’s media landscape for nearly a decade.
A question regarding the influence of Russian disinformation in the region was raised. Dr. Štefek explained how this kind of information manipulation in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland, are mostly operated through local actors who amplify Russian narratives, rather than direct Russian influence. While Poland has firmly supported Ukraine, both Slovakia and Hungary have shown ambivalence toward the conflict, reflecting regional differences and potential external influence.
Finally, the discussion addressed the challenges of media financing, particularly with the decline of public funding. In Slovakia, for example, traditional media no longer receive stable public contributions after the abolition of broadcasting fees, creating further uncertainty for journalists and media institutions.