A bastion of press freedom in the former Eastern Bloc? The model of a functioning public broadcasting system
While many countries of the former Eastern Bloc are grappling with the increasing instrumentalization of the media by governments and oligarchs, the Czech Republic appears to be establishing itself as a remarkable exception. A detailed analysis of the media landscape in the heart of Europe reveals a surprisingly stable and pluralistic system that stands out significantly from its neighbors such as Hungary and Poland.
Strong public service structures with a wide reach
The public broadcasting system in the Czech Republic, consisting of six television channels and various radio stations, enjoys a high level of public trust and achieves considerable market share. With a monthly license fee of approximately €5.50 for television and about €1.80 for radio, Czech Television (Česká televize) achieves a market share of around 33% and Czech Radio (Český rozhlas) around 27%. This is a significant difference compared to countries where state media have increasingly been transformed into propaganda tools.
Jana Bujnačková, editor-in-chief of the Vienna-based Czech-language radio program “Billa Radio,” emphasizes that public television in the Czech Republic has offered excellent programming in recent years. She particularly highlights the 24-hour news channel, which is characterized by its high level of professionalism and enjoys great popularity. This suggests that public broadcasting in the Czech Republic follows the Western model of the BBC, ORF, or ARD, and not the trend toward state-run media as seen in Hungary or Poland.
Media consumption in everyday life and the role of social media platforms
Media consumption in the Czech Republic is intensive: citizens spend around four hours a day watching television and slightly more than 2.5 hours on social media. Add to that newspapers, radio, and online content, and it's clear that people in the Czech Republic spend more time with media than they spend sleeping or working. As in many other countries, the dominant social media platforms are Facebook and YouTube, each with a reach of approximately 70%. WhatsApp follows with 50%, Instagram with 30%, and Twitter with around 10%.
Journalism as a prestige job and European bridges
Another positive sign is the perception of journalism as a prestigious job in the Czech Republic, which differs from Slovakia, where this is not the case. These factors contribute to the fact that, despite the experiences of other post-socialist states, the Czech Republic exhibits remarkable stability and quality in its media landscape.
Deutsche Welle, which also produces content in the languages of the Western Balkans and neighboring countries such as Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, could also play an important role in the Czech Republic in promoting cross-border information, even if the focus is currently primarily on the Balkan states.