Journalism in Czech Republic is unable to perform its societal duties, writes Jiří Zatloukal, a fellow at Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ). Zatloukal is also a journalist for a Czech magazine. According to the author, journalistic culture in Czech Republic reflects political culture wrought with corruption and self-interested power struggles. This, again, is the result of a lack of preventative legal framework.

After Czech media outlets have landed in the hands of wealthy local owners, they’ve become tools of public relations management. According to the author, Czech journalists censor themselves, when not steered from above, from writing critically of their owner or any of the owner’s affiliates. Some of the owners are also involved, or have vested interests in politics and unhesitantly use media assets to pursue their own ends.

The full research can be freely accessed online here.