The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Centre (MJRC) today have launched the Slovakian edition of the Media Capture Monitoring Report, an annual assessment of media capture in EU member states. The reports in this series assess the compliance of national legislation with the newly adopted European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), aimed at combating media capture.
Slovakia’s public broadcasting history is marked by frequent political capture, and in fact the current situation represents the most aggressive interference since the era of authoritarian, proto-illiberal Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar in the 1990s.
Consequently, the country’s small media market remains highly susceptible to oligarchic control. Wealthy or politically connected entities dominate most TV networks, with persistent challenges at TV Markíza. The oligarchic group Penta controls a sizable portion of the press market, frequently supporting the government’s narratives. Nevertheless, many popular independent print and digital outlets continue to offer diverse news and information sources.
It is the latest report to be published in a series of seven country reports to be released in 2024.
The Media Capture Monitoring Report is part of IPI’s Media Freedom Rapid Response Program, which monitors and addresses press freedom violations in new member states and candidate countries.
The report is available here.
The project page can be accessed here.