Why politicians should not mess with public media

1
Why politicians should not mess with public media

• Martin Krafl Czech TV
• Budapest, 3. 11. 2006
• MTV EBU

2
Thomas Jeffersons truth

• Were it left to me to decide whether we should
  have a government without newspapers, or
  newspapers without a government, I should not
  hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

3
Media reality nowadays

• Presenters, editors and journalists should be
  free to express their opinions.
  
• Are they?

4
Media reality nowadays

• Politicians need
• access to media, extra funding
• Enterpreuneurs need
• advertising space, contacts with politicians
• Media need
• politicians and advertisement

5
Media reality nowadays

• Isnt the citizen left out?!

6
Independence of media

• Dependence of the media on politicians and,
  therefore, on the state means
  
• that the whole society is losing independence.

7
Czech public TV

• financial independence
• true and unbiased information
• Code of Conduct
• transparent independent analyses

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Why? Because

• that would amount to a breach of democracy and
  freedom of expression!
  
• it caters to the public not politicians who
  are just part of the public!
  
• it is not the politicians servant!
• as an opinion-maker and influential medium, it
  must be impartial!
  
• public institutions have been transformed from
  what were originally state radio stations and
  later television networks precisely with the
  intention of making them free of any influence of
  politicians!

9
Thank you!

• Dipl.Ing. Martin Krafl Spokesman
• CZECH TELEVISION Kavcí hory EU - CZ- 14070
  Prague 4
  
• Tel. [phone] Fax [phone]
  599
  
• martin.krafl_at_ceskatelevize.cz
• http//www.martinkrafl.cz