35 Country Report: Information Network

Traditional Sources

Prague Daily Monitor: This periodical serves as the Czech Republic’s longest-standing portal for Czech News in English. This source seems reliable because its main page includes that it has been cited by BBC and Sky News, both of which are reputable sources. The periodical now has an online website with links to numerous articles about Czechia. The Prague Daily Monitor also serves as the nation’s longest running portal for Czech News in English.

It is accessed at: https://praguemonitor.com/

I chose this source because it is very easily accessible with its online format. I also found the articles covered a wide array of subjects and stories. The Prague Daily Monitor is regularly updated and provides daily news updates. One downside of this source is that it lacks depth with its stories and does not provide extensive context to many events covered.

Blesk.cz: Blesk.cz is one of the most widely circulated and consumed newspapers in the Czech Republic. It is a daily tabloid newspaper that is based out of Prague, but additionally covers sports, news, entertainment, and crime. It was founded in 1991 and is owned by the Czech News Center.

It is accessed at: https://www.blesk.cz/

I chose this source because it provides a perspective on Czech news that is consumer driven and relatable to Czech residents. One downside of this news source is that it is a tabloid, which makes it less reliable, but adds a unique perspective. It additionally needs to be translated from Czech, which can lead to translation errors.

Prague Post: The Prague Post is an English language newspaper that covers news from Prague, but additionally serves as a global media source by covering trends in Central Europe and placing news in an international context. It has sections traditionally found in a newspaper, such as Business, Cinema, Lifestyle, etc. This newspaper is owned by the Czech News Center, a major media conglomerate in the Czech Republic.

It is accessed at: https://www.praguepost.com/czech-news or @praguepost on Twitter

I chose this source because the Prague Post was the longest running English language newspaper in the Czech Republic, which I think provides an important archive of English Language news from the country. One downfall of this website is that the Prague Post is no longer actively publishing content after filing for bankruptcy in 2017.

Respekt: Respekt is a Czech weekly magazine that was initially focused on providing political commentary, with it being founded in the wake of the Velvet Revolution. They gained much respect as a media source due to their ability to uncover prominent political scandals. The magazine covers a wide range of topics, such as politics, business, culture, and society. The magazine is owned by the independent Respekt Media Company.

It can be accessed at: https://www.respekt.cz/, in the app store, and in print

I chose this source because I was interested in its origins being from the Velvet Revolution era and with uncovering political scandals. Because of the success from this era, the magazine is widely popular and respected, adding to its credibility as a source. Despite being published in Czech, the magazine has some articles that are translated into other languages, sometimes including English.

New Media Sources

Czech Centres: Czech Centres is a newsource from the Czech Republic that serves as a contributory organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. This source specializes in promoting the Czech Republic internationally while functioning as a diplomatic tool for the country. Its blog section features short blog posts on local events within Prague that are typically accompanied by videos.

It is accessed at: https://www.czechcentres.cz/en/about-us

I chose this source because it is uniquely affiliated with the government of the Czech Republic. The blog posts were short and accessible, while additionally featuring visual media in support of the articles’ contents.Czech Centres is easily accessible to both English and Czech speakers as it is formally published in both languages.

My Czech Republic Blog: My Blog Czech Republic is written by two local Prague residents about life in the capital city of the Czech Republic. They provide a local perspective to arts, culture, food, theater, news and more within the Czech Republic.

It is accessed at: https://blog.myczechrepublic.com

I chose this source because it emphasizes the voices of local residents over large media agencies. This blog was started as a project by husband and wife Jeff and Dana Shanberg. Both founding authors have lived in the Czech Republic for multiple decades, and despite not being from the Czech Republic initially, seem to have a very knowledgeable and immersed perspective.

Expats.cz: Expats.cz is an English-language blog source within the Czech Republic directed towards expatriates within the country. Their website features listings for jobs in Prague, real estate in the Czech republic, and includes a large news section as well. Expats.cz is owned by Seznam.cz, the Czech news and media company.

It is accessed at: https://www.expats.cz or @expatscz on Twitter

I chose this source because Expatz.cz is specialized towards expatriates in the country, which allows for a different perspective to be highlighted in journalism. By catering towards this audience the media produced is biased towards a more international community. Despite this bias I was able to find many articles covering a wide array of topics with appropriate sourcing throughout. This blog also featured an Expat Life section that helps it cater to a unique population within the Czech Republic.

Social Media Sources

@Kafkadesk: Kafkadesk is an independent news source that provides “ultra-local” news centered in Central Europe. The twitter feed for Kafkadesk is frequently updated with stories from a wide array of topics. Unlike traditional newspapers, Kafkadesk isn’t broken down by topic area, but instead, by location, featuring news from four countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary) in Central Europe. Kafkadesk operates as an independent media outlet, funded mainly by advertising revenue and donations.

It is accessed at: @Kafkadesk on twitter or https://kafkadesk.org/

I chose this source because I was particularly interested in the independent journalism aspect of this news source. I also admire its regional focus, allowing for a deep analysis of news in Central European countries. Kafkadesk is advantageous because it is frequently updated both on twitter and on its website.

@CeskeNoviny: @CeskeNoviny is the official twitter account of the Czech News Agency, which serves as the largest news agency in the Czech Republic. The Czech News Agency was founded shortly after the establishment of Czechoslovakia and has been an active news source for the Czech population ever since. Their news coverage encompasses politics, economics, sports, and more and have been known for their impartial reporting. @CeskeNoviny is partnered with other news agencies, such as Reuters, AFP, and DPA to provide comprehensive reporting.

It can be accessed at:  @CeskeNoviny on Twitter and http://t.co/76a4q8Nccl

I chose this social media source because @CeskeNoviny is one of the most followed accounts for news and information within the Czech Republic on Twitter. Resultantly, as a source @CeskeNoviny represents what residents of the nation are consuming for media on a regular basis. @CeskeNoviny is updated on an extremely regular basis on twitter.

Seznam.cz: Seznam.cz is one of the largest internet portals in the Czech Republic, providing numerous services, including search engines, email, news, etc. Seznam.cz additionally has a large presence on YouTube, with over 270,000 subscribers. Their YouTube page features numerous channels including Seznam Zprávy, which covers current events and live coverage of important events. Another channel, Seznam Věda, focuses on science and education.

It can be accessed at: www.seznam.cz, @Seznam_cz on Twitter, and by looking up the channel names on YouTube

I chose this source because being an internet portal uniquely positions Seznam.cz as an information and media provider. They have a comprehensive website and social media that appears to be updated frequently. One downside of Seznam.cz is that it is a Czech-language portal and provides content that cannot be accessed in other languages. Seznam.cz additionally provides a lot of content about the Czech republic, but has limited international coverage.

Data Sources

Statista: Statista is an online data source, providing industry leading market and consumer data. The data covered includes over 80,000 topics from over 22,000 sources. Statista is a German-based, privately held company, with it’s ownership being split amongst founders, management, and investors.

It is accessed at: https://www.statista.com/

I selected this source because when looking up the Czech Republic thousands of data sets popped up covering a wide array of topics, anything from coffee consumption to GDP insights. The data is also made extremely accessible and can be downloaded directly from the website.

Czech Statistical Office: The Czech Statistical Office is the main statistical agency of the Czech Republic. They hold the responsibility of collecting and disseminating official statistics on the economy, population, environment, etc. Their website provides public access to large amounts of data, including surveys and publications.

It can be accessed at: https://www.czso.cz/ or @statistickyurad on Twitter

I chose this source because it is widely considered to be a reliable and authoritative source for official statistics in the Czech Republic. The Czech Statistical Office also is an independent source that operates outside of the government, which reduces the likelihood of government bias. Furthermore, they have a rigorous statistical methodology and are made so easily accessible to all.

Eurostat: Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union (EU). Their data harmonizes the data from EU member states, including the Czech Republic. Their data analysis comprises categories such as economy, environment, population, migration, social issues, etc. Their website provides easy access to their data sets, reports, and news.

It can be accessed at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat

I chose this source because it places the Czech Republic’s statistical data in context with other EU states, allowing for cross-country comparisons. They cover a wide scope of topics and analyze them with rigorous statistical standards. Their data is readily available for all to access. One downfall is that this site only harmonizes EU states’ data, which minimizes their geographical scope.

Visual/Audio Sources

Radio Prague International: This source is formatted as a website that features radio recordings and live broadcast of news from the Czech Republic. Czech Radio is owned and operated by the Czech Republic. Czech Radio provides broadcasting in six different languages, making its content accessible to those outside of the Czech Republic and/or non-Czech speaking. Czech Radio is also a public service provider to the Czech Republic, and resultantly, is unbiased and provides accessible independent newscasting. It is set up like a newspaper with various sections, including news, foreign policy, society, travel, etc.

It is accessed at: https://english.radio.cz/domestic-affairs or @radioprague on twitter

I chose this radio service because it has a deep history within the Czech republic as a news source. Czech Radio provides quality journalism that has a deep breadth of knowledge of the Czech Republic from an unbiased perspective. It is also easily accessible to English speakers.

RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty: RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty (RFE/RL) is a non-for-profit funded by the United States Agency for Global Media. The platform seeks to promote uncensored news in countries where media is threatened. RFE/RL relies on local reporters in order to publish accurate news in 27 languages and 23 countries. RFE/RL has numerous multimedia options, including annotated photo albums, videos, and radio episodes.

It is accessed at: https://pressroom.rferl.org or in the app store

I chose this source because it has an interesting combination of funding and sourcing materials. Though funded by the United States Congress, RFE/RL relies heavily on local journalists in order to create its news. When looking at articles related to the Czech Republic, Czech journalists were almost always included as a source for the article, which helps to ensure the platform’s commitment to utilizing local perspectives.

iDNES.cz: iDNES.cz is an online news outlet in the Czech Republic. It covers a wide range of topics, including politics, business, and entertainment. iDNES.cz is owned by MAFRA, one of the largest media companies in the Czech Republic that has been praised for its editorial standards and independent reporting. Despite this , MAFRA still faces challenges with potential biases and ownership structure.

It is accessed at: www.idnes.cz, @iDNEScz on Twitter, and @iDNESczyoutube on YouTube

I chose this source because iDNES.cz serves as a popular source for independent journalism in the Czech Republic. Its independent and investigative journalism has earned the provider a European Press Prize, adding to their credibility. Their coverage is comprehensive and provides content on local, state, and international levels. Some downsides of iDNES.cz is it having a pro-government bias, limiting of non-mainstream viewpoints, and it having paywalls to access some content for non-subscribers.

Additional Sources

European Newsstream: This database is organized by type of sourcing material, relevance, publication date, and more. It provides content from newspapers, magazines,  trade journals, and reports. This source is powered by ProQuest, a part of Clarivate, which is a global information services provider.

It is accessed at: https://www.proquest.com/europeannews/advanced

When searching the Czech Republic a ton of sources came up. A lot of the links take you to Nexis Uni, so maybe starting from there could also be a good jumping off point. The articles provided can be organized by date and feature lots of recent content.

Romea.cz: Romea.cz is a Czech Republic based news source that specializes in information and events in the Romani world. Romea.cz aims to inform the next generation of Czech residents of the Romani perspective that is often misrepresented in more mainstream media sources. The website features sections for community, culture, focus, and opinion, amongst other headings as well. Romea.cz is owned by the Czech-based, nonprofit ROMEA, which seeks to promote the integration of Romani people into Czech society.

It is accessed at: https://romea.cz/en or @romeanews on Twitter

I chose this source because it provides a voice for a minority group in the Czech Republic that have not historically received proper representation in the media. The website is easily accessible to English speakers and additionally has a large social media presence, further strengthening its online presence. The content available on the site is available in English, Czech, and Slovak. One downside of this source is that due to its ownership and mission it is overly representative of Romani perspectives.

Brno Daily: Brno Daily is a newsource that specializes in covering the city of Brno in the Czech Republic. Despite having a regional focus, the Brno Daily also features a national section that provides news coverage of the Czech Republic outside of Brno. The website features sections such as Czech Republic, Brno, Travel, Events, etc. The Brno Daily is part of Brno Media, a private media company in the Czech Republic.

It is accessed at: https://brnodaily.com or @brnodaily on Instagram

I selected this source because I felt it was important to include regional sources into my network due to many sources within the Czech Republic being based in Prague. Brno Daily is easily accessible to English speakers as it is published in English daily. Brno Daily was founded in 2017 and because of this does not have a strong archive, but it seems to be continually growing since its founding. Some downsides of this media source is that it is available in English only, limiting its accessibility, and there is a lack of transparency in its ownership.