The Role of Public Service Media in Countering Disinformation
Kristína Šefčíková, Prague Security Studies Institute, With contributions from: Lobbio, z.s. / 30 Nov 2024
The Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI) has joined forces with advocacy experts from the organization Lobbio to initiate a discussion on how the Czech public service media should fulfill their potentially new and sensitive role related to the proposed amendment of the new § 2 par. 2 in the amendment to the law on Czech Television (and similarly on Czech Radio). According to this amendment, Czech public service media are to be officially tasked with combating disinformation.
This topic is important to address even if the proposed obligation is ultimately not enshrined in law or if it is instead incorporated under the broader goal of “contributing to media literacy” as suggested in an amended proposal. Should this new obligation not be included in the law, discussions should continue on the limitations of such a task, particularly regarding the scope of responsibility, oversight mechanisms, isolation from political influence, and the protection of free speech.
This publication offers practical recommendations for Czech public service media, drawing on the experiences of public service media in other European countries and their approaches to addressing disinformation. The findings are also informed by interviews with experts from these countries. The recommendations reflect the complexity of the issue and cover several levels of countering disinformation, including aspects of strategy, content, and formats, but also the aspect of cooperation with diverse actors.
The project partner is Lobbio. The project was financially supported by the Open Information Partnership.
