Public service media must belong to the people: solidarity with Czechia
We, the undersigned organisations, express our strong solidarity with our colleagues in Czechia: the Syndicate of Journalists of the Czech Republic (Syndikát novinářů České republiky – SNČR), the employees of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo), and all Czech citizens who are standing up for independent public service media.
Public service media belong to citizens. As a cornerstone of democracy, their role is to inform the public, hold power to account, and provide diverse, verified information. To fulfil this duty, they must remain entirely free from political influence.
We are following the actions of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s government with great concern. On Saturday, 24 October 2026, at 4:36 a.m., the governing coalition pushed through the first reading of legislation that would abolish licence fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio. The proposed changes would make both public broadcasters directly dependent on the state budget while reducing their funding by approximately 15%.
Such a funding model opens the door to political pressure and threatens editorial independence. When public service media depend on annual budget decisions made by those in power, there is a serious risk that funding will become a tool for influencing journalism and editorial decisions. This is precisely why the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) requires adequate, sustainable and predictable funding for public service media and guarantees their editorial and functional independence.
We are inspired by the thousands of Czech citizens protesting to protect public service media. On Sunday, 25 October 2026, major demonstrations against the proposed media changes took place in Prague’s Old Town Square and in cities across the country. The protesters’ message was clear: public media must stay independent of political influence.
These demonstrations show that citizens understand the importance of independent journalism. They also remind us that this is not only about journalists’ jobs and professional rights. It is about the right of every citizen to receive trustworthy information free from political interference.
That is why on 3 November, we stand firmly alongside the employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio as they go on strike to safeguard the future of public service media. We support their right to organise, protest and defend their professional independence, their dignity at work and the public’s fundamental right to independent information.
We know that the independence of public service media is not always lost through open censorship or direct political orders. It can be gradually undermined through legislative changes, financial pressure and a climate of uncertainty in which journalists and editors find it increasingly difficult to work freely, without fear of consequences.
Our Czech colleagues do not stand alone.
We call on the Czech authorities to withdraw measures that threaten the independence of public service media, respect European media freedom standards, and guarantee stable, sustainable and independent funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio.
To our colleagues in Czechia, we want to send a clear message: your fight is part of a common European struggle for public service media that serve the public, not the government. Public service media belong to citizens. Their independence is not a privilege for journalists. It is a right that belongs to all of us.
Signed by
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
UNI Europe
European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)
industriAll European Trade Union
European Confederation of Police
Public Media Alliance
European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT)
Irena Joveva, Member of the European Parliament
National affiliates
Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana (FNSI)
Union of Journalists in Finland
Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten NVJ
Chair Europe Commission, DJV Germany
Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS)
Trade Union of Croatian Journalists
Danish Union of Journalists
Syndicat national des journalistes CGT (SNJ-CGT) France
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
NVJ Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten
National Union of Journalists of Ukraine
Federación de Sindicatos de Periodistas-FeSP
Hungarian Press Union
Catalan Union of Journalists (SPC)
Slovenian Union of Journalists
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Agrupación de Periodistas FSC CCOO
Swedish Union of Journalists
The Norwegian Union of Journalists
THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS OF ALBANIA (APJA)
Društvo novinarjev Slovenije
Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA)
Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers (Russia)
UNION OF CYPRUS JOURNALISTS
Society of Journalists
