Political attacks against journalists on the rise amidst systemic assault on press freedom

Location: Slovakia

Date: March 9, 2024

Politicians from the ruling SMER party launched baseless attacks on Television JOJ’s Jana Krescanko Dibáková and Denník N’s Mária Benedikovičová. Alarmingly even the country’s Prime Minister took part in the discrediting of journalists. This disturbing tactic reflects a broader pattern by SMER, whose politicians often target critical journalists to undermine their credibility. Women Press Freedom strongly denounces these attacks. We call on all Slovakian politicians to uphold press freedom and cease harassing journalists for their reporting. These repeated assaults on the press suggest a worrying government strategy to deflect criticism, threatening the very foundations of democracy. SMER politicians, including Prime Minister Robert Fico, must apologize for his unfounded accusations against Dibáková and Benedikovičová and stop discrediting members of the press.

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Politician Compares Television JOJ Presenter to Hitler

On March 8, 2024, Ľuboš Blaha, the vice-chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic from the ruling political party SMER, insulted and discredited Television JOJ presenter Jana Krescanko Dibáková. Prime Minister Robert Fico and numerous citizens chimed in on the social media attack through comments and private messages directed at the journalist. 

The day before, Dibáková, host of the political discussion show "On the Edge," announced on Facebook that the show would not air as scheduled. She attributed the cancellation to government politicians' reluctance to appear on the program, alleging their preference for disinformation channels. 

Blaha reacted to Dibáková's post on his Telegram channel, sharing a photo of himself and another SMER MP raising their fists. Blaha discredited and insulted Dibáková, accusing her of biased reporting and comparing her to Adolf Hitler.

Blaha's Telegram post garnered tens of thousands of views. Prime Minister Robert Fico echoed Blaha's narrative in a statement on his Facebook profile, criticizing Dibáková and mainstream media outlets like TV JOJ. This further fueled the harassment of Dibáková, resulting in a deluge of hateful messages and threats of violence.

Politician Smears Denník N Journalist Accusing Her of Political Bias

On March 9, 2024, Richard Glück, SMER MP, launched an attack on Denník N journalist Mária Benedikovičová via social media platforms. The preceding day, Denník N had published an article written by Benedikovičová, in which she delved into what she described as the dual nature of Glück. Specifically, the article highlighted Glück's signing of a statement last year declaring his refusal to engage in armed combat in the event of a military conflict.

In response to Benedikovičová's article, Glück took to his Facebook profile to share a video attacking the journalist. In the video, Glück says that Benedikovičová's journalistic work was aligned with the interests of the strongest opposition party, Progressive Slovakia. He also alleged that her reporting aimed to defame SMER for political purposes while supporting other politicians.

Glück's social media post triggered a deluge of online harassment directed at Benedikovičová, manifesting in public comments and private messages.

Attacks on Press Freedom in Slovakia Spearhead by Government and Ruling Politicians

The Slovakian government, and particularly the ruling party SMER, continues to demonstrate a concerningly hostile attitude towards journalists and press freedom. In February 2024, journalist Zuzana Kovačič Hanzelová faced a vicious smear campaign initiated by high-ranking politicians from the SMER party following her truthful commentary on a politician littering. Led, once again, by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ľuboš Blaha, the campaign involved personal attacks, derogatory insults, and led to doxxing of the reporter. 

In the same month, four MPs from the ruling SMER party held a press conference accusing journalist Martin M. Šimečka of defaming the nation for calling Slovaks "a nation of cowards." They filed a criminal complaint against him, citing comments he made about Prime Minister Robert Fico's reluctance to visit Kyiv. One MP insinuated that Šimečka received 1.1 million euros through a foundation, but no evidence supports this claim. 

Adding to the troubling pattern, the Slovakian government recently introduced a draft law aimed at tightening control over the state-owned broadcaster, Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS). The proposed legislation grants the government authority to dismiss board members, including the director-general. Critics view this move as a direct threat to democracy and EU values. The RTVS director-general and over 600 employees spoke out against the proposed reform, citing concerns about political interference reminiscent of communist-era practices. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has also condemned the draft law, warning of its detrimental impact on editorial independence, as well as regression in democracy and freedom of expression.

Politicians from Slovakia’s SMER party are repeatedly and unashamedly showing their complete contempt for press freedom through these public attempts to undermine journalists. This is unacceptable for a European Union member; the attacks must stop. Women Press Freedom demands accountability from SMER politicians and Prime Minister Fico for their aggressive smears against the journalists that have triggered mass online harassment. If the Slovakian government does not intend to address this, the Council of the EU must enact sanctions against the government for refusing to abide by the values of democracy and press freedom that the European Union claims to uphold. Fico and SMER’s actions toward critical press echo that of Orban in Hungary and Poland’s previous administration; if their behavior is allowed to continue it will escalate and discredit the entire Union’s efforts to promote media freedom. We urge collective condemnation from fellow member states against these attacks and attempts to control the press.

Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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