In Slovakia, political polarization seeps into everything. Disinformation emanating from Russia and spread by Slovak "alternative media" platforms has transformed the information landscape. This creates enormous challenges for media organizations in the country. How do you continue to focus on what really matters when faced with actors whose aim is to loosen people's grip on reality and make them question the truth of everything?
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Seven years after investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, were murdered in cold blood, journalists in Slovakia continue to expose corruption and shed light on the troubling links between politicians and powerful oligarchs. They do so in spite of the risks they know this work carries, because in any democracy the media plays a vital role keeping the public informed and holding power accountable.
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In
this episode, we go behind the scenes at
Sme—one of the country’s most important papers, founded during the first month of Slovak independence—to meet two veteran journalists doing this essential work. Join me as we explore what it's like reporting in a country fighting a rising tide of disinformation, where the government itself traffics in half-truths, untruths, and outright lies.
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Episode breakdown:
- Intro segment: A double-murder that shook the nation and holding power to account at Sme
- Guest 1: Village life, the main divisions in Slovak society, and living in parallel information universes, with Michaela Terenzani, head of the news desk at Sme, in Bratislava
- Interlude: Dispatch from Bratislava Pride and an unexpected encounter
- Guest 2: The stress of working as a journalist and reporting on the front lines of disinformation, with Jakub Filo, deputy editor-in-chief at Sme, in Bratislava
- Michaela, part ii: Confronting Russian propaganda and the end of history no more
Episode soundtrack: "
Rusínska" by the Slovak group
Folk&Bass Orchestra, who make music that is both beautiful and makes me wanna dance. A special thanks to the group for generously lending their music to this episode and for the art they create. ⠀
I encourage you to check out the episode page on the show’s website, where you will find photo galleries of the places I traveled for this episode so you can visualize where we’ve gone and see who we’ve met.
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As always, you can reach me with questions, comments or just to say "ahoj" by emailing jeff@centraleuropematters.eu.
This episode was mastered and produced by Dávid Pál. It was written, hosted, and executive produced by me, Jeff Lugowe.
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What is Central Europe Matters?
Welcome to a brand-new, narrative podcast about society, politics and democracy in the heart of Europe. Meet local activists, experts, journalists, artists and others struggling to make sense of what's happening in their countries and of the turbulent times we live in. Between democratic backsliding, far-right populism, the ongoing legacy of 20th century experiments in totalitarianism, and a strategically vital location on the doorstep of Russia and Ukraine, Central Europe is ground zero for the battle over the future of Europe.
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Host Jeff Lugowe draws on his academic study of the region at Brown and Harvard and his knowledge of Polish and Czech as he takes listeners on a journey around the big cities and forgotten corners of Central Europe.
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Season 1: Slovakia — Democracy under Attack launched August 12th. New episodes every Wednesday.
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Central Europe Matters is an independent, DIY narrative podcast hosted and started by Jeff and produced by Dávid Pál. It is generously supported by the EEA Civil Society Fund Slovakia.