Editors of leading Czech media have called on politicians and public officials to reject violence, respect standards of decent communication and free access to information.

The rare joint media statement was issued amid a growing number of attacks on journalists and repeated restrictions on journalists' access to politicians' press conferences given by members of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš' populist cabinet.

“Violence is not an argument. Neither the media nor political leaders must incite or encourage violence,” the joint statement shared by Czech Radio, Czech Television and other key news outlets in the country reads.

“As journalists we stress to our audience that violence in social debate is unacceptable. We ask you [to practice] the same towards your supporters and voters, including in the discussions on social networks,” the statement continues.

The lines clearly point to online hate campaigns against prominent journalists such as that against the daily DeníkN editor Zdislava Pokorná for her reporting on Filip Turek, honorary chairman of the ruling anti-green Motorists for Themselves party, and his history of racist, homophobic and anti-semitic online posts.

Pokorná was not permitted to attend a press conference given by Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs and Motorists leader Petr Macinka, in an example that outraged the Czech journalist community.

“Restricting access to information is unacceptable,” the statement continues, adding that “media and political representatives have a full right to decide about with whom and how they want to communicate. However, offices and public institutions are not an ownership of those who run them.

“Media, their freedom and plurality are an important part of democratic society,” the statement also reads.

The editors highlighted that public as well as commercial and tabloid media find common ground in calling on politicians to observe elementary media and free speech standards. 

The statement was signed by Radka Marková of Czech Press Agency, Michal Kubal of Czech Television, Vojtěch Boháč of the respected foreign affairs focused online news outlet Voxpot, Martin Kézr of Sport.cz and Radek Lain of the country’s largest daily, the tabloid Blesk.

“Despite the different focus of individual subjects on the Czech media scene we find common elements of basic functioning not just on the market, but also in relation to political scene and public power,” the editors state.

“We call on public officials to reject violence together with us, observe basic principles of decent communication and respect free access to information,” the statement also reads.

The Babiš-led cabinet, which also includes far right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), has a troubled relationship with the media. Shortly after being formed last year, the ruling coalition moved to curtail financing for Czech Television and Czech Radio by tabling legislation to scrap license fees and make the public broadcasters dependent on state budget which was met with ongoing protests.