Question 3: Media

[Alex Wood]

3) What role does media play in the democratization of your country?

[Alex Wood]

So, here's what I found about the role media has played in democratization in the past. I'm still a little confused about Meciar's role in Slovakia, I'm not sure if any of you found much about him, I think I'll continue to research that. I couldn't really find anything about NOW, and how media is influencing opinion, but I'll keep looking.


Meciar: a nationalistic leader of Slovakia during the ‘90’s who was accused of relations with communist Czechoslovakia. The EU’s disapproval of his supposed nationalist movement created much propaganda against him. The Czechoslovakian secret police made some allegations against him, and Meciar’s reputation weakened among his people. Western media tried to weaken his power, also, but was unsuccessful. Meciar finally resigned in 1998. Through the media’s influence of public opinion, Meciar was forced out of office, and Slovakia was able to make more progress into becoming a democracy.

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/nagle3.html

After the end of communism in Central Europe, the media systems were redefined, fitting their new, democratic government. The main change: politicized television. Television focused on legislation, leaders, privatization, and integration. Many channels were devoted to specific groups. Meciar had a couple of channels on television that were aimed to influence public opinion, but his hoped-for monopoly was ruined when one TV station, Markiza and local channels took over the public’s view.

http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:4f88sXK5efQJ:hrcak.srce.hr/fil...

Vaclav Havel was the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic. He began as a writer, using his writing as an influence in his country and as a foundation for his ideas. During Prague Spring, he wrote many plays and other pieces that formed a foundation for non-communists in Czechoslovakia. Through his influence in this media, he was able to gain more support for his ideas. He also took many of the beliefs of Czechoslovakian people and wrote a letter to the president. These civic opinions of his often made his writing banned, but it was still an influence. When he was elected president of Czechoslovakia, he promised free elections, the first step that Czechoslovakia made to becoming a democracy. He used his presidency to move away from communism.
Although Vaclav Havel was not president of Slovakia when Czechoslovakia broke up, Slovakia kept free elections for presidents. Slovakia is still moving toward a fully democratic nation.

http://www.vaclavhavel.cz/index.php?sec=1&id=1

[Leonidas]

I just wanted to point out that Slovakia is not moving towards being a democratic country, but is a democratic country

[Brady Rhodes]

Well as our new president has pointed out "Democracies cannot be static – they must move forward.” (Turkey - April 2009) - so the process of democratization is ever ongoing...

[Delfina Meza]

well maybe not only about how it does but how we THINK it does..
because us here miqht here thinqs that can not even be that way
but the media miqht make us think something and we really dont know
if it is true or not since we are not over there we havent witnessed it..
you know what i mean???