Comparative Study on Media Pluralism in the Visegrád Cooperation Countries

Abstract

The aim of the study is to examine the current issues concerning media pluralism in the Visegrád Cooperation countries, namely in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland, in the light of the recent reports on the rule of law prepared by the European Commission. After a brief outline of the concept of media pluralism, the paper reviews the most relevant legal sources of the countries, from the constitutional regulation to the lower levels of regulation, and it also explores the related organizational framework, including the bodies responsible for market surveillance and ensuring media pluralism, as well as the bodies responsible for the provision of state and party advertising and media service providers. Moreover, an important part of the study is the presentation of the standards for transparency of media ownership and the presentation of concepts of state and party advertising and their regulation.