Interview with Denisa Petrilaková, the chairwoman of the Czech Media Agency, about a journalistic event held by the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) and the Western China International Communication Organization (WCICO).

A young, unassuming woman with an entrepreneurial spirit, brimming with ideas and experience, and, most importantly, a track record of successful implementations. She recently visited China for the 2024 Belt and Road Journalists Forum: Expand the Path of Opportunities, Share a Bright Future, an international gathering of media leaders from around the world. In this interesting interview, we briefly discussed her impressions, what inspired her, and what she contributed to the event herself.

A few days ago, you were a guest in China, where this major event for media and journalistic organizations took place. Could you elaborate a little on what exactly this forum was, where it was held, who organized it, and what the main topic was?

I would like to thank the organizers from the beginning for the invitation. I am very glad that I was able to participate in this interesting and important international journalistic forum, as it was very enriching for me. It was a meeting of leaders of associations and unions of journalists from different countries. It was held in the Chinese municipality of Chongqing, which is directly under the central government of China and is also, interestingly enough, the second most populous city in the world, with over 30 million inhabitants.

The main forum, entitled "2024 Belt and Road Journalists Forum: Expand the Path of Opportunities, Share a Bright Future," took place from August 30 to 31, 2024, and was the culmination of this exciting visit. In fact, we had a very rich and interesting program for three days prior to that, where we got to know each other and discussed various topics, such as China's development achievements. There were more than 100 representatives from various journalistic societies, unions, and associations from all over the world.

For example, there was the Pakistan Journalists Association, the Russian Journalists Association, and basically all the representatives of mostly media unions and associations, although there were fewer individual journalists themselves. On the first day, we were divided into groups based on expertise, regions, or certain categories. Each seminar had a different theme. I was in the section where the topic was "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Driving Social Development." In the previous days, we had opportunities to talk in detail with the local government and administrators of the areas we visited in Chongqing.

What specifically was presented there, either by the organizers or by you, the guests?

It was a two-way exchange. Personally, I was interested in the presentation of a successful journalistic example in the second part, which showcased the real power of the media. When used properly, it benefits society as a whole. A German colleague then pointed out that this is what China should present in the European and Western information space.

To return to the main example I want to discuss, in one part of the region, there was significant pollution of the local river. The river had a terrible smell and was even quite dark in color. Local residents had been pointing this out for some time, but nothing had been done about it. So, local journalists produced a strong and influential news report, almost like a campaign. The report was so well done that it was literally a "work of art." This attracted maximum public attention, and the authorities simply couldn't ignore it. As a result, with the help of the journalists, the people achieved the elimination of the problem, and a plan was developed to clean up the river, satisfying everyone.

This is a perfect example of how things work in China; they are not afraid to criticize such issues, but instead, it drives a solution. In the Czech Republic, we are often guided by our own prejudices towards China, but the reality is different. This was a huge inspiration for me, demonstrating the power of the media. Helping to solve people's problems is the main task of all media, to be a responsible part of society.

Unfortunately, this has largely disappeared in the Czech Republic. In fact, the media rarely addresses issues that genuinely concern ordinary people or are in their best interests. I know of only one such program, "Black Sheep," but overall, I can't find any other similar programs, and the focus is elsewhere. The program was well-presented. We also had the opportunity to visit the local zoo as part of the relaxation program, experience local culture, attend seminars, and presentations. At the end, everyone had the opportunity to freely express their interests or ask specific questions, even though it seemed taboo in China.

What did you like most about the program, and what stuck with you, besides the example above? As far as I know, they also discussed the current safety of journalists... The example I've already mentioned impressed me the most. But it also made me realize that China provides a complete model of what freedom of expression truly means in practice. We all had the opportunity to speak openly on a variety of topics, and there was incredible space given for our expressions and questions. Indeed, we were all able to speak freely there, for example, about the safety of journalists, because that is a major problem facing journalists worldwide, especially in countries in Africa and the southern hemisphere. I met, for example, representatives of journalists from Mexico. They talked about how Mexico is actually the worst in terms of safety for journalists. In fact, 120 journalists have died in Mexico alone in recent times, which is a lot. Security has also been a major concern for journalists in Indonesia.

Because the focus was on countries where journalists are silenced through violence, there were relatively few representatives from Europe. I myself briefly added to this discussion that in Europe, "soft power" is used against journalists, such as labeling and other tactics. However, among the over a hundred participants, there were representatives from Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Bulgaria, and Greece. There were also representatives from the Russian Federation, Serbia, and two from Croatia.

"We are simply calling for something to be done about it, because it's difficult to address these issues in smaller countries like the Czech Republic. We need foreign assistance, and we need some kind of international platform where these stories can be shared, and, more importantly, where journalists can be protected, perhaps even provided with legal assistance or even existential support. The discussion continued with the idea of establishing a global, official organization that would deal exclusively with the safety of journalists, where they could come together and fight for the truth, freedom of speech, and justice. That would be wonderful!" "So, the discussions primarily focused on the current topic of freedom of speech and expression?" "Yes. It was truly remarkable how much space they gave us for this discussion, and it was absolutely perfectly prepared. For example, I must say that I have never seen better simultaneous interpretation. There were several interpreters taking turns, and when they spoke, they had such a pleasant tone and were completely calm during the interpretation, without any trembling in their voices. Absolutely perfect, truly the highest level of quality I have ever had the opportunity to witness firsthand." "So, you're saying that the role of the media is a fundamental aspect that influences public opinion in society?" "The role of the media, in particular, should be to improve reality, also through various actions in the information sphere, where certain key information is disseminated. Then, this information needs to be addressed socially, and that can lead to positive changes in reality. Unfortunately, this is happening in our country at the moment in a negative way. However, we can change that and promote positive and good ideas." "That's what I took away from it: that we should put the media back on the right track, to serve all those ordinary people, and not just the political establishment, whoever they may be. The media should serve the interests of ordinary people, which I believe is the proper role of the media industry. It actually aligns with what we learned in political economy at university, that the next major change will definitely come from the private sector, not the state sector, and that it must be a revolution from the bottom up. And that only by actually doing something can society as a whole improve. It logically follows from the research that this is what it comes down to: that the media must begin to change society in this way."
"And this made a huge impression on me as well, as it gave me a very clear sense of a community with a shared destiny, because there were people from Africa, from Sri Lanka, from Pakistan, from the Solomon Islands, just from various countries – an incredible mix of people from the media industry. And yet, there was a sense that we were all drops from the same sea. We are dealing with the same issues and problems. It was like the whole world was coming together, and no one was attacking anyone. I really felt a sense of real community and a shared future for mankind. And that is what China talks about all the time, but they not only talk about it; they actually show us the direction, and we have the opportunity to join it. It was absolutely incredible, and I was deeply impressed by it."

You were also in a protected natural area, in a village where there was a tea house, a library… It's probably a good example of how you can solve a lot of issues with one project, isn't it?
Yes, it means that the natural and original character of the landscape will be preserved, along with its indigenous population and their crafts, but at the same time, their standard of living will increase significantly, because the government provides crucial guidance, support, and shares responsibility with the inhabitants. That's quite different from what we see in Europe and the West in general. The authorities are helping to promote and coordinate such projects, everyone has a stake in them, and at the same time, it will be developed into an educational trail with the help of the tourism industry, especially for families and future generations. Overall, it strengthens relationships.

That sounds very good. And what else would you say? Was there anything else?
For example, in Chongqing, where we were, there wasn't a single older apartment building; everything was brand new or under construction. And it was truly a beautiful place. The people there were very warm and friendly. You could see that people were genuinely happy, and that's why they were so cheerful and you find an incredibly positive atmosphere there. And of course, the nature there is absolutely stunning, with so many beautiful natural sites.

In one area, a colleague from Greece asked about global change and global warming, and how they are dealing with it. The answer she received was that they use the latest technology, and that natural fires, of course, will happen. However, they deal with them by using military-space satellites. There's a system in place that targets anything on fire or thermally heated, even if it's only 20 centimeters in diameter. And because of technologies like that, they are able to quickly contain those fires, so that they might flare up, but not enough to cause significant damage, because they are quickly and efficiently extinguished. That's why they are able to preserve so much of the beautiful nature there.

So, if you summarize it all, you can say that this event left mostly positive impressions on you?
Yes. It was a huge source of inspiration for me. It showed me the direction we need to go, what else we can improve, and most importantly, what I can bring back and hopefully, through my own success, spread this inspiration to other media. But I think we have a long way to go before we reach that level. In short: huge inspiration, huge energy, a clear direction, and a clear concept.

gnews.cz - Jan Vojtěch

Unfortunately, I am unable to translate the provided text because it consists only of an HTML image tag. To provide a translation, I need actual text content. If you can provide the text associated with the image or any accompanying text, I would be happy to translate it for you.