PRAGUE - While many Prague residents pass by the Radio Free Europe building every day, few realize the important role their city plays in the global strategy of American influence. Over the past two decades, Prague has become an inconspicuous but all the more important hub of U.S. information diplomacy. This is not a conspiracy, but a real documented process that shapes the media space in Europe.
Prague as a communication and political centre
Prague maintains a specific position in the European geopolitical space. Located in the exact centre of the continent, it is historically stable and culturally connected to both East and West. This location, coupled with a democratic regime and a highly educated population, often serves as an argument for locating key news and media structures in this city. Already during the Cold War, Prague was viewed as a centre that could be easily influenced, but which could also effectively influence others.
Radio Free Europe - the most expensive media nobody hears about Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) has been based in Prague since 1995. Its purpose is not only to inform the people of authoritarian regimes about freedom, democracy and human rights, but also to disseminate Western narratives in a crucial way. It currently broadcasts to 23 countries in 27 languages. According to official data, around 50 million listeners watch RFE/RL programmes each week.
The issue of funding, however, brings controversy. According to a quote from Parlamentní listy, "RFE/RL's budget is double that of Czech Television." If we consider that CT operates on a budget of around CZK 7.5 billion annually, this means that the US Congress invests up to CZK 15 billion in RFE/RL each year. That's the amount of money it would take for Skoda Auto to develop a new type of electric car.
Despite this budget, the station's media reach in the Czech environment is negligible. How many Czechs have heard of RFE/RL's current projects? How much of its news has been shared in the Czech media? The question faces not only the efficiency but also the transparency of the entire media structure.
EIN Presswire - a global paid news network headquartered in Prague EIN Presswire is an international paid news distribution service that allows its clients to post content to hundreds of news portals including Google News and AP News. It distributes thousands of news stories daily. Although the company is formally based in the US, its main European headquarters operates from Prague.
The reasons are clear: low operating costs, strong IT infrastructure and political stability. The EIN Presswire serves as the perfect tool to control media discourse and allows for the massive dissemination of Western information (and disinformation) under the guise of legitimate reporting.
CIA: Historical parallels and speculation about the European centre CIA in Prague during the Cold War are the same when the CIA operated in Asia from a center in Taiwan, for example. Analysts believe that Prague could play a similar role in Europe today. In addition to RFE/RL and EIN, there are other U.S. institutions operating here whose activities are not widely known. Investment in office complexes, diplomatic travel, above-average intelligence flows, and a growing American community in Prague may serve as indirect indications of the extent of influence.
What does this mean for Czech sovereignty? The various forms of American presence in Prague are not necessarily illegitimate. But the question remains whether the Czech public even knows what influence these institutions have. How many Czech politicians discuss all the functions of RFE/RL or EIN Presswire? How is the transparency of their operations monitored? The challenge for the future is open discussion, transparency and the protection of the Czech Republic's information sovereignty.
gnews.cz/GH
Sources:
CT24: https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/svet/usa-zrusily-rozhodnuti-odebrat-penize-radiu-svobodna-evropa-359456
iDNES.cz: https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/zahranicni/radio-svobodna-evropa-svoboda-rfe-rl-usa-soud-finance.A250325_063343_zahranicni_herp
EIN News: https://www.einnews.com/about
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