Sme daily editor-in-chief Beata Balogová (source: SME/Jozef Jakubčo)
You read neither Sme daily nor Aktuality, nor do you watch the news on private TV channel Markíza, and the Denník N daily irritates you. You don't want to support any of these, and you would not subscribe to them. Sometimes you curse journalists, you feel they are biased, that they unfairly criticise politicians you voted for. Or, on the contrary, they are not harsh enough on the parties you would never vote for.
That's totally fine. Many people prefer different media and everyone can choose what they like. You too. But it may not stay that way forever.
Everyone should pay attention to Robert Fico's musings that he would limit the aforementioned media outlet's access to the Government Office to stop them from bothering him with questions. Just days before the anniversary of the revolution that ended an era of government propaganda and persecution of critical journalists, Fico's message is terrifying.
It indicates that mentally, the prime minister feels more comfortable in a world where journalists only copy and paste what he says, do not meddle with his party's affairs, and do not look for corruption in agreements with "our people" because Robert Kaliňák says there is none. Fico recognises the checking function of the media only if journalists exercise that function on his opponents.
It's one thing what kind of media Fico prefers, but when he starts taking concrete steps to reshape the functioning of the state based on what he sees fit, we all have a problem, not just unwelcome journalists or their readers.
