The Czech Citizen Parliament’s Resolutions about Community Media
What are Community Media?
Community media “are media to which members of the community have access, for information, education, entertainment, when they want access. They are media in which the community participates, as planners, producers, performers. They are the means of expression of the community, rather than for the community.” (Frances J. Berrigan, UNESCO Reports and Papers on Mass Communication, 1979)
• • •
How did the Czech Citizen Parliament on Media and Democracy work?
- Organized as part of the EU MeDeMAP Project
- 20 ordinary citizens from across the Czech Republic volunteered
- 4 meetings held in Prague, Brno, and Olomouc (March–May 2025)
- Focused on media systems, media representation, and media participation
- Combined expert inputs and facilitated group discussions, concluded by voting resolutions
- 31 resolutions on democracy-strengthening media accepted
- Resolutions include support for community media, pluralism, inclusivity, and better conditions for journalists.
Make community media sustainable
- Provide subsidies for local, regional & community media (MP-R4)
- Create grant programmes to support media projects from regions, minority groups and people with insufficient representation in the media (MR-R4)
Protect community media from political influence
- Establish a legal framework for financing independent, regional & community media (MS-R3)
- Prevent the use of advertising by local/regional government media to protect independent local media (MP-R6)
Build skills in the community
- Facilitate professional knowledge sharing in regional and community media (MP-R1)
Each code refers to one of the three focus areas of the Citizen Parliament:
Media Systems (MS), Media Representation (MR), and Media Participation (MP).
The number after each code (Rx) indicates the specific resolution within that area.
The resolutions here are summarised — full versions can be accessed
here.
Radio R (radio-r.cz) – Masaryk University’s community radio in Brno, operating since 2008. Open to all volunteers and covering diverse topics.
Romea (romea.cz) – A Romani media outlet established in 2002, promoting human rights and combating racism to improve coexistence between Romani and Czech people.
Radio Punctum (radiopunctum.cz) – A DIY, ad-free community radio launched in 2015, supporting diverse local music and talk shows by enthusiasts and volunteers.
Romano Hangos (romano-hangos.cz) – A Romani print and online periodical founded in 1999, informing, educating, and giving voice to Czechia’s largest minority.
Why do these resolutions matter?
The resolutions show the support for stronger, more diverse community media across the Czech Republic.
The resolutions also demonstrate that the Citizen Parliament advocates for financial support to generate a sustainable community media sector, and the creation of legal framework to protect this sector.
