Episode 5: Truthtellers

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In Slovakia, political polarization seeps into everything. Disinformation emanating from Russia and spread by Slovak "alternative media" platforms has transformed the information landscape. This creates enormous challenges for media organizations in the country. How do you continue to focus on what really matters when faced with actors whose aim is to loosen people's grip on reality and make them question the truth of everything?

Yet seven years after investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, were murdered in cold blood, Slovak journalists continue to expose corruption and shed light on the troubling links between politicians and powerful oligarchs. They do so in spite of the risks they know this work carries, because in any democracy the media plays a vital role keeping the public informed and holding power accountable.

In this episode, we go behind the scenes at Sme—one of the country’s most important papers, founded during the first month of Slovak independence—to meet two journalists doing this essential work. Join me as we explore what it's like reporting in a country fighting a rising tide of disinformation, where the government itself traffics in half-truths, untruths, and outright lies.

Episode breakdown:

• Intro segment: A double-murder that shook the nation and holding power to account at Sme
• Guest 1: Village life, the main divisions in Slovak society, and living in parallel information universes, with Michaela Terenzani, head of news desk at Sme, in Bratislava
• Interlude: Dispatch from Bratislava Pride and an unexpected encounter
• Guest 2: The stress of working as a journalist and reporting on the front lines of disinformation, with Jakub Filo, deputy editor-in-chief at Sme, in Bratislava
• Michaela, part ii: Confronting Russian propaganda and the end of history no more

Episode soundtrack: "Rusínska" by the Slovak group Folk&Bass Orchestra, who make music that is both beautiful and makes me wanna dance. A special thanks to the group for generously lending their music to this episode and for the art they create.

As always, you can reach me with questions, comments or just to say "ahoj" by emailing jeff@centraleuropematters.eu.

This episode was mastered and produced by Dávid Pál. It was written, hosted, and executive produced by me, Jeff Lugowe.
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