This report considers three main dimensions affecting media freedom in the country, namely the legal, political and economic environment.
Press freedom in Slovakia is generally respected and independent media outlets freely disseminate diverse views. Nevertheless, defamation suits brought by politicians, business élites, and members of the judiciary remain a concern: on numerous occasions they have turned to legal means to contain media criticism.
Although journalists occasionally experience interference while performing their jobs, physical attacks on journalists are quite rare. Most Slovak media outlets, including all major print outlets, are privately owned.
Even though television remains the main source of information in the country, Slovaks enjoy growing access to the internet, which the government does not restrict (approximately 80% of the population used the medium in 2014). However, lack of transparency in media ownership remains a concern. In recent years, the print market has seen significant changes as a result of increasing concentration of ownership.
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