Statement of CTK on an article in the daily Lidove noviny

PRAGUE, July 14 (PROTEXT) - Statement of CTK on an article inthe daily Lidove noviny titled "Castle requests different CTKreporter" and related materials:

I consider it necessary to explain some misunderstandingsthat may lead to skewed opinions on the Czech News Agency's (CTK)task and position in the Czech media practice in light of recentpolemical statements about CTK's journalistic work. CTK is not anofficial state agency but the law establishes it as a publicinstitution. Its mission is to provide objective and allroundinformation for the free formation of opinions. In harmony withthe general European practice and the legislator's will CTKconsiders editorial independence to be the foundation of itsefforts. For this reason, CTK in the mid-1990s voluntarilyrenounced its ties to the state budget, it is not statesubsidised and it does not operate with public funds.

In its journalistic work, CTK abides by the principle to onlychronicle events and not comment on them. Agency news creationmethods are based on ordering objective facts. An agency reportermust not have space to comment on or evaluate events. In order toobjectively inform, however, it is just as necessary to report anevent not only without the reporter's interpretation, but alsowithout the interpretation of the source. Professionalism doesnot mean blindly copying information no matter where it comesfrom. If an agency were to violate this principle, it wouldimmediately become an advertising agency or a press section of astate institution and would cease to be a journalistic entity.

CTK publishes about 700 text pieces of information a day andit is understandable that some contain errors. While newspapersoperate on a daily rhythm and radio and television on an hourlynews rhythm, an agency operates constantly and its rhythm is cutto minutes. The number and severity of errors in CTK's service isbelow the western European standard. If some arise, however, CTKremedies them and corrects the item as quickly as possible.

For CTK it is unacceptable for information from stateinstitutions to be treated according to other than generallyvalid journalistic principles, independent of the will of theobjects of its news service. Otherwise, CTK would deform itsservices based after 1989 on the principles of strict objectivityand unbiased reporting. If in the past pressure from the outsideor calls for changes in the editorial staff have appeared, theyhave not changed this fact and will not change it in the future.

Milan Stibral

CTK Director Director

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