# Czech media and political discourse tensions > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/czech-media-and-political-discourse-tensions > Updated: 2026-10-19T14:03:17.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2. Editors-in-chief from approximately forty Czech media organizations issued a joint appeal titled ‘Základní hranice’ (Basic Boundary). The group called on politicians at national, regional, and municipal levels to reject violence in political discourse, refrain from inciting aggression on social media, and ensure public institutions maintain free access to information. In response, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš addressed the appeal during a press conference. While acknowledging that criticism of politicians is legitimate, Babiš urged media outlets to reject verbal attacks, manipulation, and the practice of taking information out of context. He stated that media independence does not permit presenting misleading interpretations as facts, asserting that ‘the word must not be a weapon’. Robert Čásenský, editor-in-chief of Seznam Zprávy, responded by expressing hope that the government would take the media’s concerns seriously. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-19: Andrej Babiš calls for media professionalism and ethical reporting Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called on media outlets to avoid manipulation and personal attacks, responding to an appeal by forty editors-in-chief regarding journalistic ethics and political communication. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/andrej-babi-calls-for-media-professionalism-and-ethical-reporting ### 2026-10-05: Czech media editors issue joint appeal to politicians Czech media editors-in-chief have issued a joint appeal to politicians, urging them to reject violence in public discourse and ensure free, unrestricted access to information. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/czech-media-editors-issue-joint-appeal-to-politicians --- Cite as: Czech media and political discourse tensions. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/czech-media-and-political-discourse-tensions