Czech Environment Ministry Bars Deník N Journalist from Press Conference for the Second Time

The Czech Ministry of the Environment has once again denied accreditation to Deník N journalist Zdislava Pokorná, barring her from attending a press conference. According to the newsroom, the accreditation request was submitted well in advance and followed all proper procedures, yet the ministry rejected it without any clear explanation.

As Deník N reports, the rejection contained no specific justification — only phrasing reminiscent of the minister's previous public attacks on the outlet. This marks the second such incident within a year: back in January, the ministry likewise refused to admit a journalist from the same publication to one of its press conferences.

At the time, editors-in-chief from ten Czech media outlets, along with the Czech Journalists' Syndicate, spoke out against the ministry's actions. Following the backlash, Minister Petr Macinka stated that the ministry would no longer restrict press access to its events.

Ivana Šulaková, chair of the Journalists' Syndicate, said that state officials have no right to divide media into "convenient" and "inconvenient" outlets, warning that discrimination against one publication today could easily extend to any other tomorrow. The Syndicate stressed that if the ministry fails to change its approach and issue an apology, journalists should consider boycotting the ministry's media events.

Source: novinky.cz