In Dialogue with Michal Vašečka, sociologist and Soňa Weissová, journalist and activist
When: Monday, 17 June 2024, 9:30-11:00.
Where: Fjum seminar room, Otto Bauer Gasse 6/2, 1060 Vienna. In-person only.
Registration mandatory. Registration deadline: Sunday 16 June 2024, noon.
Register now.
Speaker
Michal Vašečka, is a Slovak sociologist, Associate Professor at the Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts (BISLA) and a co-founder of the Bratislava Policy Institute. His research focuses on ethnicity, race, migration studies, populism, extremism, social movements, and civil society. He thought, lectured, and researched at numerous European and US universities: Masaryk University in Brno, Comenius University in Bratislava, New School University in New York, University of London, to mention a few.
In 2018 Michal Vašečka received the Award for Special Contribution in the Field of Human Rights by the Minister of Justice of Slovakia.
Soňa Weissová, Slovakian radio journalist, has been working for the public broadcaster RTVS since 2009. She has worked in different sections, and since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Weissová has been leading a team of journalists and correspondents for the Radio Foreign News Desk.
Weissová has been active in defending the public broadcaster from government interference and organising protests the laws designed to curtail the independence of Radio and Television of Slovakia.
Background
Extreme political polarisations describe contemporary European societies. Yet, the causes of polarisation differ. Which are the issues that divide the Slovak society? Some politicians speak of a looming civil war and blame the media. Polarisation in Slovakia led to the assassination attempt of the Prime Minister Robert Fico. Recent government measures, especially those regarding the public broadcaster, have pushed thousands of citizens to protest in the streets. Attacks against media are not new in Slovakia: in 2018, Slovak investigative journalists Ján Kuciak was assassinated together with his fiancée.
Michal Vašečka will reflect on the topics that divide the Slovak society and the current state of democracy in the country, while Soňa Weissová will explain media situation and measures designed to undermine the public broadcaster.
Format and Moderation
Conversation moderated by Mirjana Tomic, fjum, followed by a Q&A session. Participants can ask question even before the assigned Q&A time.
Target audience
Professional journalists and academic researchers.
Maximum: 25 participants