Freedom of pressindices and their reflection in media

The thesis presents a contribution to the topic of critical examination of various ways to evaluate and compare the level of press (media) freedom in countries throughout the world. It analyses the process of presentation the conclusions of press freedom indices to the public. The analysis is guided on two levels. First, the form in which the press freedom indices are published is investigated. And second, the media reflection of these publications is examined. The starting-point of this analysis focuses on theoretical view on various definitions of press freedom. First part of the thesis therefore provides the summary of important fields that should not be forgotten by any conceptualization of press freedom. Second chapter deals with the problems connected to evaluations and comparisons of press freedom in general and then in particular concerning the Freedom of the Press index by Freedom House and World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders. In the second part of the thesis, Czech media reflection of the two concerned indices is analyzed. First, the specifics of the Czech media landscape are dealt with. Next, the content analysis is applied that should approach the way Czech media use the data provided by the indices. The thesis then concludes the most serious weaknesses in the process through..