Democratizing & Debasing A recent history of commercialization and political celebritization in the Czech media

This essay examines the transformation of the culture of the Czech news media in the wake of the Cold War. Existing research on transitions from statist to capitalist media models emphasizes political or economic variables, and so this analysis is distinguished by a focus on culture-specifically, the collective beliefs and attitudes among networks of journalists and political actors in a particular national context. This research incorporates a synthesis of existing literature as well as in-depth interviews with key informants (including journalists, scholars, and political strategists) in the Czech Republic during fieldwork in the fall of 2015. It attempts to explain how the pivot to a market-oriented media culture within the Czech Republic led to: the fortification of a nationalist identity, an abundance of journalism outlets, and ultimately a celebritization of the political culture within the Czech Republic. These outcomes are described and interpreted within the context of globalization and media change.