Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10BRATISLAVA35
2010-01-28 15:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:
NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS...ONE JOURNALIST'S STORY
how-toVZCZCXRO0505 RR RUEHIK DE RUEHSL #0035/01 0281538 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 281538Z JAN 10 FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0379 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0439
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000035
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/CE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO KDEM OIIP LO
SUBJECT: NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS...ONE JOURNALIST'S STORY
REF: A. 09 BRATISLAVA 176
B. 09 BRATISLAVA 320
C. 09 BRATISLAVA 460
BRATISLAVA 00000035 001.3 OF 002
SUMMARY
(U) The story of Martina Kubaniova is but one of many in
Slovakia. It is illustrative of the attitude of much of the
governing Slovak political elite towards the media and exposes
the truth about the lack of editorial integrity at Slovak
National Television (STV). Martina Kubaniova is no longer
working as a journalist because one of her stories had negative
political repercussions for friends of STV's director, Stefan
Niznansky. Sadly, she does not feel that there is any
organization be it legal, activist, or union that can help her
with her plight...and we agree.
THE JOURNALIST
2. (U) Kubaniova's story starts as a feel-good post-communist
small-town success that warms the Western democratic heart. She
grew up in Kysuce, a small town near the Czech/Slovak/Polish
tri-border, and after a stint in nursing climbed the media rungs
from regional television to cable television to national
television. The pinnacle was a one year contract with the
premier investigative program at STV, "Reporteri." "I just
wanted to expose the facts," she told EmbOff.
THE STORY
3. (U) Last October at a dinner party, Kubaniova heard rumors
of shady practices related to a contract that the Ministry of
Labor gave to the Arvik company in the town of Bardejov. The
labor ministry has a "social enterprise" program through which
local governments use ministry funds to contract public works or
undertake employment training programs. In practice, contacts
tell us these companies have long been yet another mechanism
through which political cronies feed at the public trough. The
contracting companies typically have a close association with
local or national politicians, and their selection process is
typically opaque, a charge that the EC has investigated and, in
a preliminary report, confirmed. Contract performance has often
been characterized by phantom employees and trainees, services
never delivered, excessive charges for subcontracts, and so on.
Kubaniova received the go-ahead from her editor, Otto Nitman, to
pursue the story and away she went.
THE CENSOR
4. (U) Nitman, by all accounts an amiable fellow, is over his
head in his current position as senior editor at STV. Coming
from a publishing background, he can dot his i's and cross his
t's but has no practical television experience, journalists
report. What he does have is a close personal relationship with
STV Director Niznansky and a reputation for obedience.
Kubaniova pursued the story and had it through the cutting room
and into "control projection" two days before broadcast when the
"Reporterii" producer, Katarina Zackova, went through final
edits with the production manager and journalist. Nitman had
never previously attended one of these sessions but had phoned
Zackova earlier that day to say he wanted to see this episode
because "someone had called, and gotten the boss's (Niznansky)
attention." Not only did Nitman show up, but Niznansky and his
chief of staff (SNS party member Lukas Machala) not long after
were in the control room as well.
5. (U) Niznansky bombarded Kubaniova with questions such as
"where did you get this tip?" and "who have you discussed this
story with?" Kubaniova and Niznansky had an unpleasant exchange
in which she would not reveal her sources and Niznansky stormed
out of the room. Kubaniova later received a phone call from
Nitman telling her the story would not be broadcast because
Director Niznansky did "not find it comprehensible." Shortly
thereafter Kubaniova received a disciplinary notice for
insubordination (under the Slovak labor code, two notices and an
employer can dismiss you). She in turn sent a complaint to the
STV council, the governing body of appointed officials with
oversight over the public broadcaster. At a hearing of the
council Director Niznansky did not bother to appear but instead
sent only a letter of explanation which claimed the story could
not be aired because the authors had submitted it too late for
inclusion. The council evaluated Niznansky's grounds for
halting the broadcast as inadequate and ordered STV to broadcast
the story in full, which they did, two weeks ago. Kubaniova
never received a response to her separate appeal of the
disciplinary notice.
THE END
6. (U) Kubaniova's contract expired in mid-January and was
not renewed. She said she was surprised because Nitman had just
asked her to start work on a new story and she had first hand
BRATISLAVA 00000035 002.3 OF 002
information that Nitman recommended to the Director that her
contract be extended. Two new journalists have been added to
the "Reporteri" team since her departure. The STV spokesman
told media that plans were to have the show be more "civic
minded" which required new blood. On her last day in the office
Niznansky's secretary hand delivered flowers to her from the
director with a note reading "best of luck in your future
endeavors"...or for those of you who don't speak Slovak, "cross
the director and you pack your bags."
EDDINS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/CE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO KDEM OIIP LO
SUBJECT: NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS...ONE JOURNALIST'S STORY
REF: A. 09 BRATISLAVA 176
B. 09 BRATISLAVA 320
C. 09 BRATISLAVA 460
BRATISLAVA 00000035 001.3 OF 002
SUMMARY
(U) The story of Martina Kubaniova is but one of many in
Slovakia. It is illustrative of the attitude of much of the
governing Slovak political elite towards the media and exposes
the truth about the lack of editorial integrity at Slovak
National Television (STV). Martina Kubaniova is no longer
working as a journalist because one of her stories had negative
political repercussions for friends of STV's director, Stefan
Niznansky. Sadly, she does not feel that there is any
organization be it legal, activist, or union that can help her
with her plight...and we agree.
THE JOURNALIST
2. (U) Kubaniova's story starts as a feel-good post-communist
small-town success that warms the Western democratic heart. She
grew up in Kysuce, a small town near the Czech/Slovak/Polish
tri-border, and after a stint in nursing climbed the media rungs
from regional television to cable television to national
television. The pinnacle was a one year contract with the
premier investigative program at STV, "Reporteri." "I just
wanted to expose the facts," she told EmbOff.
THE STORY
3. (U) Last October at a dinner party, Kubaniova heard rumors
of shady practices related to a contract that the Ministry of
Labor gave to the Arvik company in the town of Bardejov. The
labor ministry has a "social enterprise" program through which
local governments use ministry funds to contract public works or
undertake employment training programs. In practice, contacts
tell us these companies have long been yet another mechanism
through which political cronies feed at the public trough. The
contracting companies typically have a close association with
local or national politicians, and their selection process is
typically opaque, a charge that the EC has investigated and, in
a preliminary report, confirmed. Contract performance has often
been characterized by phantom employees and trainees, services
never delivered, excessive charges for subcontracts, and so on.
Kubaniova received the go-ahead from her editor, Otto Nitman, to
pursue the story and away she went.
THE CENSOR
4. (U) Nitman, by all accounts an amiable fellow, is over his
head in his current position as senior editor at STV. Coming
from a publishing background, he can dot his i's and cross his
t's but has no practical television experience, journalists
report. What he does have is a close personal relationship with
STV Director Niznansky and a reputation for obedience.
Kubaniova pursued the story and had it through the cutting room
and into "control projection" two days before broadcast when the
"Reporterii" producer, Katarina Zackova, went through final
edits with the production manager and journalist. Nitman had
never previously attended one of these sessions but had phoned
Zackova earlier that day to say he wanted to see this episode
because "someone had called, and gotten the boss's (Niznansky)
attention." Not only did Nitman show up, but Niznansky and his
chief of staff (SNS party member Lukas Machala) not long after
were in the control room as well.
5. (U) Niznansky bombarded Kubaniova with questions such as
"where did you get this tip?" and "who have you discussed this
story with?" Kubaniova and Niznansky had an unpleasant exchange
in which she would not reveal her sources and Niznansky stormed
out of the room. Kubaniova later received a phone call from
Nitman telling her the story would not be broadcast because
Director Niznansky did "not find it comprehensible." Shortly
thereafter Kubaniova received a disciplinary notice for
insubordination (under the Slovak labor code, two notices and an
employer can dismiss you). She in turn sent a complaint to the
STV council, the governing body of appointed officials with
oversight over the public broadcaster. At a hearing of the
council Director Niznansky did not bother to appear but instead
sent only a letter of explanation which claimed the story could
not be aired because the authors had submitted it too late for
inclusion. The council evaluated Niznansky's grounds for
halting the broadcast as inadequate and ordered STV to broadcast
the story in full, which they did, two weeks ago. Kubaniova
never received a response to her separate appeal of the
disciplinary notice.
THE END
6. (U) Kubaniova's contract expired in mid-January and was
not renewed. She said she was surprised because Nitman had just
asked her to start work on a new story and she had first hand
BRATISLAVA 00000035 002.3 OF 002
information that Nitman recommended to the Director that her
contract be extended. Two new journalists have been added to
the "Reporteri" team since her departure. The STV spokesman
told media that plans were to have the show be more "civic
minded" which required new blood. On her last day in the office
Niznansky's secretary hand delivered flowers to her from the
director with a note reading "best of luck in your future
endeavors"...or for those of you who don't speak Slovak, "cross
the director and you pack your bags."
EDDINS