Pro-government conspiracy theorist is appointed to 'protect' journalists

On June 10, Simona Zacharová, the Government Plenipotentiary for the Development of Civil Society, dismissed Zuzana Petková, director of the Nadácia Zastavme Korupciu (Stop Corruption Foundation), from her role as a member of the Platform for the Support of Press Freedom and the Protection of Journalists.

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The decision was made without explanation, and Zacharová simultaneously nominated Dominik Papala, a journalist from the controversial eReport website (which publishes "news" that is almost exclusively pro-government) and Frontinus radio (which has a long record of hosting neo-fascist politicians), despite his lack of experience in the civil sector. News of Papala's appointment has only recently emerged.

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Papala's controversies

Dominik Papala, who is a presenter at Radio Frontinus, has faced several controversies. The station, which broadcasts primarily in Žilina and the surrounding areas, is notorious for its problematic political interviews and has received multiple sanctions from the Media Services Council (RpMS). In just the past two years, the RpMS has issued six sanctions against the station, including a €5,000 fine for legal violations such as inciting hatred and failing to maintain objectivity.

A significant scandal emerged in 2016 when far-right politician Milan Mazurek (who is now an MEP) made inflammatory remarks about Roma and migrants, resulting in a €15,000 fine for the station. Papala has referred to Frontinus as "the only objective media" and has disparaged the RpMS.

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Ambassador of propaganda

Papala's controversial role extends to eReport, a website founded in 2020 by the late Fedor Flašík and now managed by his daughters. Flašík, who was known as much as a political operative and campaign manager as a media owner, supported the Smer and Hlas parties, and eReport maintains a similarly uncritical stance toward the current government. Papala often gets the first question at government press conferences.

In addition to its pro-government bias, eReport disseminates Covid-19 disinformation and pro-Kremlin narratives about Russia's war in Ukraine. As a result, it has been classified as a problematic site by the conspiracy theory-monitoring website Konšpirátori.sk, scoring 7.8 out of 10 for spreading false content. Concerns about its journalistic ethics have also been raised by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Ján Kuciak Investigative Centre (ICJK), set up in honour of the eponynous murdered Slovak investigative journalist.

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Papala is known for sharing photos of himself with government politicians and promoting extremist content, including conspiracy theories about Ivan Korčok's presidential candidacy and George Soros, as well as long-debunked claims about so-called "chemtrails".

Attacking those he should protect

Like many in Slovakia's disinformation scene, Papala frequently targets traditional media journalists. He faced criticism from Sme daily journalist Zuzana Kovačič Hanzelová and in return accused her of inciting hatred, claiming he required personal security for months. In contrast, he downplayed the vulgar and dehumanising attacks that Kovačič Hanzelová was subjected to by the disinformation media community.

He has also attacked Denník N journalist Monika Tódová on Telegram. Recently, as a member of the government platform, he expressed disappointment over public donations to Michal Kovačič’s new project, questioning why people could fund that but not treatments for sick children. He characterises himself as a "philanthropist".

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Papala sparks trust issues

The government platform is supposed to serve as a contact point for the Council of Europe’s campaign for journalists' safety, whose work the Stop Corruption Foundation has praised, especially for defending journalists after political attacks. However, both the foundation and ICJK have raised concerns about Papala’s competency for the position.

Papala later criticized RSF and the ICJK for their responses, claiming journalists are slow to react to significant issues. Many Platform members were unaware of the changes, with Karolína Farská from the ICJK learning about the personnel shift only informally, from the platform's chair, Željko Sampor.

Zacharová did not clarify her reasons for nominating Papala, stating only that he met all the necessary criteria for membership. Over the summer, the platform's members did not convene, and when RSF and the ICJK prepared a letter to Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová about Papala, they discovered that other members had not been informed about his controversial nomination.

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Papala defends his nomination by claiming that he does not need to be active in civil society according to the platform's statute. He asserts that no error occurred, declaring that "democracy has simply begun to function." The Culture Ministry supports this view – Minister Šimkovičová is also a leading light on the disinformation media scene, having fronted a leading conspiracy-theory channel on YouTube before her appointment – stating it respects the statute and sees no reason to question his nomination. However, Karolína Farská has emphasised that Papala's presence undermines the platform’s credibility, as it should be a safe space for journalists to share sensitive information.