Slovakian public broadcaster, RTVS has run into a storm of criticism after it sacked a journalist and sanctioned several others who expressed doubts over using a story about the death of a 38-year-old teacher being linked to the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine.
The critics were later proved right when an autopsy revealed there had been no connection between the death and the vaccine.
It was also revealed that the story was based solely on statements by the victim’s father, and its main author was a close friend of the teacher, who manipulated the recordings of her statements made before her death to give the impression that she was suffering from multiple side-effects when, in fact, she was naming symptoms suffered by other people.
Despite this, the author continues to be employed in a senior position by the station.
The reporter who did lose her job, Elena Senková, said she was stunned when she was told on 30 April not to come back the next day because of her “professional misconduct”.
Ms Senková said she had never received a reprimand from her superiors during the six years she worked for the broadcaster.
“Criticism of the report was expressed by several people during the editorial conference but I was punished the most severely,” Ms Senková said.
“Other journalists have been punished in a more sophisticated way,” she said.
“Their possibilities of anchoring shows have been restricted without a credible explanation.”
Ms Senková said she was suing RTVS for unfair dismissal.
Her sacking and the other sanctions have been condemned by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) organisation.
Head of the RSF’s European Union and Balkans desk, Pavol Szalai called for an inquiry by the public broadcaster’s oversight body, the RTVS Council.
“RSF condemns an editorial system that favours private and political interests at the expense of editorial independence,” Mr Szalai said.
RTVS spokesperson, Andrea Pivarčiová declined to comment.
Bratislava 29 July 2021
