[2] However, the ‘Velvet Revolution’ in 1989 sparked a shift to democracy, where public discourse was freed from state control, signalling the end of censorship restrictions in the Czech Republic.
[4] During this time, Czech civilians experienced Nazi indoctrination exercised through mass media, where messages distributed reinforced obedience to the ‘Fuhrer’.
[5] Censorship was institutionalised in 1938, where the Nazi occupation of the Czech Republic meant that the army and the Gestapo assumed authority to censor all media.
[8] The foreign minister of Germany (Konstantin von Neurath) espoused that anyone intentionally distributing news that did not align with Nazi ideologies would be imprisoned or killed.
[12] The communist government produced lists of libri prohibiti and composers faced harsh penalties for not complying with censorship standards, such as imprisonment.
Adhering to a Nazi perspective, the role of women was to become mothers, sexual ethical issues surrounding contraception and birth control methods were censored.
[15] Authors that published works that explored such topics were listed as “parasites of the people” because they subverted Nazi ideologies and culminated opposition.
[17] In the Czech Republic, music broadcast on radio programmes consisted mainly of opera, as Nazi officials promoted a return to conservatism.
[20] Theatre drama reflected and reinforced Nazi doctrines, the idea of individual sacrifice for the betterment of society and obedience to the Fuhrer were common themes embedded in plays.
[25] Media practitioners, such as journalists or film producers, protected themselves from potential penalisation by projecting the communist lifestyle in a positive light, creating an “atmosphere of silent pressure…”.
[25] However, journalists whose works were deemed ambiguous or containing an underlying satirical tone, in regards to communist governments and their regulations, resulted in unemployment and possible imprisonment.
[31] To suppress the influence of Americanisation, the CPC banned the smuggling and distribution of ‘bone music’, which was gramophone recordings made from X-ray films.
[33] The Prague Spring resulted in the formation of ‘The Plastic People of the Universe’, a band that was an emblem of anti-communist values and Czech's underground culture.
[34] The Plastic People of the Universe rejected communist ideologies through music, where Pareles stated that fans “...endured police beatings and other reprisals just to hear what the band had to say”.
[36] America utilised their superiority in the film industry and cinematic achievements as an advantage to influence the public opinion of Soviet civilians.
[37] Communist authorities could not escape or suppress the influence of Americanisation which seeped through and penetrated the film industry, where almost 60% of movies showcased in the Czech Republic were foreign origin.
[42] This police attack evoked mass opposition, where the coalition Civic Forum unified civilians, bringing 75% of the population in a general strike followed by street demonstrations.
[43] This new pressure to eradicate communism in the Czech Republic prompted the abolishment of censorship restrictions, meaning that public discourse was free from political control.
Vliv médií na české politické stranictví, mediální tvorba limitů veřejné oponentury a kontroly výkonu moci v ČR v 90. letech 20. století.