Abstrakt
The chapter on political advertising in the Czech Republic (Jan Jirák & Shavit: The Role of Political Advertising in the Czech Republic) is examining the specific context of political campaigning which is an innovation in - newly formed - public sphere of the post-communist country. The political advertising was introduced to the Czech society after the socio-political changes which started in the fall of 1989.
Rapidly, political advertising has been dominated by methods of political marketing, as the first direct election of the president of the country revealed. However, the "traditional" channels of political advertising, especially transparent television advertising are not effective and became a part of a formal ritual of political communication.
There is a tendency of political actors to expand out of the framework of legally allowed space of political advertising. Some discussion of the potential synergic effects of legally guaranteed broadcast time and the news coverage of election campaigns took place.
The question of acceptance of hidden political advertising has been raised. The danger of manipulative interventions in media content by media owners who support candidates, chair political bodies or are candidates themselves has been discussed.