Abstract
The opinion journalism of the inter-war period was circumscribed by important historical events: the foundation of the independent Czechoslovak state, the pre-war Munich agreement and the imposition of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. It was the time in Czechoslovakia when the daily press and cultural journalism arose, declined and took form for the future.
In the First Republic (1918-1938), parliamentary democracy was a partisan affair, and opinion journalism, especially as it appeared in the daily press, closely reflected the political orientations of the press outlets' owners. Even though political parties themselves could not officially own press outlets, it was generally known to which of them an outlet was inclined.
In that spirit the publication undertake exploration of the press of that time, which was full of passionate debates and strident polemics, some of which are surprising, others of which are notorious, and many of which are handed down to us with serious errors. The First Republic was a multinational state, on whose territory also lived Germans, Hungarians, Poles, and Ruthenes.
Therefore, the issue of nationality was very complicated, especially against a backdrop of gradually-strengthening fascist and Nazi movements. A wide range of notable newspapers and magazines were published in the Czechoslovakia of the time, which, along with the journalists who worked for them, are still today considered as the forebears influencing the contemporary journalistic scene.
Without knowledge of inter-war journalism, it is not possible to understand the following periods. The publication is also devoted to particular important fashions, which at the time filled the pages of newspapers and magazines.
It is based on a definition of opinion journalism as works expressing the viewpoints of their authors, their opinions, and their personal approaches to composition, style and to language itself. Publication gives an overview of the genres such as commentary, lead editorials, reporting, interview etc.
One of the most-read types of opinion journalism of the inter-war period was the fejeton or beseda [salon]. From the fejeton was born another popular genre-the sloupek, or column.
Another genre is the soudnička, which answered the public demand for crime reporting. Next part is focused on Czech cultural and literary opinion journalism in the inter-war period.
The spectrum of magazines then being published exhibited an unprecedented wealth of artistic ideas and cultural opinions. On the one hand were magazines behind which stood groups of authors lined up under avantgarde currents of thought (Devětsil, ReD, and in the beginning the Brno-based Host) or under extreme left-wing views (Avantgarda, Levá fronta,Proletkult, after 1928 Tvorba).
On the other hand were Christian magazines (Rozmach, and above all Akord and Řád). A diverse range of magazines belonging to publishing houses appeared.