Slovak Arts Fund Board Overrules Expert Panel, Awards Grants to Media Outlets Including Disinformation Sites

The board of Slovakia's Fund for the Support of the Arts overruled expert commission recommendations in more than half of media funding decisions, awarding grants to outlets accused of spreading disinformation while providing minimal or no support to established publications. The controversial allocations included 40,000 euros to an association operating Hlavný denník, 25,000 euros for "content expansion" at Hlavné správy, and 20,000 euros to a publisher suspected of conflicts of interest. In response to the board's decisions, established magazines Kapitál, Bublina, and 34 announced they would reject any funding offered to them. Commission member Šikulová criticized the board for "massacring" the expert panel's recommendations, highlighting tensions over state funding of media in Slovakia where concerns about press freedom and media independence have grown under the current government.