Parliamentary Culture and Media Committee Highlighted TASR's Impartiality
Bratislava, June 2 (TASR) – The News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR) in 2019 released a total of 272,452 multimedia products, of which 148,605 were text stories, 101,178 photographs, 6,613 video clips, and 16,056 sound recordings, according to a report on TASR’s activities in 2019 that was discussed by the parliamentary culture and media committee on Thursday.
Committee members praised the correctness of the news reporting as well as the irreplaceable role TASR plays in the regions.
“The agency’s total revenues reached €5,228,087 in 2019, up €113,263 y-o-y,” reads the report. “Total expenditure, without income tax, stood at €5,203,125, thus ending 2019 with a surplus of €8,481.11,” chairman of the TASR Administrative Board Peter Mesticky and general director of the public-service agency Vladimir Puchala reported at the meeting.
The TASR representatives emphasised the freedom and independence of the news service, which the agency brings on a daily basis, as well as the principles of impartiality and balance, which TASR follows in reflecting current events in Slovakia and abroad. “We bring information in Slovak, in English and in the language of the largest national minority, Hungarian. News, photographs, sound recordings and video clips were taken by all relevant media in Slovakia, TV and radio stations, websites, prints,” said Puchala.
Members of the parliamentary media committee praised the correctness and impartiality of TASR text stories. Milan Potocky (OLaNO) and Jana Valova (Smer-SD) also emphasised the importance of information from Slovakia’s regions. “TASR is often the only communication channel that makes events available in more remote regions, especially in eastern Slovakia,” pointed out Potocky, asking the TASR representatives not to downsize the network of regional correspondents, even in a difficult economic situation, which also affects the public-service agency.
The head of TASR stressed that the regions have always been and continue to be an important priority. “Despite the crisis, we won’t reduce the scope of our coverage in the regions,” emphasised Puchala. According to him, TASR’s ambition is, on the contrary, to strengthen the services of the public-service medium in the regions.
