Qult Magazine Debate: Queer Experience in Czech Media

What is it like to be an LGBTQ+ person in an environment that itself shapes public debate? Are Czech newsrooms open and safe spaces, or do invisible barriers and stereotypes still operate within them, affecting queer journalists more than others? Is there room for authenticity, or does the feeling still prevail that it's better not to emphasize a queer identity too much?

The debate will connect personal experiences of media professionals with topics of representation, coming out in the workplace, and both conscious and unconscious (self-)censorship. We'll look for answers to the question of whether queer experience in media can be an advantage, an obstacle, or both at once. We'll also discuss why the Czech media landscape still lacks greater diversity in authorship, perspectives, and topics.

Speakers Aleš Cibulka – host, Český rozhlas Dvojka (IG: @alescibulkaofficial) Filip Harzer – foreign desk reporter at Seznam Zprávy (IG: @filipcz) Bára Šichanová – editor-in-chief of Radio Wave (IG: @barasichanova) Erik Bartoš – editor-in-chief of queer magazine Qult (IG: @erik_brts)

Moderated by Magdaléna Daňková – editor at queer magazine Qult

Admission – free

Accessibility – suitable for teens

Vibe check – quiet event (no loud music, shouting, etc.), seating available, indoor venue