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Battle for Press Freedom with Pavol Szalai

What does defending press freedom look like in a Europe where truth itself is under siege?

In this episode, we sit down with Pavol Szalai, Director of the Prague Bureau at Reporters Without Borders (RSF – Reporters sans frontières) and former Head of the EU–Balkans Desk at Reporters Without Borders (RSF) — the global watchdog protecting journalism and those who practice it. From the Balkans to Brussels, Pavol unpacks the state of media freedom across Europe, the growing threats of disinformation and political pressure, and how RSF’s advocacy is shaping new safeguards for trustworthy journalism.

We explore the making of the European Media Freedom Act, the fight against SLAPPs, and the fragile balance between security and transparency in times of crisis. Pavol also reflects on what resilience means for journalists today — and whether European institutions will rise to match the courage of those who refuse to be silenced.

🎙️ Produced by Georgios Karagiorgos for European Youth Press and Pulse-Z

What Is Vox Civica?

Vox Civica-Where Democracy has a Voice is a podcast about how democracy is lived, tested, and reinvented in the modern world. It brings listeners inside the conversations and conflicts that define civic life today — from the streets where protests begin to the institutions where policies take shape. Each episode features voices from across journalism, activism, academia, and digital-rights movements, exploring how people confront power, defend freedoms, and adapt democratic values to an age of surveillance, misinformation, and rapid technological change. In short, it’s a space where critical thinking meets civic imagination — tracing the struggles, ideas, and collaborations that keep democracy alive in the 21st century.

About the guest:

Pavol Szalai is the Director of the Prague Bureau at Reporters Without Borders (RSF – Reporters sans frontières), the global watchdog defending press freedom worldwide. Based in Prague, he leads RSF’s work across the European Union and the Balkans, coordinating a network of 30 correspondents and advocating for journalist safety, media sustainability, and democratic accountability.

Before this role, Pavol served as RSF’s Head of the EU–Balkans Desk in Paris and previously worked as a journalist and analyst with EURACTIV and Contexte, as well as at the Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

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