Loving and hating MFD

Attention-seekers have a love-hate relationship with MF Dnes. They need it, because it's the most influential print publication, with a claimed audience of 1.12m readers. Only the major TV stations can pack a stronger punch. But MFD is having to resort to all kinds of tricks to keep its readers interested and its profits intact. On Sat., it aired a tape of an off-the-record meeting between reporter Jaroslav Kmenta and ODS adviser Marek Dalík, provoking a mini political crisis. In Oct., it outraged Jewish leaders by reporting - wrongly, apparently - that a local synagogue was a terrorist target. MFD also seems to have promotional deals with such companies as Microsoft, PPF and Škoda Auto that cross the line between editorial and advertising. With its own sister TV station, Óčko, it no longer pretends that such a line exists. MFD often has its own agenda, and this engenders mistrust and hostility among those who aren't on its list of protected people. [Czech Republic television Mafra music TV journalism]