Jiří Ovčáček

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Jiří Ovčáček
Jiří Ovčáček in 2015
Personal details
Born (1979-01-13) 13 January 1979 (age 45)
Prague, Czechoslovakia
Alma materFaculty of Arts, Charles University

Jiří Ovčáček (born 13 January 1979) is a Czech journalist and news columnist. He previously worked as the spokesman for Miloš Zeman during Zeman's presidency.

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Ovčáček was born on 13 January 1979.[1] He studied at the Archbishop's High School in Prague, but dropped out at the age of 16 after dying his hair green in a protest against the school environment.[2] Ovčáček graduated from the Ecological Gymnasium.[3]

Early career[edit]

In February 2015, a user named GhostBuster on Echo24 [cs] that Ovčáček wrote 443 articles in two years between 2002 and 2004, during his tenure as an editor of Haló noviny, which reflected his fascination with communism.[4]

Government Office of the Czech Republic[edit]

Ovčáček worked in the press department of the Government Office of the Czech Republic during Jiří Paroubek's tenure as prime minister. Ovčáček served as the deputy director of the department and became Paroubek's press spokesman,[5][6] but was dismissed in 2007 after Paroubek lost trust in him.[7] In his book Plnou parou v politice (lit. 'Full steam in politics'), Paroubek accused Ovčáček of slandering him in the tabloid media.[8]

Other commentators criticised Ovčáček's journalism over his alleged bias, extending to expressions of personal revenge.[9] During the 2013 Czech presidential election, Deník Referendum editor Patrik Eichler accused Ovčáček of bias against Jiří Dienstbier Jr. as a ČSSD candidate.[10]

Spokesman for Miloš Zeman[edit]

Ovčáček was appointed press spokesman for Miloš Zeman in December 2013, [11] replacing Hana Burianová, who initially remained in the position of director of the press department of the presidential office.[12] In May 2014, Ovčáček replaced her in this position.[13]

In 2015, Ovčáček was involved in the "Hitler is a Gentleman" case,[14] in which he and Zeman made negative statements about Czechoslovak journalist Ferdinand Peroutka.[15]

Later career[edit]

When Petr Pavel took office as president of the Czech Republic in early 2023, Ovčáček resigned as presidential spokesperson and was replaced by Markéta Řeháková.[16] In April 2023, he started working as an editor and commentator for the social website Život v Česku.[17]

Criticism[edit]

Ovčáček has been the subject of criticism for his methods.[18] In September 2021, executive board member of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), Patrik Schober, stated that he would dismiss him. According to Schober, Ovčáček's average salary of 106,000 CZK in 2020 corresponded to the position of an experienced director of communications in the commercial sphere, while Ovčáček "lies, divides society and deliberately labels."[19]

Personal life[edit]

In 2018 he converted from the Czechoslovak Hussite Church to Roman Catholicism.[20] Ovčáček has been married to a Ukrainian woman since November 2022. The couple met when he took her in as a refugee from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[21]

On 16 December 2021, Ovčáček was taken to the detention station after he took a taxi costing CZK 350 to Dělnická Street in Holešovice, refused to pay, and fell asleep drunk.[22] Ovčáček later apologised for his behavior, citing "various dramatic circumstances surrounding the formation of the government" as the reason.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kopecký, Josef (23 August 2017). "Zeman nehodlá počítat peníze za výjezdy do kampaně. Úřad to vidí jinak". iDNES (in Czech). Prague: Mafra. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via Štěch announced the election, Ovčáček is happy on his birthday. I can add that I was pleased with the date, because 13 January 2018 is my 39th birthday.
  2. ^ Kubík, Jiří (5 May 2015). "Ovčáček připouští: Na práci v Haló novinách nejsem hrdý". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  3. ^ Orozovič, Petr. "Jiří Ovčáček I: Poprvé o soukromí a ne o Zemanovi". iDNES (in Czech). Prague: Mafra. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Pana Ovčáčka fascinoval komunismus. Máme důkazy". Echo24.cz (in Czech). 5 September 2016.
  5. ^ "Z Haló novin, Blesku a Práva na Hrad. Ovčáček je nový Zemanův mluvčí". iDNES (in Czech). 29 November 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Paroubek oznámil rozvod s ženou Zuzanou". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. 1 July 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Paroubek se musí omluvit Ovčáčkovi za "nechutného podrazáka"". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Proces Jiřího Paroubka s "novinářem" Ovčáčkem připomíná Kafkův román". Vaše Věc (in Czech). 21 January 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  9. ^ Potůček, Jan (16 July 2006). "Nezávislý novinář?". Reflex.cz (in Czech). Czech News Center. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  10. ^ Eichler, Patrik (18 February 2013). "Ovčáček sloužil čertu". Deník Referendum (in Czech). Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Nový tiskový mluvčí prezidenta republiky". Prague Castle (in Czech). 1 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Novým mluvčím prezidenta bude Jiří Ovčáček, Burianová zůstává". ČT24 (in Czech). Czech Television. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  13. ^ Lang, Václav (6 August 2014). "Zemanova bývalá mluvčí v tichosti přesídlila k Chládkovi". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  14. ^ Koubová, Karolína; Ševčíková, Šárka (6 May 2015). "Peroutka artikuloval protektorátní politiku, opakuje Jiří Ovčáček. Článek Hitler je gentleman hledá ve volném čase". Czech Radio (in Czech). Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  15. ^ Svačina, Pavel (29 April 2015). "Zeman: Článek jsem četl a musí se najít, i když to Ovčáčka stojí čas". iDNES (in Czech). Prague: Mafra. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Mynář rezignuje k 8. březnu, sdělila Vohralíková. Ovčáček zatím odchod řeší". ČT24 (in Czech). Czech Television. 1 March 2023.
  17. ^ Aust, Ondřej (13 April 2023). "Jiří Ovčáček začal psát pro Život v Česku". Médiář (in Czech). Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  18. ^ "Mluvčí Hradu cituje žalm z bible, k Zemanově hospitalizaci mlčí". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Prague: Mafra. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  19. ^ "Mlčení, mlžení a žalmy za 300 tisíc měsíčně. Kolik stojí Ovčáček s Mynářem". iDNES (in Czech). Prague: Mafra. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  20. ^ Wirnitzer, Jan (11 September 2018). "Ovčáček přestoupil z husitské církve ke katolíkům, obřad vedl Dukův tajemník". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  21. ^ Landsman, Dominik (8 November 2022). "Svobodné české ženy si rvou vlasy. Nadsamec Ovčáček se oženil, k oltáři ho dovezl Zeman". Reflex.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  22. ^ Trousilová, Alžběta (18 December 2021). "Ovčáček se omluvil za své chování v opilosti, chce kontakt na taxikáře". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Opilý Ovčáček skončil v doprovodu policie v nemocnici. Prosím o odpuštění, řekl". iDNES (in Czech). Prague: Mafra. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
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