Double Food Quality: Media Coverage in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Nowadays in the globalized and connected world the European markets are becoming more and more secular. However, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that the quality of some food products sold in the Central and Eastern European supermarkets is lower than the analogical food items sold in the Western European supermarkets. Numerous studies confirm that food quality, for example in Germany and Austria, is higher than in the Czech Republic and Hungary. Cross – border selling of two different products (in terms of a lower content of primary ingredients or cheaper substitutes) in the same branded packaging is known as a double food quality problem which belongs among the most contentious issues of the actual agenda of the European Union. Without challenging the above – mentioned proves this paper raises the question of the hypothesized politicization of the matter. This exploratory study sheds light on the issue from the political perspective. The paper suggests that the political factors than any others (like consumer preferences or a particular consumer behavior in the Czech Republic) played a crucial role in presenting the topic publicly. The connection between the interest in this subject and its timing with regards to the political cycle in the Czech Republic is demonstrated by means of the (quantitative) media content analysis. If the hypothesis of the suggested connection is confirmed, the media presentation of the matter expressed by the number articles published in the chosen, most read Czech magazines and newspapers tends to be higher towards the Election Day (October 20-21, 2017). The paper puts attempts to classify the relevant media outputs based on the principal participants and their approach towards the matter. This is a secondary objective of the paper.