Unveiling the Intrigue: Bohemia Interactive’s Disinformation Gambit in 2023

Image credited to Bohemia Interactive.

In the past ten years, it has become common among the region’s billionaires to acquire media outlets—with some recently opting to use that ownership as a means of influencing coverage. Thus, it’s not surprising that Bohemia Interactive’s CEO Marek Španěl and CFO Slavomír Pavlíček—two of the wealthiest individuals in the Czech Republic—would want to be part of this trend.

What is shocking is one of the publications they opted to acquire. In 2023, the duo, through their media enterprise Naše Média, purchased Parlamentní listy, a publication in the Czech Republic that has faced accusations for years of promoting extremist politicians, misinformation, and Russian propaganda.

Unlike other uncommon game industry-related acquisitions that Sport Developer has reported on in the past year, this was not a covert transaction. Španěl and Pavlíček already own Echo Media, which publishes the Czech outlet Echo24 and its weekly print edition. The news of the acquisition didn’t stay contained within the Czech Republic. For those unfamiliar with the dynamics of the Czech media landscape, the purchase of Parlamentní listy might seem like just another peculiar business maneuver.

According to a request for clarification from Sport Developer, Španěl explained that the purchase aligns with his and Pavlíček’s “broader media investment plan.” “We manage a diverse portfolio of over 40 firms, encompassing several major media outlets such as Echo24, Týdeník Echo, Hrot magazine, and Radio Prostor,” he stated. “Most of our operations are organized under the SPM holding company, but Parlamentní listy operates as a distinct entity.” He mentioned that both Echo24 and Parlamentní listy rank “among the top 10 online news platforms” in the Czech Republic.

Related:What happens when a secretive blockchain company acquires your game studio

So why incorporate this outlet into their portfolio? The reasons, it seems, are closely linked to allegations of misinformation regarding Parlamentní listy.

Španěl remarks that there has been a “distortion of public discussion” in the past decade

The allegations against Parlamentní listy seemingly played a role in Španěl and Pavlíček’s decision to include it in their holdings. Španěl shared with Sport Developer that the duo “recognized the growing distortion of public conversation during critical events such as the 2015 European migration crisis and the Covid-19 outbreak.”

“This compelled us to take accountability and assist ensure that independent voices challenging the dominant narrative are heard. We believe that freedom of expression is vital for a flourishing and thriving society and that discourse of various worldviews, ideas, and methodologies is exceedingly important.”

He added that he perceives contemporary “US/Western attitudes toward free speech and attempts to control thought and narratives to support [a] single ideology” as reminiscent of what the Czech Republic experienced under communism during the Cold War.

In a 2023 interview with Czech news outlet Seznam Zprávy (translated by Sport Developer via Google Translate), Španěl mentioned he was inspired to acquire the publication after criticism of Echo24’s print edition from an unnamed prominent journalist.

“He labels the weekly Echo pro-Russian, discusses the pro-Russian elite, and considers Parlamentní listy as pro-Russian filth,” Španěl remarked about the journalist when conversing with Seznam Zprávy. “And for me, this whole perspective is very unsettling. It alarms me when the proclaimed champions of supposed truth blatantly disseminate hatred.”

Španěl assured Sport Developer that the operation of Parlamentní listy would not disrupt daily life at Bohemia Interactive. “Our corporate structure is crafted for effective management across various enterprises. While Bohemia Interactive remains our foremost priority, we’ve created robust leadership teams within our portfolio companies.”

It should be noted that Bohemia has raised funds for charitable causes benefitting the International Committee of the Red Cross to assist individuals affected by Russia’s incursion in Ukraine, fundraising efforts that could potentially conflict with the editorial decisions of Parlamentní listy.

With two of the studio’s co-founders and current C-suite executives taking on a larger role in the Czech media and political realm, it is essential that the revenue generated through sales of the ARMA series,
DayZ, along with other games in Bohemia’s collection, enabled them to enact these types of actions.

Or it is exceedingly important when you delve into the articles published by Parlamentní listy and begin to understand the impact of purported disinformation on repeat.

Parlamentní listy publishes articles advocating numerous right-wing narratives and conspiracies

Criticism of Parlamentní listy’s editorial approach dates back to at least 2015, shortly after Russia unlawfully annexed Crimea in the lead-up to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It was around this period that the Russian government commenced a global propaganda campaign advancing its interests and inciting internal disputes among its international rivals. If critics such as those at Britské listy are to be believed, connections between Parlamentní listy and Russian business interests inspired the publishing of articles that promote Russia’s aims, including reports on the 2014 elections conducted in annexed Crimea after Russia’s invasion (these elections are not recognized as legitimate by members of the global community).

Since the entrance of Španěl and Pavlíček in 2023, Parlamentní listy has published articles referring to Ukrainians as “scum,“ and has published numerous articles accusing trans girls in sports of being men in disguise, pushed the false narrative that President Biden proclaimed Easter a “transgender holiday” (he acknowledged Global Transgender Day of Visibility, which occurs annually on March 31, coinciding with Easter in 2024) and frequently establishes tenuous links between European institutions and billionaire George Soros. The conspiracies surrounding Soros form a cornerstone of contemporary antisemitism within the far-right. There are conspiracy theories regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing reports about migrant crime, and anti-vaccination narratives.

In response to Sport Developer’s inquiries regarding these articles, Španěl issued the following statement: “Our stance on media ownership focuses on honoring editorial autonomy. Each outlet’s content and editorial choices rest with their respective editorial teams. We fundamentally oppose any efforts to suppress or categorize media outlets based on their viewpoints. The practice of erroneously labeling differing voices as ‘pro-Russian’ or ‘anti-science’ has emerged as a troubling method for silencing valid perspectives.”

“It’s uplifting to witness a shift in this matter now, as what seemed to be a U.S.-initiated censorship industrial complex extending globally is being dismantled.”

The publication seems to have a keen interest in endorsing the policies of President Trump. In a recent article regarding the chaotic conclusion of USAID operations this week (led by Department of Government Efficiency chief and billionaire Elon Musk, whose company Starlink was under investigation by USAID), Parlamentní listy minimized the organization’s purpose as a means for humanitarian assistance, stating that “the agency’s program objectives shifted from purely humanitarian support to political goals, leading it to withdraw from…Russia in 2012 and from Bolivia a year later.” It also endorsed the administration’s false assertion that the U.S. government “financed” the media outlet Politico for $8 million, portraying federal subscriptions to the publication as a government subsidy.

While not all of the aforementioned analyses are strictly pro-Russian narratives, they echo sentiments that align with the positions advanced by Russian global disinformation campaigns that appreciate the American media landscape Tenet Media, which was once believed to have been financed by RT staff members Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, who faced charges from the FBI for allegedly breaching the International Brokers Act.

Podcasters Tim Pool, Lauren Southern, and Dave Rubin have continually expressed similar views while receiving millions from Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva (all three have denied any awareness of Russia’s participation with the organization).

As of now, it’s not clear whether Španěl and Pavlíček support any of the viewpoints put forth by Parlamentní listy, but their association has stirred concerns among some in the Czech gaming development community. Czech gaming sales analyst Avi Duda remarked to Sport Developer that they “weren’t astonished” by the situation, pointing towards contributions made by Pavlíček to the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD), whose members are frequently portrayed favorably by Parlamentní listy. Španěl acknowledged these contributions in his interview with Seznam Zprávy, stating he personally backs Svobodní and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), both of which are veteran conservative parties leaning towards the center-right.

“They are clearly free to pursue whatever they wish and invest in any media, but purchasing this merely to signal that differing opinions are acceptable seems quite shortsighted,” Duda commented. “I don’t notice any difference in the content on the website now versus what was conveyed before they took ownership. It continually features the same controversial material filled with blatant falsehoods. They ought to know better.”

As The Czech Republic increasingly establishes itself as a significant participant in the global gaming development arena (Czech developer Warhorse Studios managed to sell 1,000,000 copies of Kingdom Come Deliverance II on its launch day), the role its leaders undertake in public life is gaining more and more significance. Their decision to support a publication criticized for its alleged pro-Russian viewpoint while Russia engages in both military and propaganda conflict against its adversaries prompts developers to question the nature of role Španěl and Pavlíček intend to play.

Currently, that role seems to be an expansion of the duo’s media holdings. “Parlamentní listy was neither our initial nor will it be our final media venture,” Španěl explained. “As the founders of Bohemia Interactive, both Slavomir Pavlicek and I are dedicated to fostering media freedom through strategic investments.”

“Our existing portfolio reflects our unwavering commitment to nurturing diverse voices in Czech media.”

Change 2/11: This article has been updated to include the accurate spelling of Marek Španěl’s full name. The previous spelling was a “declensed” version of his first name.