On the third day of Visegrad Summer School, we kicked off with a thought-provoking lecture by Beata Balgová, Editor-in-Chief of SME. Making her debut at the Summer School, Balgová delved into the indispensable role of media in upholding democratic accountability and the mulitfaceted strategies autocrats employ to undermine this role. She highlighted the struggle to engage younger audiences with traditional media and emphasized the importance of investigative journalism, citing landmark investigations like Watergate and Panama Papers.