From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the media have been accused of creating a false image of the situation and fuelling the negative mood in our society. The word “media” has been used to paint all with the same brush, the criticism is aimed at everyone, and the guilt is collective, writes Libuše Šmuclerová. Libuše Šmuclerová is the chair of the board of directors of Czech News Center and a member of the board of directors of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN IFRA) and Czech Publishers Association. But what is actually happening in the world of media? The fact that social networks and worldwide search engines have come into play is common knowledge. However, the way in which this fact has changed the entire system of distribution and consumption of news is less well known.