Final Word from Friday, May 25, 2007
There have been few foreigners active in the CR with any name recognition among common Czechs. Some exceptions have been Ronald Lauder of CME, Karla Stephens of Oskar, Masatake "Kolín" Enomoto of TPCA, several foreign ambassadors, and Jack Stack of Česká spořitelna. One issue is the language barrier. Unless you're Angelina Jolie spending a month in Prague, average Czechs won't pay much attention to you unless you speak their language. Another is the ephemeral nature of the foreign experience. Foreign managers or diplomats spend a few years in Prague and then disappear, making it a poor investment for journalists. It'd be a pity if the same thing happened with Stack. As the "crazy American" able to get away with saying things Czech don't want to hear, he's helped bridge the gaps. He's leaving Prague, but we hope he'll find a reason to keep coming back.[Czech Republic Toyoto Peugeot TV Nova Central European Media Enterprises Vodafone]