Poland

Growth in ownership by state-backed companies reignites concerns that government is tightening its control over the country’s media.

Media pluralism is necessary for democracy to function effectively. But clampdowns and suspensions, repressive laws and the expulsion of foreign media have placed pluralism under threat globally.

Poland’s public broadcaster Telewizja Polska (TVP) continues to face heavy criticism following the 2020 presidential election while the country’s government looks to restrict foreign media ownership.

From political interference to funding cuts, many independent public media organisations are facing both new and ongoing threats. Here we reflect on some of these challenges, many of which have been amplified by the COVID-19 crisis.

From pro-government election and coronavirus coverage to hate speech, there are serious concerns that the government’s ongoing interference will extinguish hopes for independent public media in Poland.

A debate about media freedom and the role of public media has been sparked in Poland after a public radio station removed a chart-topping anti-government song from its website. 

The Public Media Alliance discuss the importance of public media as well as the threats that public broadcasting faces worldwide on ABC Radio National's 'Future Tense'.

As the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll, governments around the world are taking steps to curtail media freedom, just as the public need it most. Here we take a look at Central and Eastern Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Poland’s ruling Law and Justice Party has been voted in for a second term this week. Yet despite Poland being a representative democracy, the party’s strategy to “repolonise” and control the media is deeply undemocratic.

“Backslide”. This seems to be the word most used to describe what’s happening to public broadcasting and independent media in parts of central Europe.