Recently, I came across McChesney’s book: “Rich media, poor democracy: Communication politics in dubious times”. It inspired me to write this post since I believe that the Polish community has a great understanding of McChesney’s words. Poland, as a nation, is highly aware of what he was worried about – about who’s delivering the news.
Media being non-political and independent is a crucial part of democracy. Polish media is (or was?) very politically influenced which has a big impact on media delivery.
In recent years, TVP’s main evening news broadcasts, and TVP Info, became a propaganda machine for the PiS government, and the new coalition, led by pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk, had promised voters to turn state media into a platform for “reliable information”.
~ BBC
McChesney in his book highlights that how media functions in nations should be a much bigger topic. It is worth our attention as it affects the opinions of many people and
“plays (…) a central role in (…) having an informed and participating citizenry”.
He highlights how “a media system should serve the entire population and promote democratic rules”. Does Polish media follow this thinking? Let’s find out.
The media in Poland today is mainly shaped by capitalist principles. But this hasn’t always been the case in Poland’s media landscape. The majority of the media was under state control throughout the socialist period, which ended in 1989. Private media enterprises grew as a result of Poland’s shift to a free-market economy following the fall of communism.
Despite this shift, the influence of the past socialist system could still be seen in the media landscape even resulting in acts that might be considered as propaganda (highly politically motivated and driven) up until recently.
TVP is a public broadcasting channel (government-controlled) that is known for its strictly political influence and drive. TVP media accounts for about one-third of the broadcasting market in Poland. Ultimately, despite a variety of channels to choose from – TVP remains one of the biggest and most influential, channels in Poland.
In 2021, TVP provided almost 100% negative coverage of former opposition (during PiS’s governance) leader. Headlines such as “Tusk in the club of Putin’s friends”, casually headlined Wiadomości (TVP’s main news programme) the day after Tusk’s return. Moreover, The National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT), whose members are controlled by PiS allies, has used its licensing powers to intimidate different broadcasters such as TVN.
Major reforms have been implemented in several industries after the 2023 election (a change in the ruling party). In the past, Poland was moving towards a similar direction to that of Russia or Hungary where political forces are gaining more control over the media and endangering democratic norms. However, Poland’s current Prime Minister, Donald Tusk (yes, the one getting hate on TVP), has made protecting media independence and making changes a top priority in order to guarantee more freedom and transparency in Poland’s media environment.
Therefore, Poland experienced some changes and its media space is a better place for everyone now. Previous acts, however, were in line with McChesney’s idea, which emphasises how media that is excessively influenced by economic and political factors can sabotage informed discourse and public benefit by serving specific agendas rather than encouraging diverse, democratic conversation.
Younger generations who rely more on the internet and social media platforms for news have access to a broader range of viewpoints and global events. However, for many older people, TVP and even TVN present (or used to) a narrow, politically charged view of the world, focused heavily on national political disputes. This limits the potential for diverse, informative news coverage.
In Poland, the media landscape prevented people from engaging with global issues and understanding the full scope of what is happening in the world. The focus on political ‘news’ at the expense of other important topics further perpetuates a narrow, one-sided perspective.
Have you heard of this controversy before? Let me know in the comments if You’d like me to elaborate on the topic of Polish broadcasting scene.