Skip to content
Magazine
Friday, August 1, 2025
SUBSCRIBE
  • About Us
  • Belgium News
    • Belgium Police News
    • Brussels News
  • EU Institutions News
    • European Commission News
    • European Parliament News
    • European Council News
  • Europe News
  • World News
  • Belgium Business News
  • Culture and Society News
  • In Depth
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • The American Angle
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Southeast Europe
  • About Us
  • Belgium News
    • Belgium Police News
    • Brussels News
  • EU Institutions News
    • European Commission News
    • European Parliament News
    • European Council News
  • Europe News
  • World News
  • Belgium Business News
  • Culture and Society News
  • In Depth
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • The American Angle
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Southeast Europe
SUBSCRIBE

Winds of Change in Polish Media Landscape as Tusk’s Government Takes Bold Steps

Kseniya Sabaleuskaya by Kseniya Sabaleuskaya
1 January 2024
in Opinion, Our pick
Waist-deep view of two businessmen standing in half-turn, arms folded, with megaphone and microphone instead of heads. Opinion leaders. Media influence public opinion. Media and people.

Waist-deep view of two businessmen standing in half-turn, arms folded, with megaphone and microphone instead of heads. Opinion leaders. Media influence public opinion. Media and people.

Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper), In a sweeping move aimed at revitalizing media freedom and breaking free from perceived government influence, Poland’s new Prime Minister Donald Tusk has initiated a major shake-up in the country’s state-owned media. Tusk, who assumed office recently, announced the dismissal of chairmen and boards of directors of state-owned television, radio, and news agencies, accusing them of one-sidedness and propagating government propaganda.

The reform, according to Tusk, is geared towards restoring freedom of speech and fostering the creation of new independent media entities in a country where concerns about media impartiality have been on the rise. However, the bold move has not been without its challenges, as some members of the Parliament, including the leader of the previous ruling party “Law and Justice,” Jarosław Kaczyński, and former Minister of Culture Piotr Gliński, have opted to boycott the ballot.

Poland, once ranked 18th in media freedom in 2015 by the international non-governmental organization “Reporters without Borders,” has witnessed a significant decline, now standing at the 57th place. This decline has been attributed to government actions that “seek to subordinate the judiciary” and the misuse of criminal defamation laws, affecting the freedom of expression in independent media, as pointed out by the organization.

Independent media outlets in Poland have faced challenges, with foreign ownership not necessarily translating into true independence. Among the 20 most-viewed TV channels, only four are foreign-owned, exclusively by the United States. Similarly, radio stations show a slightly better scenario, with seven out of 20 owned by foreign companies from the Czech Republic or Germany. Regional portals appear to be in a better position regarding media freedom, with three out of 10 most popular local portals being Polish, while the rest are either German or German-Swiss. However, the press in Poland remains a significant concern, with almost all political journals and newspapers being state-owned.

The severity of the issue prompted editors-in-chief of more than 40 independent newspapers in Poland to sign an open letter to the Law and Justice party in June 2023, vowing to resist any attempts to influence their editorial independence. The recent move by the new pro-European government to overhaul media leadership is a crucial step not only in reshaping the citizens’ perspective on state politics but also in restoring Poland’s international standing. For an extended period, Poland had been perceived as an untrustworthy state, and the lack of independent media only reinforced this perception. With this groundbreaking initiative, observers hope to witness positive changes in the country’s media landscape.

Related News:

  • Europe takes bold aim for the stars with ESA budget hike
  • Keeping Local Journalism Alive in a Hostile Media Landscape
  • Belgium’s Bold Move: Securing Government Communications
  • EU takes steps against UK on internal market bill
Tags: Brussels LatestNews
Next Post

In the Face of Chinese Pressure, What Will Taiwan's Election Outcome Be?

Latest post

EU-elections-UK

EU elections: UK looks on from the “outside”

1 year ago
Galeries-Royales-Saint-Hubert

What Makes Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert an “Institution”?

1 year ago

Most Read

    Follow Brussels Morning
    Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin

    Browse Important News

    Belgium News
    Brussels News
    Culture and Society News
    Economy News
    EU Institutions News
    European Commission News
    European Council News
    European Parliament News
    Europe News
    Health And Fitness News
    Southeast Europe News
    Sustainable Perspective
    World News
    Diplomacy News
    US Elections News

    About Us

    Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.

    More Info

    • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookies Policy

    Join Our Newsletter

    Brussels Morning Newspaper – All Rights Reserved © 2024

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Belgium News
      • Belgium Police News
      • Brussels News
    • Brussels Bubble
      • European Parliament News
      • European Commission News
      • European Council News
    • Wider Europe
      • Member States
    • World News
    • Business & Society
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Culture & Society
    • Policy Talks
      • Place de la Bourse
      • The Macro-Economist
      • Sustainable Perspective
      • Ambassador’s Corner
      • The American Angle
      • Southeast Europe
    • Print Magazine

    Brussels Morning Newspaper - All Rights Reserved © 2020

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT