The Polish government’s control of the public broadcaster, Telewizja Polska (TVP), and its use of public funds to influence media organisations are distorting the political landscape ahead of the October 15 general election. Media freedom in Poland has declined significantly since the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party took power in 2015. TVP controls about a third of the Polish broadcast market, particularly in smaller towns and countryside that are crucial to PiS’s electoral fortunes. NGOs and media watchdogs warn that TVP is failing in its fundamental duty to provide fair and balanced political coverage between and during elections.
Poland came in 57th out of 180 countries in the annual press freedom index complied by Reporters Without Borders, an NGO. The government has multiplied its attempts to change the editorial line of private media and control information on sensitive subjects. The Polish National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) for the second quarter of 2023 provided monitoring figures showing that the governing coalition dominates TVP news, enjoying 80 percent of political coverage, with 73% dedicated to PiS. The remaining coverage is split among opposition parties and is „overwhelmingly negative.”
The government is also using the advertising budgets of ministries and state-controlled companies to punish and reward news organisations. Many private media are denied access to state advertising funds which PiS has weaponised to fund favourable media outlets and undermine independent journalism. The government-controlled refiner PKN-Orlen has also become a big media player, buying the Polska Press chain of local newspapers and web sites in 2021.
Media control pays political dividends for the ruling party, as evidenced by the ongoing cash-for-visas scheme that is turning into a major scandal for the government. In 2020, PiS-backed President Andrzej Duda won a narrow victory over opposition candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, but the biased coverage by TVP remains a serious concern.
As PiS tries to win an unprecedented third term in office, there are similar worries this time around. POLITICO’s Poll of Polls puts PiS at 38% support, while Civic Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, stands at 30%. If PiS hangs on to power after October 15, four more years of the current policy would accelerate media capture and push Poland down the path to emulating situations in Hungary, Turkey, or Russia.