The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) have published the Media Capture Monitoring Report for Poland, the sixth in a series analyzing media capture across Europe. The study evaluates Poland’s adherence to the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which came into force in May 2024.
Poland’s media regulatory framework, established in the Constitution (1997) and the Broadcasting Act (1992), is designed to uphold independent media oversight. However, the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has been subject to significant political influence, particularly in its appointment processes, where political connections often take precedence over professional expertise.
Public service media (PSM), also regulated under the Broadcasting Act, are legally required to maintain impartiality and independence. Despite this mandate, persistent political interference and governance challenges have undermined those objectives.
Transparency in state advertising remains a concern, with funds favoring conservative media under past governments and vague promises of reform. Media ownership transparency and the lack of a methodology to assess media pluralism, as seen in PKN Orlen’s takeover of Polska Press, further emphasize the need for robust regulatory mechanisms.
These are just a few of the key findings from the report.
This Poland report is part of a broader series covering seven EU countries—Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. These reports serve as vital resources for media rights organizations, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to monitoring and fostering media freedom across the EU.
The study was written by Michał Głowacki, Associate Professor at the University of Warsaw.
The report is available here.
The project page can be accessed here.