Public Television in Poland: Political Pressure and Public Service Media in a Post-communist Country

This book examines the professional activity of public television journalists in Poland operating in the still unstable system of a post-communist state, to demonstrate how the media can work in the public interest to strengthen democracy.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with Telewizja Polska (TVP) journalists, the author shows how public television in Poland has become highly politicised and commercialised, and must defend against constant attacks on its autonomy. She draws parallels with the media systems in Hungary and the Czech Republic to analyse potential legal solutions and to highlight how Poland’s journalists are subject to influences from the political class as well as from the market - a situation brought about by flawed legislation, the absence of a political culture, an inefficient internal regulating process, and lack of suitable training for the journalists themselves.

Adding an important perspective on recently developed media systems, this book will be an important resource for scholars and students of journalism, media studies, media industries, politics and media history.

Agnieszka Węglińska is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Communication, the Faculty of Applied Studies at the University of Lower Silesia, Poland. Her research concentrates on public service media and transformation of media systems in Europe.