WARSAW (Reuters) – The editors of dozens of Polish media outlets published a joint declaration in defence of press freedom on Wednesday following complaints by critics of the country’s ruling nationalists that they are attempting to limit it ahead of elections this autumn.
Critics say the Law and Justice (PiS) party has made state-run media a propaganda outlet since it came to power in 2015, and independent publications and broadcasters say they have come under pressure from the government, an assertion it rejects.
“We declare that we will defend the independence of Polish journalism, and the editorial offices managed by us will jointly and consistently inform the public about any attempt by the authorities to influence the media,” the statement said.
The declaration came after two Polish news portals, Onet and Wp.pl, this month said that people connected with the government had tried to put pressure on them.
Onet’s editor-in-chief wrote that a person connected to the government had suggested to him that the website should appoint a deputy editor who would be responsible for making sure that the government’s point of view was represented.
The Wp.pl editor-in-chief wrote that when it started to publish investigations about PiS a state-owned company offered to buy it and the head of a state institution wrote to a member of the board saying which journalists it should hire and fire.
A Polish government spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. However, when asked on Monday about the Onet and Wp.pl reports, government spokesman Piotr Muller said they lacked concrete details.
“I am no longer surprised that some people make serious allegations without presenting further facts or circumstances,” he told private broadcaster RMF FM, itself a signatory to the declaration.
Concerns over media freedom have been raised many times in Poland, for example in the case of a law on foreign ownership which critics said was designed to silence Warner Bros Discovery-owned TVN24. The law was finally vetoed by the president.
(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Editing by William Maclean)
