In the first days of a new administration, signals emerge that the government is discarding the pretence of democracy. Yet the same strategy of political influence seen during the campaign persists, casting doubt on claims of concern for media pluralism. The leadership frames public media reform as a move toward neutrality and order, but critics point to a pattern of subordination to political authority that mirrors earlier periods. Journalists in public broadcasting are facing unprecedented pressure, and concerns grow over how independent reporting would be safeguarded under the current direction. Critics note that the way public media personnel are treated signals a tightening grip rather than a commitment to balance and openness.
Public media journalists have been subjected to disdain at events, with verbal insults and public criticism recurring since the government took office. Since the swearing-in, access to state institutions and events covered by public media has been restricted. Journalists have been denied accreditation for trips to Brussels where critical policy discussions take place, and they have been excluded from major gatherings that normally showcase public media journalism. The measures are presented as steps toward restoring law and order, yet observers question the seriousness of this rationale and compare it to historical trends of control.
READ MORE: Bureaucratic hurdles and altered broadcasts sparked by accreditation refusals; public broadcasters respond by airing coverage of the prime minister’s events.
New media order?
A parliamentary draft resolution has circulated in the Sejm, calling for the rule of law to be restored and for the public media and the Polish Press Agency to operate with impartiality and reliability. The document, put forward by lawmakers from multiple parties, requests the Ministry of Finance to review ownership and governance structures of state media and to implement corrective measures. It also pledges to begin work toward restoring constitutional balance in state media operations.
The intent is to translate the resolution into immediate practical steps that reestablish neutrality in the public media ecosystem. The administration stresses that changes should be enacted promptly and without delay, even before the holiday season.
– The prime minister affirmed the urgency of these reforms, signaling that waiting for Christmas is not an option.
Force variant?
Debate is sharpening around possible hard-measure approaches to ensuring access to public media. The new prime minister appointed Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz as Minister of Culture with responsibility for media oversight, a figure associated with controversial security-era actions. Critics note that the minister and deputy minister Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus have had limited engagement with cultural policy so far, while the deputy’s past actions—such as provocative demonstrations—are cited in discussions about the direction of cultural influence.
Task workers at ministries
The new government has created task forces within key ministries to push its preferred policies, placing ministry control in the hands of individuals aligned with left-leaning reforms. Proponents argue this alignment brings it into line with broader European norms, while opponents fear a swift reshaping of social structures to fit a Brussels-driven political agenda.
Public sentiment about a revitalized, cooperative Poland has shifted. Critics argue the broader project resembles past plans to restructure media and public broadcasting to consolidate a single narrative. They warn that the stated aim of pluralism could be overshadowed by efforts to ensure message uniformity across stations. In this view, journalists who resist the new line may face pressure similar to that experienced by the current TVP Info framework.
Cited commentary and coverage continue to question how the media landscape will evolve, and what safeguards will be in place to maintain independent reporting under the new configuration. The ongoing debate centers on whether the changes will truly reflect neutrality or simply reproduce a controlled messaging environment.