An analyst and former journalist serves on the Council of the Center for International Relations. In a column for a major Polish newspaper, the writer analyzes what the new government should do about public media. The argument centers on expanding financing sources and instituting institutional mechanisms to curb direct political influence over public outlets. The goal of reducing political sway is clear, though it may diverge from the vision currently held by the government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
We need to rebuild public media
From the start, the writer highlights the difficulty of attracting personnel who can advance the public interest without bending to pressures from organizations, programs, or leadership. Staffing is identified as a major hurdle in any reform effort for public media.
Nevertheless, the piece argues that public media must be rebuilt. It acknowledges the achievements of television networks, the independent press, and online platforms but insists that nothing beats a robust public broadcasting system designed to serve the national interest.
The author references the BBC as a standard, drawing on more than two decades of experience there. The piece explains what makes the BBC a model for a future public media landscape in Poland and outlines common mistakes observed among Polish journalists. A concrete five-step plan is offered, aimed at building truly public media that can endure time and public scrutiny.
According to the argument, public media should fulfill a necessary and desirable role in national cohesion. They should belong to all citizens, including those whose values and beliefs differ from the coalition in power, and they must present content that resonates with a broad audience without sowing division.
The piece emphasizes that public programming should reach people with diverse viewpoints without resorting to aggression. Pluralism is underscored as essential for expanding public debate and supporting a stable democratic system by reducing the appeal of xenophobic populism.
It is stressed as well that the idea of a single group ruling indefinitely must be pushed back against. The aim is to ensure a balance of power and prevent any faction from seizing control for a long period.
Whether the column will persuade opposition figures already prepared to challenge public media remains uncertain. Observers note that some personalities linked to political actors are reportedly positioning to lead the public broadcaster, a development not anticipated by the piece. In any case, the discussion about how to structure public media continues to unfold across the political spectrum.
The discussion is framed as a broader examination of the Civic Platform landscape, including leadership changes at the public broadcaster as reported by media outlets. (Citation)
Source: this discussion reflects insights from a prominent political commentary outlet and related regional analyses. (Citation)