Politics versus the media in Poland: A game without rules

Abstract

In Poland, substantial injections of foreign capital and ownership prerogatives have transformed the mass media from 1989 onwards, with French, Italian, Swiss, Norwegian, German and other involvement. This has affected both the range and style of both the printed and the broadcasting media. A struggle over ownership and control continued, however, notably over the control of the airwaves, particularly television. Ambivalent attitudes have delayed regulatory legislation, and the professional ethic of journalists in all media still owes much to the nineteenth‐century tradition. Professional associations have not effectively raised professional standards, and the public is perplexed at the use that is made of the media. As Poland's democratic system develops, owners of communications media face a number of dilemmas that need to be resolved.