More than 1,000 journalists in Poland have signed an open letter to oppose a controversial media bill in the largest ever initiative of the country’s journalistic community.
Reporters and the opposition say that the bill is an attempt by the ruling party, Law and Justice (PiS), to tighten its grip on critical media in a country that has, over the past six years, slipped from 18th place in a World Press Freedom Index compiled by the non-profit group Reporters Without Borders, to 64th, its lowest ever ranking.
The bill, passed by the lower chamber of parliament last week, would prevent non-EU companies from holding a controlling stake in Polish media. The government has claimed that the law “in no way limits media freedom” and is intended to prevent media outlets from being “bought by an entity from Russia, China, or an Arab country”. But in practice it targets one particular, popular news station that is often critical of the government: TVN.
