Freedom of the Press - Poland (2002)
| Publisher | Freedom House |
| Publication Date | 22 April 2002 |
| Cite as | Freedom House, Freedom of the Press - Poland (2002), 22 April 2002, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4734507b2.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Status: Free
Legal Environment: 6
Political Influences: 6
Economic Pressures: 6
Total Score: 18
Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 73
Religious Groups: n/a
Ethnic Groups: Polish (98 percent), German (1 percent), Ukrainian and Belarusian (1 percent)
Capital: Warsaw
Although the constitution guarantees press freedom and forbids censorship, the country's libel law treats slander as a criminal offense. Journalists, in particular, oppose the growing number of related lawsuits. Poland's growing print and electronic media are independent and diverse. Media empires control large sections of Polish journalism. The founders of the daily Gazeta Wyborcza, for example, control 14 local radio stations, printing presses, and broad interests in the Internet. Poland has 50 daily newspapers, many of whose majority shareholders are foreign concerns. The National Radio and Television Broadcasting Council (KRRiTV), the broadcast regulator, has granted 200 licenses for commercial radio stations and 32 licenses for television stations, including satellite television.