The enactment of Poland’s media law, which allows its government control over state broadcasters, has met with considerable journalistic opposition within the country.
Following last week’s signing of the bill into law by the Polish president, there have been protests at various centres.
On Saturday, for example, more than 2,000 people braved snow and sub-zero temperatures to hold a demonstration outside the Radio Kraków radio station.
Their banners criticised the legislation drawn up by the government, which is controlled by the ultra conservative law and justice party (PiS).
Under the new law, senior figures in public radio and television will be appointed, or dismissed, by the treasury minister rather than the national broadcasting council.
The Guardian’s Timothy Garton Ash argues that it is just one of the “pillars of Poland’s democracy” being destroyed by the PiS.
But Peter Preston pointed out in the Observer on Sunday that Britain’s government has been exercising powers over our public service broadcaster of late. Our treasury minister (George Osborne) “imposed sweeping BBC budget cuts” and one of his former advisers was named as chair of the BBC Trust.
