Rude Awakening As Authoritarian Playbook Slips Away

Michael Hedges February 14, 2021 - Follow on Twitter

It was a ragged week for Poland’s independent media sphere. A rushed advertising revenue tax was the main event, seemingly intended to add pressure on larger publishers and broadcasters not subservient to political intentions. On Wednesday (February 10), newspapers and online news portals showed blank front pages, TV broadcasters offered black screens, radio stations went silent. More than 40 outlets offered simple messages: Media with no choice (Media bez wyboru) or This used to be your favorite program (Tu mial byc Twój ulubiony program).

The advertising revenue tax, when fully in effect later this year, is meant to be collected from all media outlets, state broadcasters exempted. Outdoor and cinema ads would also be taxed. Independent media outlets in Poland, like elsewhere during economic uncertainty, are particularly sensitive to revenue streams. And they are quite aware of efforts by the right-wing, nationalist, xenophobic Law and Justice (PiS) party to follow the authoritarian playbook denigrating, even eliminating, independent media.

Under the proposed law, media outlets would be taxed on a sliding scale from 2% to 15% of revenue, depending on “the size of the company,” said government spokesperson Piotr Muller to state TV channel TVP (February 10). He referred to proposed measure as a “solidarity tax” to fund health measures and cultural assets during the coronavirus pandemic. He added “other EU countries” have already implemented such a tax, without identifying any.

A week earlier (February 5) media freedom tracker Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) with other press freedom advocates released a damning report on the current state of free media in Poland: Democracy Declining - Erosion of Media Freedom in Poland. The report details PiS efforts “intended to concentrate more media under (its) control.” As illustration of government “repolanization” of media in the country the report noted the December acquisition by state-owned gasoline distributor PKN Orlen of the Polska Press regional newspaper titles from German publisher Verlagsgruppe Passau. Interestingly, several of the former Polska Press titles participated in last weeks blank page protests, reported Deutsche Welle (February 11).

The report also notes that PiS has not been successful in passing legislation to “repolanize” or “deconcentrate” the country’s media to its liking. This is not for a lack of trying. Several targeted independent media outlets are wholly or substantially owned by companies domiciled in the European Union (EU), notably Germany. A diplomatic row with the EU over media freedom would be very uncomfortable for the PiS.

“Repolanization,” said the report, is nothing more than “a media hijacking system, tested first in Hungary and exported from there.” It added, “initial attempts to copy the Hungarian system of invading pro-government oligarchs and buying up independent titles have largely failed.” It also points out that the timing of the advertising tax is more an a coincidence. After the US election defeat of Donald Trump, seen by the PiS as political fellow-traveler, and before newly elected president Joe Biden, seen as less enthusiastic about authoritarian regimes, names a new ambassador to Poland, there is “a convenient moment to pass legislation without fear that the actions would be put under diplomatic pressure.”

Noting the “deplatforming” of Donald Trump for inciting violence by social media platforms Poland’s Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro announced a "freedom of speech protection" bill that would impose stiff fines on social media platforms for deleting social media posts or blocking certain users, reported the BBC (January 15). In its 2020 Global Press Freedom Index report, Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) noted "partisan discourse and hate speech are still the rule within (Poland's) state-owned media, which have been transformed into government propaganda mouthpieces.”

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• Hot Topics - Media in Poland

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