On 16 and 17 September, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners will conduct an international mission to assess ongoing reforms in the media and press freedom in Poland.
The current mission builds on the 2023 mission by the MFRR ahead of the parliamentary elections, which produced a sobering report highlighting the media’s economic struggle amid a polarised media landscape, loss of editorial independence by public service media, and frequent use of vexatious lawsuits by the public figures against critical journalists.
The 2024 mission will be led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom and co-led by the International Press Institute. The mission will also see the participation of other MFRR representatives: the European Federation of Journalists, Free Press Unlimited, and ARTICLE 19 Europe.
The 2024 mission will focus on reforms of the public service broadcasters, draft media legislation, editorial independence, economic sustainability, and media pluralism . It will also examine the government’s preparations to implement the European Union’s European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and Anti-SLAPP Directive, which addresses strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).
The MFRR’s interlocutors will include a broad group of media experts and journalists, relevant authorities, and legislators.
The findings and conclusions will be presented in a report assessing the pace of media reform in Poland and implementation of the EMFA, as well as measures countering SLAPPs. It will include a set of recommendations for decision-makers on upholding media freedom in line with European and international freedom of expression standards. The MFRR team will meet the media to discuss the findings on 17 September at 12 pm at the Pracownia Duży Pokój, 4/6 Warecka Street, 00-040 Warsaw.
For inquiries, please contact Olena Cherniavska, Advocacy Officer/ECPMF: at [email protected] or +4915164840621 & Katia Mierzejewska, Comms and Media Officer/ARTICLE 19 Europe, at [email protected]