On Wednesday, December 13, the government of Donald Tusk will be sworn in. One of the key challenges will be restoring high standards of media freedom in Poland.

 

The Osiatyński Archive, Rule of Law in Poland and OKO.press cordially invite you for an online debate „How to Restore Media Freedom in Poland” The discussion will be in English.

 

Join us on Wednesday, December 13 at 2:00-3:00 PM CET on Zoom. Please REGISTER.

 

Share this invitation with others who may be interested in the event.

 

Since 2015, Poland has dramatically declined in the rankings of media freedom. The PiS government used a subordinate state company to acquire regional media publishers, politicized media regulators, and transformed public media into party propaganda outlets. It also utilized public funds, including for advertising, for promotion, and created obstacles for independent private media while harassing publishers and journalists with Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.

 

With the new Polish government, there is a possibility of improving this situation. What legal instruments, including those at the EU level, can be used for this purpose? What are the political possibilities and limitations to heal the media while respecting the rule of law?

 

The series of talks is produced with the support of the Active Citizens Fund – National program, which is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway under the so-called Norwegian and EEA Funds.

Speakers:

Professor Maciej Bernatt

Associate Professor of Law at the University of Warsaw. Director of the Centre for Antitrust and Regulatory Studies and a head of the Department of European Economic Law, Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw. 

Dr. Dominika Bychawska-Siniarska

Senior Advisor at Central Europe Program of the Prague Civil Society Center. Lecturer at SWPS University in Warsaw. She specializes in media law and human rights law.

Dr. Małgorzata Kozak

Assistant Professor at Utrecht University, School of Law and and legal counsel in Gdańsk. She specializes in EU law and competition law.

Paulina Milewska

Media expert. PhD researcher at the European University Institute and is a Senior Expert at the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. She specializes in the issue of SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation).

Partners: