Polsat Plus boss Solorz calls for ‘objective and reliable’ news

Source: Alamy.com

Polish media tycoon Zygmunt Solorz, owner of the Polsat Plus group, has called on the country’s news broadcasters to recognize their “special responsibility” to deliver news “in an objective and reliable way”.

Referring in particular to the backdrop of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Solorz said that “the challenges resulting from the international situation require us – broadcasters of news channels – to present reality truthfully”.

“These challenges – which are being discussed more and more openly – may pose threats to Poland as a state and our society. Counteracting these threats is currently the most important issue that should be the subject of national consent. Therefore, the most important thing for Poland is to maintain social peace, limit internal divisions and not create new ones,” he said.

Solorz’s intervention comes as Poland remains wracked by political division following the country’s recent change of government.

New prime minister Donald Tusk has promised to restore balance to the country’s media and independence to public broadcaster TVP, with the broadcaster’s former management, seen as propagandists for the previous Law and Justice (PiS) party-led government, being sacked in December, with the TVP 24-hour news channel temporarily being taken off air.

PiS politicians subsequently broke through security and staged a sit-in at the TVP headquarters.

Solorz said that media pluralism and freedom of speech should not be used as a pretext for hate speech, inciting hostility or xenophobic and racist views.

“It is in everyone’s interest to reduce the level of emotion in public debate. Therefore, I appeal to all broadcasters, as well as to the management of Telewizja Polsat news stations, that for the good of our recipients and the entire society, reliability, objectivity, respect for other people, substantive debate and the search for what can help us as unite society, not just divide it. Different views are the essence of democracy and freedom, but we must take care of them so that they are not used for anti-state purposes and causing social unrest,” he said.

Polsat Plus was subject to criticism that it became too close to the PiS government during its tenure. Following the election, Polish observers noted a change of direction, with news chief Dorota Gawryluk, seen as a PiS supporter, being moved sideways to take charge of thematic channels.