In Poland’s annual report given by Reporters Without Borders, it begins by stating, “The year (2008) began with the threat of imprisonment for journalist Andrzej Marek for supposed libel in a 2001 article about corruption.” This reporter did end up getting out of his jail terms, but this did not mean change for the legal restraints on press freedom. The criminal law allows prison terms for journalist in article 212.2 of their constitution. In October of 2006 the government refused to repeal the article that penalizes “public humiliation” with up to two years in prison, according to Reporters Without Borders. They also stated, “The constitutional court said a person’s dignity and honour were more important than freedom of expression.”
Another reporter, from the Gazeta Wyborcza, Jacek Brzuszkiewicz received a six-month suspended prison sentence in July 2007 and was fined for libel for a series of articles criticizing a Lubin administrative court judge. The document stated, “The journalist said he hoped his disproportionate punishment would make people aware of the need to bring the country’s press law up to European standards.”
The change that came about with the new President (Lech Kacynski) becomes more obvious when comparing the rankings of Poland’s media freedom done by Reporters Without Borders annually. Between 2002 and 2004, Poland was ranked in the low 30’s, but in 2005 it jumped to 55, and then from 2006-2007 it went down into the 65th position. Since Kaczynski was elected in 2005, the pattern shows that his ruling has caused fewer medium freedoms.
Reporters Without Borders, “Poland-Annual Report 2008.” Available online at http://www.rsf.org/print.php3?id_article=25473. Accessed May 4, 2008.
By: Rachel Poloski
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2 comments:
wow Rachel! thats really interesting. for a western European country, its kind of weird to see such a decline in media freedom. hopefully the actions of the polish government will draw attention to the situation and can turn it around.
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