Differing Media Coverage of Historic March

On June 4, 2023, Poland marked the 34th anniversary of its first partially free elections with a massive march organized by Donald Tusk, leader of the Civic Platform, against high prices, theft, and lies, advocating for free elections and a democratic European Poland. However, the media coverage of this historic event varied significantly between different broadcasters, raising questions about the role of state and independent media in democratic societies.

Polish television stations TVN24 and TVN, owned by the independent media company Warner Bros. Discovery, dominated the Polish television landscape on the day of the march. According to TVN Business, these stations recorded a combined market share of 23% among viewers. This statistic signifies that nearly one in four viewers was watching the march through these stations, underscoring the stations’ significant role in the Polish media landscape, particularly during major national events.

Contrastingly, Poland’s state broadcasting authority, TVP, has come under scrutiny for its seemingly inadequate coverage of the march. According to the AP, despite estimates by organizers that half a million people took part in the march, TVP reported the figure at no more than 150,000 and referred to the event as a “march of hate”. It is worth noting that, unlike TVN24 and TVN, TVP didn’t provide live coverage of the march. In the wake of the event, the National Broadcasting Council, controlled by the governing Law and Justice party, has received multiple complaints about TVP’s coverage.

TVN24 and TVN provided comprehensive coverage of the march from 11:40 to 15:55, with TVN24 emerging as the most-watched channel, achieving a 15.50% audience share in the general group, which includes viewers over 4 years old. This day marked one of the best days in terms of viewership in the history of TVN24.

In contrast, TVP Info and TVP3, which did not provide direct coverage of the march, had a 4.78% market share during the same period. Despite broadcasting a public matters program and a special news service edition about the march, Polsat News only managed a 3.00% share.

These divergent strategies in covering the event have highlighted a key issue in the country’s media landscape. Critics have claimed that the state media, particularly TVP, has served as a mouthpiece for the governing Law and Justice party. The party’s control of taxpayer-funded media was among the many issues people singled out while protesting at the march.

As the fall election draws near, observers are watching closely how the coverage of such events by state and independent media will shape public opinion and possibly the outcome of the election.