Immediately after the current ruling coalition took power, a massive campaign was launched against TV Republika, which was gaining increasing popularity for exposing inconvenient facts about the authorities. This included an advertising boycott aimed at depriving the station of financial resources. Recently, a similar method was applied to Wirtualna Polska.
It is worth recalling that reporters from TV Republika were denied entry to government press conferences, and attempts were made first to block and later to revoke the station’s broadcasting license.
Economic Censorship Against TV Republika
Jerzy Owsiak, head of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP), announced in January this year that his foundation would not collaborate with companies advertising on TV Republika. “I declare that if any company wants to work with us and at the same time advertises on that television station, they must choose. We will not work with you if you advertise on TV Republika, which is anti-oncology, anti-hematology, and at times anti-human,” said Owsiak.
The head of TV Republika, Tomasz Sakiewicz, later announced that he had filed a lawsuit against Owsiak for his alleged false statements.
In February of this year, a report by the conservative think tank Hudson Institute on the state of democracy in Poland provided a detailed account of what it described as the unlawful takeover of public media in December 2023 by Tusk’s coalition. The report also highlighted attacks on conservative media, including TV Republika.
Additionally, the report recalled statements made by Krzysztof Gawkowski, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs, who suggested that TV Republika’s broadcasting license should be revoked.
A similar issue was recently discussed on TV Republika by Rafał Brzoska, the founder of InPost.
“It’s hard for me not to give a simple example. When we started our business in the UK over ten years ago—when many Poles were going there to work under difficult conditions—we also experienced a boycott. The moment it became clear that a Polish company was trying to compete with local players, including the British postal service, we faced issues very similar to what you’re talking about. I am very sensitive to this matter. I believe that boycotting any side—whether in the media or business—is a very short-term approach,”
said Brzoska.
“In the case of television, the viewers; in the case of my services, the consumers—at the end of the day, they see what is good. My mother always told me: at the end of the day, you must be decent. You must look in the mirror and ask yourself: Am I a decent person? Am I harming anyone? Am I doing good?”
he added.
“Fueling a spiral of hatred and boycotting anyone is something we should always avoid. Because in the end, the wisdom of viewers and consumers will prevail.”
“Authoritarian State Standards”
Recently, an attempt at censorship was also made against Wirtualna Polska after it published an article on the connections between Szymon Gawryszczak, Vice President of the state-owned Totalizator Sportowy, and Robert Kropiwnicki, Deputy Minister of State Assets. A key issue in the report was Gawryszczak’s alleged ties to “Sok z Buraka,” a controversial Facebook page with over a million followers known for its aggressive political content.
Paweł Kapusta, editor-in-chief of Wirtualna Polska, reported on X that Totalizator Sportowy, through its agencies, had withdrawn advertising budgets from WP. Later, Totalizator insisted that it continued working with WP. Kapusta pointed out that after his newsroom sent questions about the issue, they received messages suggesting that cooperation might be severed.
“The problem is that these kinds of practices have become the norm in Poland—regardless of who is in power at the moment. Let’s call it what it is: economic censorship, the standards of an authoritarian state,”
Kapusta wrote.