Tomasz Sakiewicz, the editor-in-chief of Telewizja Republika, vehemently confronted authorities today, accusing them of escalating their campaign against the media. “Your intimidation tactics won’t work. The current uproar proves its ineffectiveness. You’ll lose control faster, and that will be the sole outcome of your aggressive strategies against the media. I’ve dealt with communist threats in the underground,” Sakiewicz boldly asserted during his address on Telewizja Republika.
In what seems like a continued assault, public media has faced relentless attacks for the past two weeks. Following the targeting of Telewizja Polska, the government’s focus has shifted to dismantling Telewizja Republika. This move comes in the wake of statements made by Jan Pietrzak, deemed by many commentators as a pretext to undermine an independent editorial team that has witnessed a significant surge in viewership recently.
Speaking out on the issue, Editor-in-chief Tomasz Sakiewicz took the floor as the host of today’s “Journalistic Poker.”
“It’s evident that the authorities are gearing up to assault private media, alarmed by the migration of TVP Info viewers to Telewizja Republika,”
he noted.
He elaborated, “Since New Year’s Eve, an intense smear campaign against Telewizja Republika has been relentless. It all stems from a live statement made by Jan Pietrzak. It was inappropriate, as I promptly highlighted in my remarks. Regardless of Jan Pietrzak’s intentions or the factual basis, such a comment should never have been made. Indeed, attempts were made in several German states to house refugees in former concentration camps, which deeply offended me as the grandson of an Auschwitz victim. Similarly, I’m appalled by the exploitation of Auschwitz’s tragedy for political gains, especially to stifle dissent. These are tactics reminiscent of totalitarian regimes, tactics that once crushed underground movements striving for independence and were used to oppress during communist rule,” he emphasized.
Continuing, “My response as the station’s head was immediate and was the station’s official stance. As soon as we resumed live broadcasts, I addressed Jan Pietrzak’s statement, deeming it inappropriate not because it lacked factual basis, but because it should never have been presented as a joke.”
“However, what’s unfolding now — the instigation of legal action, relentless hostility, and threats against our journalists and media — indicates the continuation of Colonel Sienkiewicz’s operation, now in its second phase, targeting private media to stifle voices. We won’t yield; your intimidation won’t deter us. These are Bolshevik tactics fueled by outright falsehoods. It’s untrue that we remained silent. Both the program’s host and I, as the station’s head, responded promptly as soon as live broadcasting resumed,”
he affirmed.
Expressing his views, he emphasized, “This statement should never have been trivialized in the face of immense suffering and tragedy. An apology is warranted for this.”
“Using legal prosecution against television is a form of political thuggery, plain and simple. This government’s tactics resemble thuggish behavior. Your scare tactics won’t work. The ongoing resistance demonstrates the futility of these methods. You’ll lose authority faster, and that will be the only consequence of your heavy-handed approach against the media. I’ve navigated through underground challenges and combated communist threats — that’s how I tackle them,”
he concluded assertively.