It appears that Poland’s public broadcaster, TVP, has just been elevated to the status of a strategic facility. The building on Woronicza Street in Warsaw — now owned by a company in liquidation — has been designated as a site “of particular importance to the security and defense of the state.” Signs forbidding photography have been posted at the entrance.
“The next logical step is banning Polish citizens from accessing Wikipedia — just like in North Korea — since there’s a photo of TVP headquarters there,” journalist Piotr Lisiewicz told Niezalezna.pl. “Frankly, I think Dorota Wysocka-Schnepf should be declared a strategic asset too,” he added sarcastically.
No Photos at Liquidated TVP
Today, Telewizja Republika reporter Michał Gwardyński attempted to enter the TVP building for a meeting about the upcoming presidential debate. He was denied access. A security guard also reprimanded the cameraman, pointing to signs posted at the gate.
The new signs — in Polish, English, German, Russian, and Arabic — prohibit photography. Apparently, would-be spies must be politely informed in their native languages that snapping a picture could threaten national security.
Struck-through icons of a camera, video recorder, and mobile phone make it clear: even attempting to photograph the headquarters of the public broadcaster in liquidation is now forbidden. But in an age where everyone carries a smartphone with access to Google Maps — and the TVP building is easily viewable from every angle online — the photography ban seems as effective as trying to boost viewership after the illegal dismantling of public media.
In a statement to Wirtualne Media, TVP’s press office confirmed the facility is now considered “particularly important for state security and defense.” The lingering question remains: what exactly are these defunct public TV programs supposed to protect us from?
“I believe Dorota Wysocka-Schnepf should be listed as a strategic asset as well,” Lisiewicz reiterated. “During the debate, she proved — at least from the current government’s perspective — that she fits the profile.”
“Banning photography is a step in the right direction. Now we just need a ban on filming and airing the programs, and Poles will finally breathe a sigh of relief,” Lisiewicz concluded. “It’s like that classic scene from Monty Python, where a soldier complains to his commander that the army has all sorts of dangerous weapons — ones that could actually hurt people.”