TVP has been facing more criticism due to allegations of spreading propaganda
Opinion
Although the news from the public service broadcaster has always been difficult to watch, thanks to its strong support for Poland's foreign policy decisions and independence.
After two months, the rating of the daily news from Polish TVP is down by 15%, according to the current data. For many reasons, which include the popularity of alternative media, the influence of the "politically correct bureaucracy," and the spread of disinformation, TVP has lost many of its viewers.
On December 13, 2019, TVP presented its new version. The program’s main changes included a change in format and name. They were ready for a new year when they aired their first broadcast, which was well received by viewers. But after a few months, they got into trouble due to allegations of spreading propaganda. Now TVP is facing more criticism due to another incident involving their broadcast. The last one concerned the involvement of the Polish government in blocking broadcasts from the Russian state channel RT, which has been accused of interfering in European elections. For this reason, many journalists have expressed doubt about the future of the program.
As a result, opinion seems to be divided. Some people, like Tomasz Bodnar, believe that the new format of the program will succeed. He believes that it will attract viewers from other TV channels and TVP will gain a better reputation. However, others do not agree with him. They are afraid that the change of format will bring about a decline in popularity among viewers. Some critics also accuse TVP of using stereotypes and promoting anti-Semitic ideas. Bodnar reacted to these rumours and explained how they come up with such information.
In his speech, he stated that the changes in the program are primarily meant to reduce the influence of the "politically correct bureaucracy" who interfere with TVP. He insisted that only he and the editorial team decide what material to show. He claimed that they are making an effort to make the show more balanced and to cover more interesting issues. He admitted that some of the new episodes might be controversial, but they are carefully chosen, including different opinions of experts and various historical events.
His words were backed by the latest interview with him and the editor of TVP, Darek Kowalski. They agreed on the need to create a television program capable of producing different opinions and covering controversial subjects without getting into political debate. In their view, they have succeeded in this project and are showing that they can find common ground with the media independent position. In their opinion, they can reach all audiences, including those who were initially opposed to them because they showed anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Both speakers were questioned by the journalists, and both confirmed that TVP’s new version is not a propaganda channel and it does not show anti-Semitic content. The main focus now is how they will use their new format, as many critics claim that after a few months, the ratings dropped significantly.
