Media Regulation: Be Careful What You Wish For
Those calling for tighter media regulation should take a look at Poland, writes Duncan Barkes
12 Jul 2011, 14:09
What has happened to freedom in Poland?
Dozens of examples exist of journalists who have been sacked or seen their programmes taken off the air. Jacek Sobala, Anita Gargas, Jacek Karnowski - journalists who have presented or produced Government critical content have all been given the boot. The list of programmes removed from the airwaves is almost never ending and includes some of the big current affairs shows in Poland. Can you imagine The Today Programme or Have I Got News For You? being dragged off the air because they dared to continually question or mock the Government?
The Tusk administration in Poland appears to rule with an iron fist when it comes to press suppression. Robert Frycz is a 23 year old blogger who ran a website mocking the President. He was subjected to a dawn raid by a heavily armed SWAT team for daring to be critical of the regime.
Tadeusz Rydzyk, founder of Polish radio station Radio Maryja, has been publicly threatened by a Government deputy and denounced by the Polish foreign minister. The silence regarding the intimidation and sacking of journalists is deafening, especially from the many MEPs who were all too quick to attack Hungary over their new media curbs earlier this year. A handful of MEPs are starting to raise concerns about what is happening to the media in Poland, but the majority remain silent.
Freedom of the press is vital if a country is to be a true democracy. Whilst being incredulous at the latest revelations regarding some of the alleged tactics used by Fleet Street, my very real fear is that politicians and the powerful will use the current wave of public disgust to fuel the fight for greater regulation of the UK's media.
We have all see the farce of super-injunctions, where the wealthy can effectively 'buy' silence. I could not give a flying fig if the latest soap star is banging their local vicar, but I do care if care homes are abusing the elderly, if politicians are accepting cash to ask questions in parliament or if the Government and the Pharmaceutical industry were promoting a drug that caused widespread disability as it did with Thalidomide. In a country with tighter media regulation, these stories may never have seen the light of day.
There is a great temptation to knee-jerk in response to the current crop of allegations regarding unsavory practices used by some of the media, and it will increase as more grim secrets are uncovered. As a broadcaster I relish the fact that I can present a radio phone-in where David Cameron can be heavily criticised and I do not have to fear an early morning knock on the door or be sacked for presenting such a show. I accept Poland is an extreme example, but it highlights the risks that journalists in the country are prepared to take to uphold the freedom of the press.
In my experience, those who want tighter controls of the media usually have something to hide - let's not let them win.
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