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The community of media and entertainment workers’ unions of UNI Global Union is protesting against the new media bill, which was rushed through the Polish Parliament last week. The hastily drafted new law is a blow to the independence of public media and contains censorship like provisions like the direct nomination of the leading position of the public broadcasting organisations.

In an open letter to President Andrzej Duda, the European media unions expressed their concern over the new medial law and joined the appeal of the European Broadcasting Union, not to sign the measures into new law.

William Maunier, President of UNI Europa - Media, Entertainment & Arts stated in his open letter "The editorial and political independence of public service media is a prerequisite for its ability to fulfil its public service mission as expressed in the Amsterdam Protocol on Public Broadcasting of 1998. The provisions of the new law, in particular the direct control by the government over the nomination of the leading positions in public service broadcasting organisations, undermine the independence."

UNI Europa calls on all media unions and affiliates to write to the Polish President and the European Commission ahead of its meeting of 13 January to voice the concerns of media workers over the new Polish media law.

Download the open letter to the President of Poland and our Manifesto on Public Service Broadcasting from the menu "related files".