TV Republika not allowed to attend the KO election night. Rachoń: I'm shocked
The election night of the Civic Coalition became an arena not only of political joy, but also the seed of a new conflict with Telewizja Republika. A media entity known for its critical approach to the ruling party was not allowed to enter.
The local elections that took place on Sunday, April 7, 2024, attracted the attention of the entire country. Nearly 47,000 councilors of communes, counties and voivodeship assemblies were elected, as well as almost 2.5 thousand commune heads, mayors and city presidents. As usual, the media was on hand to provide citizens with information about the elections. However, this time, the coverage of the Civic Coalition's election night was exceptionally tense.
Republika Television banned from entering?
Republika Television, known for its unfavorable attitude towards the current government, is again at the center of events. The station's crew did not receive permission to enter the Civic Coalition's election night. This information was announced on air by the host of the program, Michał Rachoń, who ironically commented on the situation: “What a surprise, I'm shocked, the email must have gotten lost.”
Reporters tried to obtain permission in advance by submitting the request via email. However, their efforts were not taken into account. Łukasz Żmuda, one of the station's employees, reported the situation in front of the headquarters of the Civic Coalition's election headquarters: “Unfortunately, our camera cannot go inside. We previously submitted a request to the staff via e-mail. Such requests were sent, but what we heard from people authorized to admit the media was that our request was not considered by the KO staff.
Michał Rachoń shocked by KO's decision
Commenting on this situation, Michał Rachoń did not hide his outrage: “What a surprise, I'm shocked, the email must have got lost and it certainly has nothing to do with the treatment of free media in Poland by this group.” His words show the frustration of someone who feels discriminated against because of his political views.
The event caused a storm of comments on social media. Many Republika TV fans expressed outrage at the actions of the Civic Coalition, believing that it was another manifestation of limiting media freedom in Poland. Opposition politicians also did not fail to criticize the decision of the Civic Coalition's electoral staff, emphasizing that any form of censorship or restriction of media access is unacceptable in a democratic country.
Has PiS restricted press freedom?
Interestingly, it was during the government of the current opposition that in the 2023 report of the non-governmental organization “Reporters Without Borders”, Poland took 64th place in the press freedom ranking, which was a drop of as many as 23 positions compared to the previous year. However, critics of the current government accuse it of systematic attacks on independent media and attempts to control media coverage.
It is worth noting, however, that the Civic Coalition defended itself, explaining the decision not to admit Telewizja Republika to the need to ensure safety and peace during the election evening. They assured that this was not an action aimed at a specific station or journalists, but only to ensure the proper course of the event.
