On Tuesday 9 March, one day ahead of a major debate in the European Parliament, the International Press Institute (IPI) and ARTICLE 19 hosted a high-level panel event to discuss the erosion of media freedom and pluralism in Poland and Hungary and its effect on democracy within the European Union.

Speakers:

* Teresa Ribeiro, Representative on Freedom of the Media at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
* David Kaye, Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression (moderator)
* Miklós Haraszti, Hungarian journalist and human rights advocate, former OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
* Scott Griffen, Deputy Director, International Press Institute (IPI)
* Joanna Szymanska, Senior Programme Officer, ARTICLE 19
* Witold Głowacki, Editor, Polska Times

 

IPI ANALYSIS

 

During the webinar, speakers discussed the ongoing efforts by the ruling parties in Budapest and Warsaw to dismantle media pluralism and highlighted how the model for media capture and control developed by the Fidesz government has been exported to other EU member states in recent years.

The speakers also discussed the findings of recent international press freedom mission to Poland held by IPI and its partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), and how the Orbán government’s model for suppressing independent media has been replicated and refined.

Read more: ‘The Hungary model’: How Poland copied illiberal tactics for weakening independent media

 

 DOWNLOAD THE POLAND REPORT HERE (pdf file)

 

Erosion of media freedom in Poland and Hungary

  • Date (held on): Tuesday, March 9
  • Questions? Contact Jamie Wiseman (IPI)  at jwiseman(at)ipi.media

 

 

This event is part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.