Polska Press Group is one of the largest press publishers in Poland and a leading print media company in the country’s regional and local media market. The group operates 20 daily newspapers in the country’s 15 largest regions, 100 local weeklies, and nine magazines.
Media assets
Publishing: Dailies- Dziennik Bałtycki, Dziennik Łódzki, Dziennik Zachodni, Gazeta Krakowska, Gazeta Wrocławska, Głos Wielkopolski, Kurier Lubelski and Polska Metropolia Warszawska, Express Ilustrowany, Dziennik Polski, Gazeta Pomorska, Kurier Poranny, Gazeta Współczesna, Głos Dziennik Pomorza, Nowa Trybuna Opolska, Echo Dnia, Gazeta Codzienna Nowiny, Gazeta Lubuska, Express Bydgoski, Nowości Toruńskie; Local weeklies- 100 titles; Magazines- Nasza Historia, Moto Salon, Moto Salon Classic, Strefa Biznesu, Strefa Agro, Tele Magazyn, Super Tele, TV Pilot, Tele Program
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Managed/Owned (ISM)
Ownership and governance
In December 2020, the state-owned oil company PKN Orlen announced its acquisition of Polska Press from its German owners, the publisher Verlagsgruppe Passau. Despite the anti-monopoly regulator approving the acquisition, the Human Rights Ombudsman appealed the decision in court. However, in June 2022, a Polish court rejected the appeal.
The new government installed in Poland after the 2023 elections announced plans to sell PKN Orlen to a private investor (see more under Editorial independence below).
Source of funding and budget
The latest data from the company indicates that Polska Press is primarily funded through advertising revenues.
Editorial independence
After PKN Orlen took over Polska Press, there was no immediate evidence of editorial control shifting to pro-government groups. However, analysts described the acquisition as part of the government’s ambitions to “re-polonize” the media in the country. Following the announcement of the deal, a member of the PiS party welcomed the news, stating that it would put an end to a narrative deemed “inappropriate” for readers in the regions and that the media under Polska Press would now “explain the directions of the government’s activities.” The acquisition provided PKN Orlen with access to 17.4 million users through the portals run by Polska Press.
Just four months after the publisher was purchased, a purge of editors began. By mid-June 2021, key editors at Polska Press were removed, and their positions were often filled by journalists known for their support of PiS, the party in power. These sudden changes, which were harshly criticized by international NGOs, confirm the government’s intentions to take over media organizations as part of their re-polonization process, which involves significant editorial changes.
Following the opposition parties’ success in the 15th October 2023 elections, where they gained enough seats to take power from the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, significant changes are anticipated at Polska Press, according to local observers. Reports suggest that journalists at Polska Press were “in panic” as they awaited major changes after the announcement that the opposition would form the government.
In June 2024, the management of PKN Orlen announced that it had begun negotiations to sell Polska Press to a private investor. One of the interested buyers is reportedly WP Media group, which owns the Wirtualna Polska news server. The sale aims to end the government’s interference with the media company.
Once the sale is confirmed, we will remove Polska Press from our state media database. Until then, since no editorial bias has been detected in Polska Press’ publications in recent months, we have moved the company from the Captured Public/State Owned Media (CaPu) category to the Independent State Managed (ISM) category in our State Media Matrix taxonomy.
August 2024