More than 350 Polish media organizations have joined forces in a protest to draw attention to the urgent need for legislation that ensures fair compensation from tech giants like Google and Facebook. The media outlets argue that these platforms profit significantly from their content without sharing the revenue, which threatens the survival of many media companies.
“Politicians, don’t kill Polish media” is the rallying cry that echoes from the editorial offices of newspapers, online portals, and broadcast stations. This unified call underscores the pressing issue of technology companies monetizing media content without adequate financial returns to its creators.
Jerzy Jurecki, editor-in-chief of “Tygodnik Podhalański,” emphasized the existential threat posed to smaller media organizations, while Bartosz Węglarczyk, editor-in-chief of onet.pl, stressed the broader implications, stating, “Politicians don’t understand that without money there will be no media”.
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At the heart of the controversy is a new copyright law intended to align with European Union directives. The legislation mandates that digital platforms negotiate compensation with media outlets for using their content. However, media representatives criticize the law as ineffective, noting that it places the onus on tech giants to agree to terms that are inherently unfavorable to smaller media players.
Despite efforts by the political left to introduce amendments that would make the state an arbiter in these negotiations, these proposals were rejected by the ruling coalition. “Free media are those not dependent on anyone, including big business”, argued Leftist MP Katarzyna Ueberhan.
The debate intensified following the passage of the bill in the Sejm on June 28. The law’s next hurdle is the Senate, where further amendments will be discussed. Senator Krzysztof Kwiatkowski of the Civic Coalition has indicated potential changes to strengthen protections for media creators.
As the protest gains momentum, media posts regarding the protest have faced restrictions on Facebook, highlighting the ongoing struggle between media outlets and tech platforms.
This standoff continues to evolve, with the Polish media landscape watching closely to see if their demands for fair revenue sharing will be met.
