Re-transformation of the polish and hungarian media systems? Changes in media policy

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS16120221892

Keywords:

media systems, media policy, regulation, pluralism,

Abstract

Since 2010 in Hungary, and since 2015 in Poland, disturbing changes in media policy have been implemented by right-wing governments, with implications for the media’s freedom and pluralism in both countries. The worsening situation is evidenced, inter alia, by reports and studies carried out by international organisations such as Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders. An analysis of the regulations introduced and the actions of government elites consisting in interfering in media markets and public media activities reveals many similarities and common elements of media policy. These changes are so severe and so far, removed from European standards and practices in countries which are so-called full democracies that one has to wonder whether the actions of the Hungarian and Polish authorities are not a sign of another transformation, which this time involves a move from a democratic system towards a quasi-authoritarian one. The present study is based on the political-regulatory perspective; it applies selected criteria of comparative analysis according to the concept of Hallin and Mancini, taking into account additional factors, indicated as necessary by researchers dealing with the media systems of Central and Eastern European countries.

Author Biography

Katarzyna Aneta Konarska, University of Wroclaw

Katarzyna Konarska, Ph.D, is Associate Professor at the University of Wroclaw and Deputy Director of the Institute of Journalism and Social Communication. Her research interests are in the field of media systems and public service media in Central and Eastern European countries. She is the author and editor of a number of articles and books including Broadcasting Media in Great Britain (System mediów elektronicznych w Wielkiej Brytanii, Toruń 2007) and Public Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe: Theory and Practice (Media publiczne i demokracja w Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej: teoria i praktyka, Wrocław 2021) to be published shortly.

Downloads

Published

2022-03-28

How to Cite

Konarska, K. A. (2022). Re-transformation of the polish and hungarian media systems? Changes in media policy. Observatorio (OBS*), 16(1). https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS16120221892

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2022)

Section

Articles

License

Observatorio (OBS*) has an academic journal profile. As such, it is dedicated to the open exchange of its contents, and freely available to individuals and institutions without charge or formal permission. Copies of this journal or articles in this journal may be distributed for research or educational purposes free of charge and without permission. Authors will not be charged for publication or submission to this journal. Authors who publish in Observatorio (OBS*) will release their contributions under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-2.0 generic. This licence allows anyone to copy and distribute the article for non-commercial purposes provided that appropriate attribution is given - being the author the copyright holder. This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. The publisher perpetually authorizes participants in the LOCKSS system to archive and restore our publication through the LOCKSS System for the benefit of all LOCKSS System participants. Specifically participating libraries may: • Collect and preserve currently accessible materials; • Use material consistent with original license terms; • Provide copies to other LOCKSS appliances for purposes of audit and repair. Fair use of a copyrighted work, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include: 1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; 2. the nature of the copyrighted work; 3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; & 4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors. In accord with these provisions, the OBS journal believes in the vigorous assertion and defense of Fair Use by scholars engaged in academic research, teaching and non-commercial publishing. Thus, we view the inclusion of “quotations” from existing print, visual, audio and audio-visual texts to be appropriate examples of Fair Use, as are reproductions of visual images for the purpose of scholarly analysis. We encourage authors to obtain appropriate permissions to use materials originally produced by others, but do not require such permissions as long as the usage of such materials falls within the boundaries of Fair Use.