SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 24 April 2024, Wednesday |

EU brands Polish media bill ‘a negative signal’

The European Commission on Thursday slammed a Polish bill enacted by the country’s lower house of parliament that restricts foreign ownership of media companies, saying it sends a poor signal.

“Media pluralism and diversity of opinions are what strong democracies welcome, not fight against,” the Vice President of the European Union’s executive, Vera Jourova, who is responsible for media freedom, said on Twitter. “The draft Polish broadcasting law sends a negative signal.”

On Wednesday, Polish lawmakers passed a bill that would strengthen a ban on firms from outside the European Economic Area controlling Polish broadcasters.

The opposition in Warsaw says the bill aims to gag the news channel TVN24, which is owned by U.S.-based media group Discovery Inc and is critical of the right-wing nationalist government.

    Source:
  • Reuters