Poland's Civic Platform (PO), the largest opposition party, has decided to suspend its boycott of state television in preparation for next month's elections.

While acknowledging that TVP (Polish Television) remains a "propaganda" tool of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, PO believes it is crucial to reach a broader spectrum of voters.

Over the past eight years, PiS has transformed TVP into a mouthpiece for the government. Despite a statutory obligation to maintain political neutrality, the station's programming, including news broadcasts, has been used to promote the ruling party and criticize the opposition.

PO had previously boycotted TVP in 2019 following the murder of Gdańsk mayor Paweł Adamowicz, accusing the station of inspiring the murderer through negative news reports about the mayor. In March of this year, PO reinstated its boycott after the teenage son of one of its MPs took his own life following reports in public media that the opposition said identified him as a victim of sexual abuse.

The decision to end the boycott was influenced by the recognition that TVP reaches undecided voters and segments of PO's electorate that have limited access to independent media. PO spokesman Jan Grabiec noted that their representatives expect to face provocations and disruptions from TV presenters but emphasized that experienced politicians would participate in TVP programs.

The bias in TVP's coverage was also highlighted by Krzysztof Luft, a member of the station's oversight board, who filed a complaint with the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT). Luft alleged "notorious violations" of the legal requirement for public media to be "pluralistic, impartial, and balanced."

International observers from the OSCE noted the negative impact of TVP's coverage on the 2019 and 2020 elections, stating that the broadcaster had acted as a campaign vehicle for the incumbent party, undermining voters' ability to make informed choices. PiS argues that the changes at TVP are necessary to rebalance the media landscape, which was previously dominated by liberal and leftist outlets.

However, public trust in TVP has plummeted to its lowest recorded level since PiS took office, according to the state research agency CBOS. An annual study by the University of Oxford also found that the channel is now the least trusted major source of news among Poles. Photo by Tomasz Molina, Wikimedia commons.