The 5th Meeting of the Committee on Social Communication and Media Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences: A Position Statement on Public Media

On 4 July 2024, the 5th meeting of the Committee on Social Communication and Media Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences was held online under the chairmanship of Prof. Iwona Hofman. During the proceedings, the Chair presented information concerning the planned amendment to the Act on the Polish Academy of Sciences and the principles governing the operation and evaluation of scientific committees, emphasizing the importance of an active and substantive presence of the academic community in decision-making processes related to science and state public policies.

The central and most prominent point of the meeting was a debate on the reform of public media in Poland. At the request of the team led by Prof. Stanisław Jędrzejewski, the Committee unanimously adopted a position statement on the proposed legislative changes, prepared in response to ministerial consultations on the new media law and the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act. The discussion emphasized the need to guarantee genuine editorial independence, stable and transparent funding of public media, and the protection of pluralism and the public interest in the context of profound regulatory changes.

In concluding the meeting, Prof. Iwona Hofman highlighted the role of the Committee as an expert forum that not only monitors legislative processes but also actively co-shapes public debate on the media system and social communication. The meeting confirmed the Committee’s readiness to continue speaking out on issues crucial to media democracy, including the reform of public media and forthcoming changes in copyright law and regulations governing the media market.