Meet ‘Lex TVN’: Poland’s ruling party is pushing through a contentious media ownership law under the pretext of threats from ‘third countries’

A new media ownership bill put forward by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party is stoking concerns about press freedom in Poland. The parliament's lower house, the Sejm, passed the draft law in a scandalous vote on August 11. The law aims to impose restrictions on foreign ownership of Polish broadcasters, but critics argue that it targets one media holding in particular, whose television channels have taken a critical stance towards the current government. Members of the PiS insist the bill is a necessary safeguard against "third-country attacks" (apparently from the likes of Russia and China). That said, the legislation is in line with the ruling party's long-running drive to take control of the media in Poland - a policy it's pursuing at great risk. Indeed, disputes over the media ownership bill have already wreaked havoc with the ruling coalition. In a special report for Meduza, journalist Stanislav Kuvaldin explains why this contentious bill is a fraught endeavor for the Polish government. Original Article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/08/23/meet-lex-tvn