Poland

Abstract

The concept of media accountability is a relatively new issue in Poland, both for Polish media researchers and journalists (media professionals), as well as for media users. Traditional institutions and instruments of media accountability are not very well developed (see Głowacki & Urbaniak, 2010). In this context, possible development of media accountability innovations online creates significant opportunities for fulfilling existing gaps in this area. A desk study and interviews conducted with Polish media scholars, experts and practitioners in the second part of 2010 have showed that this potential of innovations, offered by new technologies (especially the Internet) is, at the moment, only partially exploited. The paper analyses contextual factors of media accountability online practices in Poland, the level of journalistic professionalization, the effectiveness and legitimacy of existing media accountability and transparency institutions – but, above all, media accountability online practices initiated by media and outside media.