Institutionalization of Hate Speech as a Daily Media Practice: The Case of “Wiadomości” TVP1

ABSTRACT

In the article, I discuss how hate speech becomes institutionalized in the media discourse thanks to the news media and how it is included in the media practice by public television in Poland. Hate speech is based on expressive, conflict-prone, and black-and-white schemes, employing language characterized by emotions, negative stigmatization, and simplifications. As a case study, I analyze the “Wiadomości” (“News”) daily program on Polish public TV. Over eight years “Wiadomości” has become a broadcast presenting ideological political positions, favoring the party in power, being the primary means for propaganda, as hate speech aimed at opposition parties and their leaders has become customary content in broadcasts. It takes various forms, including the biased selection of content in programs, the structure of information, information strips, and comments of speakers and reporters presenting content. According to the media law in Poland, a public broadcaster has to be an impartial informant while performing its mission. However, TVP became a “hate speech factory” aimed towards political opposition. Using democratic principles, the ruling party made public media publish the content following the political program of the rulers, thus institutionalizing the undemocratic practices.

KEYWORDS:

• News journalism
• hate speech
• public TV
• political campaigns
• political discourse
• stigmatization of political enemies
• political language

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 In the official statements, PiS often uses a “+” (“plus”) symbol in the names of their social programs as a marketing catchphrase to indicate a surplus value a citizen gets as benefits from governmental activities.

2 A “shield” is a general name used in Poland for the programs financially supporting single families, and small private entrepreneurs coping mainly with the results of the COVID-19 disease and economic crisis.

3 Some of the European Parliament politicians were suspected of being supporters of Katar government interests.