What’s happening
Polish prosecutors are investigating hate speech allegations against TV Republika after guests on the right-wing station made egregious comments about migrants, including suggestions they should be sent to Auschwitz or tattooed like Holocaust victims. Notably, advertisers such as IKEA, Carrefour, and MasterCard are withdrawing their support from the broadcaster.
The implications
The investigation and advertising retreats underscore a shift in Poland’s media landscape and commercial sector’s response to hate speech. This reaction also highlights a growing societal intolerance for xenophobia and the consequences for broadcasters who facilitate it.
Background
TV Republika gained its conservative audience while aligned with Poland’s national conservative party, Law and Justice. The state-run media previously echoed Law and Justice’s sentiment, depicting mass migration as a significant threat, indulging in conspiracy theories and discriminatory content. With the party’s loss of government control to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, TV Republika faces newfound legal and market pressures.
Advertisers’ stance
Renowned companies are distancing themselves from TV Republika, reflecting a broader corporate stand against platforms promoting hate speech. This has prompted some conservative figures to call for a boycott of these companies, albeit amidst a surge in consumer advocacy and progressive advertising policies.
Political and social response
The xenophobic remarks have been widely condemned, from the highest political offices to cultural institutions and civil society. Prime Minister Tusk criticized the normalization of such rhetoric, which he ascribes to years of preferential treatment under the previous government. The Auschwitz-Birkenau state museum and anti-racism organizations expressed deep distress but took heart at the public’s vocal objection to the hate speech.
Why it matters
As the European Union seeks to address the challenges of its asylum system and relocate migrants, the dialogue within member states like Poland is pivotal. Public and commercial backlash against TV Republika reflects a broader European struggle to balance free speech with the rise of extremist views—in a region intimately aware of the catastrophic potential of unchecked hate.
This story was first published on timesofisrael.com.