In brief

• KRRiT has opened clarification proceedings against Telewizja Republika over its coverage of the Kraków attack and will request explanations and the recording.
• Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska filed a separate complaint, citing unverified claims, accusations against police and content that could cause panic.
• Some commentators are calling for the station's licence to be revoked; that decision rests with KRRiT.

Broadcasting regulator steps in

The National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has started clarification proceedings against Telewizja Republika over how the station covered the attack in Kraków (KRRiT żąda wyjaśnień w związku z relacją Republiki z ataku w Krakowie – Rzeczpospolita) (Burza po relacjach Telewizji Republika z Krakowa. Ruch KRRiT – Onet) (KRRiT reaguje ws. relacji Republiki z Krakowa. Rusza postępowanie – Wirtualnemedia.pl). KRRiT chair Agnieszka Glapiak said the step followed complaints that reached the council and is the standard procedure for complaints that meet formal requirements (KRRiT bierze się za TV Republikę. Poszło o relację z Krakowa – Wirtualna Polska). The regulator is to send the station a formal request for explanations and a copy of the recording. Once the material arrives, it will be assessed under the broadcasting act before any decision is taken.

Minister's complaint

Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska said on Saturday that she had sent her own complaint to KRRiT. She cited unverified information, accusations against the police and content that could fuel panic, and argued that a tragedy should not be used for political propaganda (Kłopoty telewizji Republika po zamachu w Krakowie. Ministra kultury domaga się surowych konsekwencji! – polityka.se.pl) (Burza po relacjach Republiki z Krakowa. Ministra reaguje. "Muszą być wyciągnięte konsekwencje" – Onet) (Skarga MKiDN na Telewizję Republikę. „Tragedia to nie paliwo do propagandy” – Bankier.pl). She said the council should examine the case and draw consequences for any violations.

What the broadcast contained

After the shooting at the Main Market Square, Republika went on air live, with its editor-in-chief Tomasz Sakiewicz present at the scene. During the broadcast he said the police had not been present at the shooting while officers were pursuing and neutralising the attacker. Journalists criticised the remarks as premature, given that the operation was still under way.

Calls for a tougher response

KRRiT member Tadeusz Kowalski has urged the other council members to act, arguing that the station turned the tragedy into a tool of political conflict and that a further broadcast breached article 18 of the broadcasting act (Prof. Kowalski o Telewizji Republika: "Obracają tragedię w narzędzie walki politycznej". Wzywa członków KRRiT do działania – radiowroclaw.pl). Other commentators have gone further and called for the station's licence to be withdrawn. Any such decision rests with KRRiT, and at this stage the council has only opened clarification proceedings.