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Religions and the media

Legal sources

The provisions of the Act of the 17th May 1989 on guarantees of freedom of conscience and religion confirmed generally that: “churches and other religious denominations should use mass media”. (...)

The provisions of the Act of the 17th May 1989 on guarantees of freedom of conscience and religion confirmed generally that: “churches and other religious denominations should use mass media”.

According to art. 25 of the Act of the 17th May 1989 on guarantees of freedom of conscience and religion, churches and other religious denominations: “have right to publish press, books, printed materials, to establish and own publishing houses and polygraphic entities, in accordance with the provisions of the law; may organize their own distribution of press or use other networks of distribution; have right to emitted on radio and television the programs concerning topics of religious-moral, social and cultural values, in the manner which is described in the agreement between the authorities of a given church or other religious community and the entities of the public radio and television”

Relevant provisions to ensure access to the mass media contained in the individual acts of the religious denominations.

D 28 September 2012    AMichał Zawiślak APiotr Stanisz

Catholic media

Catholic Information Agency (KAI) is the second largest religious agency in Europe, the first and the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. On the Polish media market for journalists is a (...)

Catholic Information Agency (KAI) is the second largest religious agency in Europe, the first and the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. On the Polish media market for journalists is a primary source of information about the Catholic Church. Catholic Information Agency is owned by the Polish Episcopal Conference. Management staff and employees, the vast majority are lay people.

KAI daily news services, prepared by a journalist specializing in religious topics, reach through the internet and by satellite to almost every major editorial in Poland. All significant events in the life of the Catholic Church are being recorded to date by the more than 50 domestic and foreign correspondents.

Catholic Information Agency main objective was and is breaking down the barriers of silence around the issue of ensuring the presence of the church and religious information in the stream of information, which comes every day to millions of Poles. KAI has more than 150 recipients of press releases, among which are the main editors of the media nationwide: TAI, IAR, TVP, the Polish Radio, and all daily newspapers nationwide.

Catholic Information Agency systematically organized press conferences, supporting almost all major events across the country church in Poland. Journalists are systematic informed about the position of the Catholic Church in certain cases. This creates an increasingly reliable in the mass media presentation of the authentic position of the Church, in a manner free from bias or stereotypical variety of patterns of thinking. The activities of KAI largely influenced the change in the presentation of the Catholic Church and its position in the general stream of information coming to every citizen.

The Catholic Information Agency has a guaranteed time in the official Vatican Radio ("Two minutes for KAI") which contains essential information on the life of the Catholic Church in Poland.

Catholic television stations

Nationwide television stations

Telewizja trwam is a Polish TV channel of a catholic-social profil, belongs to the Fundacja Lux Veritatis (Lux Veritatis Foundation). Father Tadeusz Rydzyk is the founder and director of Telewizja Trwam. The station have television studios in Torun and Warsaw. TV Trwam received its license on 13 March 2003 and regular broadcasting via satellite.

Television Trwam motto is: “a means of social communication, not media manipulation”. Station is funded mainly from donations of viewers, listeners of Radio Maryja, and readers of “Nasz Dziennik” as well as from the sale of sets of satellite television receivers. Station broadcasts news and social affairs, political, religious, information programs, music videos and Christian drama. Television has its own teletext.

Religia.tv– television channel focused on religious profile, belonging to the ITI Neovision Group launched on 16th November 2007. Director of the station is priest Kazimierz Sowa. The station declares that is open to people of all ages for discuss the topics of faith and outlooks of life. The religia.tv presents the religions of the world, the most popular place of pilgrimage and life of Catholics in various countries.

Religious programmes in public television

TVP 1. The holy mass is broadcasted every Sunday at 7 a.m. Angelus Domini from Holy See or Castel Gandolfo every Sunday at noon.
TVP 2. “Slowo na Niedziele” (The Word for Sunday) short reflection on reading of the gospel for next day, broadcasted every Saturday late evening.
TVP Polonia. The holy mass is broadcasted every Sunday at 10 a.m.

Regional television stations

TVP (polish public television) has a network of 16 units of the regional television stations. All of them provide different religious programmes depend on the local activity of the religious denominations.

Catholic radio stations

Radio maryja : polish radio station of a catholic-national profile, founded in Torun in 1991 by the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). Radio Maryja has a nationwide license valid until 2018 and it is the only audible radio station which broadcasting via satellite for the whole Poland and beyond. The concession specifies the program of Radio Maryja as social-religious presenting the Christian faith and the problems of social life from the perspectives of faith and Catechism of Catholic Church (Catholic Church’s social doctrine).

Religious programmes in public radio

Polish Radio 1.The holy mass on Sunday morning broadcasted from the Roman Catholic Holy Cross Church in Warsaw since 1980. The news from Radio Vatican at 6.43 p.m. also broadcasted every Sunday.

Local catholic radio stations

There are many different local catholic radio stations in Poland . Some of them belonging to the Radio Plus network which is a network of Catholic diocesan radio stations which entered into partnership Ad. Point Company or signed a franchising agreement. The Company is the owner of the Radio Plus brand. The local stations broadcast own audition at 3.00-9.00 p.m. every day. Currently the network includes twelfth diocesan radio stations.
Official list of the licenses issued by the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiTV)

D 28 September 2012    AMichał Zawiślak APiotr Stanisz

Non catholic media

Non-catholic information agencies
The Polish Ecumenical Website Ekumenizm.pl together with its sister–site The Ecumenical Journal for Theology is a newly formed initiative of young Polish (...)

Non-catholic information agencies

The Polish Ecumenical Website Ekumenizm.pl together with its sister–site The Ecumenical Journal for Theology is a newly formed initiative of young Polish Christians from various religious denominations. The editorial team consists of members of the Roman-Catholic, Evangelical–Lutheran, Evangelical–Reformed, Pentecostal, Anglican and Orthodox Churches.

Ekumeniczny Serwis Informacyjny

The Polish Ecumenical Website Kościół.p together with its sister–site the Ecumenical Journal for Theology Semper Reformanda is a initiative of Polish Christians from various religious denominations. The agency is promoting the reconciled, and thereby inspiring, diversity of religious denominations which are conscious of their theological identity and open to other Christian traditions.

Ecumenical News International (ENI) was launched in 1994 as a global news service reporting on ecumenical developments and other news of the churches, and giving religious perspectives on news developments world-wide. ENI distributes religious news in English and French on a daily basis electronically to international and religious media, church leaders and organisations and to others who are interested. These daily news stories are assembled in a Bulletin which is published once a month in printed and PDF form. In presenting religious news stories, ENI attempts to be especially sensitive to the differences in language, culture and traditions that mark the global Christian community.
The joint sponsors of ENI, which is based at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, are the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches, which also have their headquarters at the Ecumenical Centre.

The webpage Cerkiew.pl was established by the members of the Orthodox Church in Poland. It was launched in the Paschal Night May 5, 2002. So far webpage is rising interest of not only Orthodox youth from Podlasie region but also among many other people of all age all around the Poland and abroad.

Website Wiara.pl is working since 3 July 2001. This portal provides information, essays, materials about the Catholic Church, but also open to other beliefs and religious denominations. The owner of the site is wiara.pl Publisher Metropolitan Curia "Guest Sunday". The main areas of the activities of the website are: kept up to date information service, including information from the Church, country and world, and journalistic texts, which allows discussion on current problems and situations, opportunity to ask questions and conversations with the priest.

Media Commission of the Polish Ecumenical Council

Media Commission is obligate to coordinating the activities of the media of the churches affiliated to the Polish Ecumenical Council. Committee members serve as consultants in carrying out the function of television and radio programmes. One of the tasks of the committee is also developing the timetable for worship and programs shown on various radio and television stations.

President of the Media Commission:
ks. Zbigniew Kamiński (Evangelical Methodist Church)

Members of the Media Commission:
ks. Jerzy Bajorek (Polish Catholic Church)
Anna Cieślar (Baptists Christians Church)
ks. Grzegorz Dróżdż (Old Catholic Church of the Mariavites)
Ewa Jóźwiak (Evangelical Reformed Church)
ks. dr Henryk Paprocki (Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church)
diakon Halina Radacz (Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession)

Members of the Polish Ecumenical Council have programs in public television stations and public radio station. Programs are broadcast according to the following schedule:
Every Tuesday at 7.20 a.m. on TVP 2 (repeated on Thursdays on TV Polonia at 4.15 p.m.)
The first Tuesday of the month - The Orthodox Church
The second Tuesday of the month – Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession
The rest Tuesdays of the month – other churches Polish Ecumenical Council
Four times a year is also emitted retransmissions devotions. Twice a year emitted ecumenical program.

Non-catholic religious TV programmes

TVP (polish public television) presents the various religious programmes focusing on the Catholic Church
and also on the ecumenical issues.

Non-catholic local religious TV programmes

TVP (polish public television) has a network of 16 units of the regional television stations. All of them provide different religious programmes depend on the local activity of the religious denominations.

Non-catholic local religious radio programmes (also broadcasts via Internet)

There are many local radio stations which presents various religious programmes focusing on the members of the different religions. Some of them are presented below:

Radio orthodoxia
Radio orthodoxia it is a religious radio station. It was established on 30 November 2001 by the authorities of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. His first broadcast started on 19 December 2001 . Radio is showing and promoting Christian values such as love, hope and faith.

Radio Plus Opole
Saturday at 5 .20 p.m. (30 minutes) - Lutheran radio program

Radio Opole
Third Sunday of the month, second day of the Nativity and Easter - Crumbs from the Table of the Lord 10-minutes discussion
First, third and fifth Saturday of the month at 8.10 a.m. to 8.25 a.m. - Voice of Life - the life of Protestants in Silesia .
First and third Sunday of the month – Faith Forum at 9.10 to 9.30 a.m. Conversation on current topics of the ethical, moral and theological representatives (priests) of the following churches: Lutheran, Roman Catholic and Pentecostal.

Radio Zachód
Second Sunday of the month – Prairie Lutheran at 7.40 -7.50 a.m.

Radio Katowice
Every Sunday at 7.05 – 7.20 a.m. – Lutheran religious program

Radio Piekary
Every Sunday at 7.40-7.50 a.m. – Lutheran religious program

Radio Koszalin
Every Sunday and holiday of the month at 8.10-8.30 a.m. ecumenical magazine

Radio Lódz
The Word - 5 - minutes broadcast of Christian Churches in Lódz region affiliated to the Polish Ecumenical Council (excluding the Orthodox Church) - every Sunday at 6.45 a.m.
Lutheran audition broadcast every sixth Sunday at 6.45 – 6.50 a.m.

Radio CCM
Every day at 8.00 – 9.00 p.m. “Simply” - Lutheran radio program prepared by the Evangelical Lutheran parish in Gliwice and the Center for Mission and Evangelization in Dziegielów.

Non-catholic religious newspapers

Jednota” presents the position of evangelical backgrounds and discussions on important social, political and religious, as well as the achievements and history of protestantism.

"Mariawita" – electronical version of the magazine available on the website of the Old Catholic Mariavite Church.

"Pielgrzym Polski" magazine of the Evangelical Methodist Church.

"Przeglad Prawoslawny" magazine of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church presenting life of the Orthodox Church in Poland and abroad.

"Rodzina" magazine of the Polish Catholic Church.

"Slowo prawdy" - electronical version of the magazine available on the website of the Christian Baptist Church.

"Wiadomosci Polskiego Autokefalicznego Kosciola Prawoslawnego" - electronical version of the magazine available on the website of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

"Zwiastun Ewangelicki" presents protestant view of the world. It is the oldest magazine in Poland.

"Studia i Dokumenty Ekumeniczne" it is the Lutheran magazine published twice a year concerning official documents of the protestant churches and ecumenical matters.

"Wiez" The mission of magazine is to support the development of democratic society. Magazine is involved in the most important problems of religious, social and political life, culture and history. The magazine wants to serve reconciliation and the overcoming of prejudice and stereotype: for example between Poles and Germans, between Christians of different religious denominations.

"Znak" Since 1999 magazine is published as an monographic issue with articles focused on one topic, like modern Church, Polish philosophy, history of 20th century, neurotism etc. Although is a catholic magazine, it also publishes articles written by non-Catholic authors.

D 28 September 2012    AMichał Zawiślak APiotr Stanisz

TV, radio stations, periodicals and journals

Please note that the list of religious media is not exhausting:
TV Channels
TV Trwam, founded in 2003 by the Lux Veritatis Foundation, under the full control of Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, (...)

Please note that the list of religious media is not exhausting:

TV Channels

TV Trwam, founded in 2003 by the Lux Veritatis Foundation, under the full control of Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, Redemptorist, founder of Radio Maryja,

Radio stations

Radio Maryja, founded in 1991 by Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, Redemptorist, with its headquarters in Torun, the only station that broadcasts throughout Polish territory and beyond.
Numerous local Catholic radio channels, managed by the dioceses.
Orthodox Radio Orthodoxia

Journals

Tygodnik Powszechny, the only independent weekly in all communist "Eastern bloc", founded in 1945, closed only during the period 1953-1956 after its refusal to publish the obituary of Joseph Stalin.
Niedziela
Gosc Niedzielny

One newspaper

Nasz Dziennik, founded in 1998 by Father Tadeusz Rydzyk.

All Parishes in Poland publish their newsletters (periodicals), more or less regularly, comprising from 4 pages up to 32 pages per issue. The number of periodicals and copies sold is very difficult to estimate.

See also the Polish Catholic News Agency.

D 28 September 2012    AMichal Rynkowski

CNRS Unistra Dres Gsrl

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