Yearbook of Bibliology and Press Studies

Summary

This article deals with the Polish newspapers published in the years 1989-1996. The author tries to characterise the whole group of these newspapers, but he concentrated attention on the nationwide high-circulation dailies, such as "Gazeta Wyborcza", "Super Express" and "Rzeczpospolita".
Until 1989, the information and political press was published by the party syndicate "RSW - Prasa - Książka - Ruch". That syndicate was gradually privatised, and the press titles which it controlled were sold to new, mainly foreign owners.
The contemporary Polish political newspapers avoided political affiliation although they did not renounce ideological bonds. They tried to preserve independence and emphasised it first of all by carrying their own journalistic investigations and organising different press campaigns. However, it did not avoid cheap sensation and sought methods of finding access to the greatest number of readers. Evolution towards the popular formula was particularly visible in many region-aland local newspapers.