BIG STORIES :
News Corp. | Phone Hacking Scandal | WikiLeaks | Barack Obama | Julian Assange | 2012 U.S. Election | Religion | See All
iMEDIAETHICS.org
Seperator
 
Tips Facebook Twitter Twitter Twitter RSS Feeds
 
Home | | Contact Us

International Media Ethics News :
Daily Media Pick
Comments (0)
Print Tweet Email

Polish Journalists Fired, Radio Station Apologizes for Comments Journalism Ethics Group Said are Xenophobic

By: Sydney Smith
June 28, 2012 05:00 AM EST
 
Polish Journalists Fired, Radio Station Apologizes for Comments Journalism Ethics Group Said are Xenophobic
 
(Credit: Radio Eska, screenshot)
 

The Polish Journalists Association's Media Ethics Council found that two Polish radio hosts were xenophobic in comments about the Euro 2012 soccer match between Ukraine and Sweden, Poland's The News reported.

The hosts have been fired and the station has apologized, according to Russia Today and Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty.  The two hosts in question are Radio Eska's Kuba Wojewodzki and Michal Figurski.

Russia Today reported that some comments made included that Wojewodzki was “a real Pole and fired his Ukrainian housekeeper” and that  “I don’t know what mine looks like- she’s always on her knees."  Figurski reportedly said “he would simply not pay his Ukrainian lady” and "if she were a bit better looking he would rape her."

According to The News and the New York Times, Wojewodzki and Figurski apologized, and Russia Today noted that Radio Eska said "We sincerely apologize to everyone who was insulted by what was said on the show."   Wojewodzki also published a column about the reaction to his comments.

The News noted that last year, the station "was fined 50,000 zloty (11,700 euro)" for the hosts' comments "Let's call the black man" and that the Ku Klux Klan "sponsored" the program.

According to The News, Poland's National Broadcasting Council will also review the pair's comments. 

Further, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported "The journalists could face up to three years in prison if convicted of insulting a person because of their race or nationality."

The Polish Journalists Association is a 61-year-old group that calls for "reliable media information," enforces media ethics and organizes journalists.  See here, the group's ethics code.  Some relevant tenets of the association's ethics code include, according to a Google Translate:

"The journalist should show respect to people regardless of their ideological diversity, cultural or moral, which does not comply with their views."

We wrote earlier this month when the BBC defended its documentary of Euro2012 from charges of bias and sensationalism. The document reported on "racism in Ukraine."

We have written to the Polish Journalists Association, the National Broadcasting Council and Radio Eska for more information and will update with any response.

UPDATE: 6/30/2012 9:56 AM EST: Stanisław Maksymowicz of The National Broadcasting Council's press office told us that the council has reviewed the comments and determined them to be in "violation of Art. 18 par. 1 of the Broadcasting Act. of December 29, 1992 (unofficial English text: http://www.krrit.gov.pl/Data/Files/_public/pliki/office/broadcasting-act_10-08-2011.pdf)."

That code says: "Programmes or other broadcasts may not encourage actionscontrary to law and Poland’s raison d’Etat or propagate attitudes and beliefs contrary to the moral values and social interest. In particular, they may not include contents inciting to hatred or discriminating on grounds ofrace, disability, sex, religion or nationality."

 Possible actions include fines or a "revoke of the broadcasting license," Maksymowicz wrote.
 

Line
Print   Print
Line
Twitter   Tweet
Report an Error Report an Error
Email   E-mail
Link Send a Tip
 
 
  RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS
 
Checkout iMediaEthics Resources for Educators, a helpful section for colleges, institutions, students and teachers.
Ethics Codes Case Studies Sites We Like
Ethics Codes Case Studies Sites We Like
 
   DAVID MOORE ON POLLS [See All]   
9 in 10 Americans can be classified as Racist against Either Blacks or Whites?  What the AP Poll on Racial Attitudes really tells Us, Part 2.
PollSkeptic Report:   9 in 10 Americans can be classified as Racist...
What the AP Poll on Racial Attitudes Really Tells Us, Part 1
PollSkeptic Report:   What the AP Poll on Racial Attitudes Really Tells...
David Moore
PollTalk Blog:   3 in 10 Voters Believe Armed Revolution Might Be...
   MORE BY THIS AUTHOR [See All]   
   RELATED STORIES
 
Al Jazeera Unpublishes 'Last of the Semites' Op-Ed, Admits It 'should have handled this better'
Al Jazeera Unpublishes 'Last of the Semites' Op-Ed, Admits It 'should have handled this better'
Al Jazeera unpublished an op-ed column by Joseph Massad...
 
Association of Food Journalists Revise Ethics Guidelines to 'Advance Ethical Standards'
Association of Food Journalists Revise Ethics Guidelines to 'Advance Ethical Standards'
The Association of Food Journalists released a revised...
 
NYT Public Editor Calls for One Standard in Using Photoshop, Disclosures
NYT Public Editor Calls for One Standard in Using Photoshop, Disclosures
A discussion on Photoshopping images in the news was...
 
Did US Justice Dept snooping put AP anonymous sources at risk?
Did US Justice Dept snooping put AP anonymous sources at risk?
How many anonymous sources were put at risk by the...
 
'Transgender Issues' after Apparent Suicide of Teacher Lucy Meadows, PCC to Advise Media
'Transgender Issues' after Apparent Suicide of Teacher Lucy Meadows, PCC to Advise Media
The UK Press Complaints Commission announced last week...
 
 Call To Penalize Media Outlets Violating Journalism Ethics in Ghana
Call To Penalize Media Outlets Violating Journalism Ethics in Ghana
Ghana Institute of Journalism rector David Newton called...
 
   SIMILAR TOPIC
 
Al Jazeera Unpublishes 'Last of the Semites' Op-Ed, Admits It 'should have handled this better'
Al Jazeera Unpublishes 'Last of the Semites' Op-Ed, Admits It 'should have handled this better'
Al Jazeera unpublished an op-ed column by Joseph Massad...
 
South Korean News Denies Photoshop of Obama, Park Geun-hye, Admits to failed caption
South Korean News Denies Photoshop of Obama, Park Geun-hye, Admits to failed caption
South Korean news organization Yonhap News Agency...
 
Cleveland 'Hero' Charles Ramsey's Criminal Past Highlighted, ABC Affiliate says 'Sorry'
Cleveland 'Hero' Charles Ramsey's Criminal Past Highlighted, ABC Affiliate says 'Sorry'
 
Toronto Star's Front-Page Apology 1st in 18 Years, Story was 'Entirely Wrong,' Public Editor Says
Toronto Star's Front-Page Apology 1st in 18 Years, Story was 'Entirely Wrong,' Public Editor Says
 
   TWITTER
   FACEBOOK
   LATEST STORIES [See All]