Poland in Focus: Press freedom under attack in Central and Eastern Europe?

A free press is a core element of any functioning democracy. Yet the situation has worsened on all continents, as can be seen in the 2021 Reporters Without Borders ranking of press freedom. The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a justification to further crackdown on journalistic independence. We invited Pavol Szalai, Head of EU/Balkans Desk at Reporters Without Borders, to discuss the press freedom situation in Europe with a special focus on the Eastern European region. The interview was conducted by Aleksandra Kuśnierkiewicz. Joanna Jakubowska was the publisher of this episode.