Main sources of news
In recent years, news consumption habits have shifted from traditional to digital. Between 2013 and 2022, the share of Poles reading news online more than doubled, reaching the value of 64 percent. WP.pl and Onet.pl were considered the most influential websites.Despite this shift, television remains an important source of acquiring news content; 6 in 10 Poles quoted TVN as their preferred television channel for obtaining news. Consequently, the Polish 24-hour commercial news channel TVN24 was the leader among news and information TV channels in the country, with a viewability rate of nearly 5 percent as of March 2023. The most frequently watched TV news program was Fakty, with an average of almost 3 million viewers.
Fake news
The term fake news refers to information that is intentionally and verifiably false, intending to manipulate people's perceptions of facts and events. Fake news often results in damaging the reputation of a person or entity in question. As of 2021, approximately 9 in 10 Poles have encountered the term 'fake news'.When asked about fake news sources, two thirds of Polish consumers named television; relatively few cited scientific publications. In 2021, the most popular fake news in the climate and energy category was that nuclear power plants threatened local residents. About one in four Poles also believed that manufacturers hid information about harmful ingredients or food additives.
The higher the index score, the better the press freedom situation in a country. In 2023, the aforementioned index in Poland was 67.66 points, which, according to the score, meant a problematic situation.
