Kapitał niemiecki w polskich mediach: polityczne implikacje tego zjawiska

Abstract

German syndicates occupy a dominant position in Poland in the sphere of mass media. They concentrate their investments on the press market especially when regarding its two segments what means newspapers and magazines market. The entire circulation of all newspapers and magazines connected with the German capital has been estimated at over than 9 mln issues although German sources mention even 20 mln. Present divergences regarding the estimation of assets of German investors are caused mainly by the various legal status of publishing companies connected with Western capital what hinders identification of all subordination and connections occurring in this sphere. However, German syndicates did not achieve their supremacy immediately. The process of attaining Polish press market lasted a few years and one can distinguish its theree characteristic phases: 1) soundings of the market — 1990—1992, 2) intensive expansion — 1993—1994, 3) stabilization of influences — 1995—1996. This process certainly provoked different reactions mostly of political character. However, one can separate two contrary currents in voices and opinions estimating influences of the German capital in the Polish media. The first one indicates negative sides of the phenomenon with predominant assumption that growing significance of the German syndicates in the Polish press is a threat of „total domination in the material and mental spheres”. The process is treated as a natural consequence of Polish entrance to the way of capitalistic development in the second current.