Poland regulator investigates Telewizja Republika over Krakow shooting coverage

The National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has launched an inquiry into the private television station Telewizja Republika following its coverage of a fatal shooting in Krakow. The investigation follows complaints that the outlet spread disinformation and incited panic regarding the incident.

During a live broadcast from the scene, the station’s editor-in-chief, Tomasz Sakiewicz, claimed that no police were present at the site because emergency forces had allegedly been sent to Warsaw to manage protests near the Constitutional Tribunal. However, footage from Polish public television showed police officers and vehicles in the immediate vicinity of the reporter.

The investigation comes after a 24-year-old man drove a car into Krakow’s main square and opened fire, killing six people and wounding 16 others. Polish Culture Minister Marta Cieśniewska criticized the station for broadcasting unverified information and using the tragedy for political agitation. KRRiT President Agnieszka Glapiak has initiated fact-finding proceedings, which include requesting explanations and broadcast recordings from the station to determine if any violations of the Radio and Television Act occurred.