A Polish investigative journalist has been honored with a prestigious award, recognizing his perform exposing corruption and challenging those in power. The recognition comes as the reporter faces increasing personal attacks linked to his reporting.
The journalist, who has been reporting for over two decades, has been repeatedly nominated for and won some of Poland’s top journalism prizes. He received the Grand Press award in both 2021 and 2022, and was similarly honored with the Polish-German Journalism Award named after Tadeusz Mazowiecki in 2018. He has also been a finalist for the Radio Zet award and the Darius Fikus award in multiple years.
His recent investigations have focused on sensitive political and business dealings, including a controversial meeting between President Karol Nawrocki and intelligence chiefs. According to reports, during the meeting, the president repeatedly used snuff while speaking with those present. More details about the meeting are available here.
The journalist also recently reported on the arrest of a Ministry of National Defense employee suspected of espionage, alleging the individual had direct contacts with Russian and Belarusian intelligence agencies. Further information on this story can be found here.
However, his work has not come without consequence. The reporter has been the target of a coordinated campaign of harassment and intimidation from groups described as being connected to pro-government media and political figures. The attacks have extended to his family, including scrutiny of a past accident involving his partner, surveillance of his son, and checks into his mother’s financial records.
“They dug into almost a fatal accident involving my partner, followed my son, dug into my retired mother’s passport records and checked where she earns money. And today, some people are branding themselves as among the most hated journalists, even though they may have once stood in line at a store…” the journalist wrote in a recent post that gained widespread attention.
The escalating attacks highlight the challenges facing independent journalism in the region and the lengths to which some will go to discredit critical reporting. The case underscores the importance of protecting journalists and their families from intimidation and harassment.
