Poland
Polish President Lech Kaczynski's Visit To Iraq
Classified Polnews
The surprise visit by Polish President Lech Kaczynski to Iraq received very little television coverage in Poland. The coverage of his visit to Iraq that he did get was not so much about what he did, or about him for that matter, but more about who accompanied him on the trip.
Journalists took note of the fact that Elzbieta Kruk, who lost her position as the Chairman of the Radio and TV Board after the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that she was improperly appointed, accompanied the president on his trip. Journalists did not understand why this woman went to Iraq.
In response to questions journalists were informed that her trip had been arranged prior to her appointment as head of the Polish media board. She said that she was invited as the deputy chairman of the Sejm Committee for Special Services.
Her spokesman said that she was in Iraq to start talking about how Poland can help Iraq in developing their media and besides there are Polish soldiers in Iraq and that requires media coverage, too.
President said that she was his associate in the Bureau of National Security 15 years ago.
The overall portrayal of the president's visit to Iraq was not flattering. Chairman of the Radio and TV Board was not made to look good. And President Kaczynski did not get coverage that prevented him from giving a viewer some feeling that something was not right.
President Kaczynski brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has been engaged in it a media war. The Kaczynski brothers may be finding out that the press has many ways to fight the media war. The press is all around them and does not have to make a frontal attack. It only has to point out enough things that don't make sense to gain an upper hand in the battle.
Unfortunately for President Kaczynski who went to Iraq for purposes that are sure to be beneficial to the country of Poland, the media war started by his political party appears to have affected his ability to get more positive coverage of his activities.
How Elzbieta Kruk will treat this coverage when she returns to her position as Chairman of the Radio and TV Board is sure to get further attention by the media.
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