THE FOURTH COMPETITION FOR THE INDEPENDENT LOCAL PRESS

In October, IDEE held its Fourth Competition for the Independent Local Press in Poland.  More than 700 newspapers and publications have participated in the four competitions, approximately 300 of which have received awards and recognition with a total value of more than $185,000.

Why we find the support for local newspapers so important? -- few words from the juror of the last IDEE competition and co-owner and editor-in-chief of the local weekly Wiadomo?ci O?awskie, Jerzy Kami?ski:

It's accepted that from an aerodynamic point of view, a bumble-bee should not to able be fly, but it does. The same could be said of local newspapers. Frequently, from the point of view of national and regional papers, local newspapers don’t fly. How could they without several reporters, an office secretary and photographer on staff? But local newspapers most frequently operate just this way. Managing from month to month, through the pages of our newspapers, we prove that in local communities life differs from that shown in the world of the colorful weeklies, the national media and that described by an outsider. Here, in your and our newspapers, life is simply closer to the truth.
 
As a juror I spent several days in Warsaw reviewing nearly 200 local newspapers, participating in the nation-wide competition. Immediately afterwards, I flew to Belarus for several days, where (...) I assisted in establishing the first independent local press association there. Both of these places and both of these situations reminded me of something which Poles should not forget today.
 
Despite the dictatorship of Lukashenka, new newspapers are being established in Belarus which shows that the Belarusan nation continues to exist. Some of these newspapers are very small, with print runs below 1000 copies. (...) However, Belarusan newspapers continue to lack a local accent. People still do not realize that real life occurs just around the corner, in the backyard and next door. They can’t yet know about this because they are fighting for more important issues – for their survival. (...)
 
Reading the Polish local newspapers participating in the IDEE competition, I understood how lucky Poland was to have local newspapers. I also understood that one should return to the country from the East so that appropriate proportions can be maintained as well as an awareness of how much we still differ from the West and from Poland of a few years ago.
 
Reading your newspapers I suddenly found myself in many different places. Wonderful places with their own problems, troubles, quarrels and sadness, and simultaneously with joy, happiness, achievements and dreams. In the smallest of the competing newspapers, which a spirited journalist publishes for two villages in a print run of 150 copies, I read that the most important problem for those people is what to do with the ashes which to date have simply been dumped into ditches. There was no coverage of the Clinton – Lewinski affair, the situation in the Balkans or Kwasniewski’s education. (...)
 You write about what most effects you. These are the most basic issues. Potholes in the road, the death of a neighbor, an inept director, a councilor-thief, the lack of green areas, too little money. You also write about what makes you happy: that a child was born, that a monument is being unveiled for which everyone has been waiting, that the boy scouts had the first meeting of the year, that the priest has taken a group on a pilgrimage, or that a building has finally been painted.
 
 

From the History of the Competitions

1991 - The First Competition was held in order to provide material assistance to newspapers and publications as well as publishing houses, coming out of the so-called underground of the 1980’s, who wanted to continue activity in the new political and economic (free market) conditions as well as those who wanted to begin this type of activity. A total of 135 newspapers and publications participated in the competition, of which 60 newspapers and 22 publications won awards ranging from 150 to 5000 USD (a total of 135,500 USD was awarded). Among the winners were publishing houses which operated underground in the 1980’s (such as Kr?g, Most, PEN, Pokolenie, Pomost, Przed?wit) as well as national and regional cultural, literary, historical, social and political periodicals; and in addition local newspapers, new on the Polish press market, including among others Gazeta Kociewska, Gazeta S?upecka, G?os ?ukowa and Pa?uki.

1992 - The Second Competition for the Independent Local Press was addressed exclusively to local newspapers. Among the 255 competing papers, prizes were awarded to 99 which included 7 winners from the First competition. The winners received equipment (computers, printers, scanners, electronic typewriters, dictaphones) as well as computer software with a total value of 30,000 USD. The primary criteria for evaluation was the quality of the newspapers’ contents, but also taken into account was the financial situation of each paper as well as the methods of obtaining advertising and classified ads, distribution and marketing. The results of the second competition showed that the assistance granted to newspapers maintained from the sale of the print run and advertising (i.e., self-financing) was the most effective, as financial independence is a condition for editorial independence. This type of press, described as the independent local press as opposed to those newspapers being the mouthpiece of local governments and political parties, was the target group of the IDEE Foundation’s Third  Competition.

1993-1994 - The Third Competition for the Independent Local Press was addressed exclusively to independent local newspapers. Also invited to participate were periodicals engaged in national and ethnic minority issues. A total of 176 periodicals participated in the competition, of which the jury selected 77 winners – 63 periodicals received awards in the form of computer equipment and software with a total value of $40,000, while 14 periodicals were singled out for distinction. Among the winning and distinguished newspapers were 33 winners of the second competition, and 3 newspapers (Pa?uki, Gazeta S?upecka and G?os ?ukowa) were three-time winners.
 

1998 - The Fourth Competition for the Independent Local Press. All editorially and financially independent local newspapers as well as national minority newspapers were invited to participate. Several hundred newspapers responded to the announcement placed in the national, regional and local media, among which 163 qualified to participate, i.e., sent to the IDEE Foundation a copy of their paper and a completed questionnaire which concerned, among others, financial backing, print run, circulation, contents, organization of office work and the history of the paper. Some of the responses also contained remarks on the role of the local press and the independence of the local media. The jury evaluated the newspapers taking the following criteria into account:
I. The role of the newspaper in the local community;
II. The journalistic skills and content quality;
III. Designe and visual style;
IV. Organization of office work;
V. Management, marketing and financing;
VI. General impressions - originality.

 A total of 30 newspapers received awards in the form of grants ranging from $150 to $1,150 with a total value of $20,000 and 12 newspapers were singled out for distinction.
 

Fragments of speeches letters given during the award ceremony of the The Fourth Competition for the Independent Local Press:

 (...) I am very sorry that I could not be with you today to honor the people without whom there would be no real basis for democracy – the publishers and journalists of the independent local press. I am very pleased that so many of you were able to come to today’s ceremony and see that together you represent probably the most important editorial staff in Poland and you probably reach a greater number of readers than the most widely-known national newspapers.
 The awards, although relatively modest, are recognition of the unusual role played by the local press, often published by enthusiasts-positivists.
 I would like to congratulate you for your mutual cooperation with IDEE and for your cooperation with the local press in Belarus, Slovakia, Ukraine and in other countries.
Irena Lasota, President of IDEE in Washington
(from an letter to the participants of the awards ceremony for the winners of the Fourth Competition for the Independent Local Press)

 What is freedom? How do you measure it? In the 1970’s and 1980’s we believed that freedom is being able to publish your own newspaper. Without censorship and external pressure you can speak out about what you deem to be important and necessary, and you can do so by working with people that you want to work with. Maybe this is why there were so many underground newspapers.
 And today? A person publishing a newspaper, the smallest, the most modest, but independent, continues to be free. And although you are facing many serious problems, and even threats, it is your newspapers that comprise the foundation and are the measure of Poland’s freedom. I wish you strength and perseverance in the struggle which you are waging and, with all my heart, I wish you victory.
Ma?gorzata Naimska, Director of the IDEE Foundation
Fragments of a speech given during the awards ceremony for the winners of the Fourth Competition for the Independent Local Press, Warsaw, 24 October 1998

 In 1990 we founded the newspaper, but not for the sake of the newspaper itself. For us, it was one of the instruments in order to make changes, to reform the state, the district of the city. There is no question that it was a political tool, but it was free from all the negative connotations associated with this phrase today. The goal was CHANGE – not only economic and political, but moral and spiritual as well. (...)
 I believe that the readers, possibly even unconsciously, are grateful to us that we are not trying to lead them by the hand, like children, or think for them, but we allow them to form their own opinions on the basis of information given in the newspaper. We are aware that sometimes readers may form opinions different from our own. But it couldn’t be otherwise, this is the price of freedom and free choice. Better this than giving people prepared views and opinions which will never be their own.
Robert Ryss, Gazeta Choje?ska (from the competition questionnaire)

 Who in Warsaw knows that ten local periodicals are read from cover to cover in the Ko?cian region by the vast majority of adult residents. Television’s newscast Wiadomo?ci does not have such an audience. Poland is divided into several hundred regions like Ko?cian and the total impact of the local press is powerful. (...)
 Our specific character consists in the newspaper’s very deep philosophical stand in traditions and regional history, as we are convinced that, in the local community, it is difficult to encourage love for the world and people in general, if it is not based on a love for parents, the family home, the land, the community or historical heritage.
Jerzy Wizerkaniuk, Wiadomo?ci Ko?cia?skie (from the competition questionnaire)

 A local newspaper should be:
 - unsinkable, i. e., successful regardless of the wishes of influential persons in small towns and districts;
 - difficult to intimidate; journalists must possess the psychological skills necessary not to be intimidated, stifled, provoked, blackmailed...
Roman Janusz R?czy, Obserwacje, Namys?ów (from the competition questionnaire)

 Some of the local former communists believe G?os Siemiatycz is a Catholic-oriented newspaper, while the local parish priest is suggesting to one of the local monks that he not write in G?os, but only in Catholic newspapers. Some people believe G?os Siemiatycz is too closely associated with “Solidarity,” yet my contacts with the local AWS are somewhat chilly. There are those who call my newspaper a “Jewish newspaper” and others who call it a “Catholic paper.” Others who do not like the reports from the city council meetings say that it is not G?os Siemiatycz but G?os Nowickiego. (...) From the opinions cited above it can be seen that our paper is close to being independent.
Jerzy Nowicki, G?os Siemiatycz (from the competition questionnaire)

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Fragments of speeches given during the meeting with government and parliamentary representatives:

 Local newspapers reach readers which no other periodicals reach – they are close to the readers, (...) they try mainly to actually inform and not indoctrinate or teach, allow various opinions and views to be printed in their papers. Due to this, they are opinion makers.
 (...) Active people who want to do something and have ideas congregate around these newspapers. The newspapers initiate various activities, intervene in difficult social issues, sponsor local cultural events and promote talented young people. Local newspapers confirm the feeling of pride which readers have in their community.
 One of the basic functions of a local newspaper is its role as a watchdog. The life of the majority of newspapers is longer than the term of individual city councilors, boards and mayors. A councilor is elected with the votes of several dozen or several hundred people, for a period of four years. A newspaper is “elected” by several thousand or tens of thousands of readers every week, who do so with their own money.
Jacek W. ??ski, editor-in-chief of the local weekly Gazeta Radomszcza?ska

 Many of the private newspapers, the representatives of which we see here, are well-organized ventures, also from the economic point of view. However, they have their own defined scale of activity and are not able to match the competition of foreign capital and local government newspapers, as it is not a level playing field. And there is something worth competing for. We know better than anyone the problems of the cities and towns and, for our readers, we are the source of information regarding the world surrounding them and the reforms which the government is introducing. (...) Be aware that we are your ally, who does not need assistance but needs to be treated seriously as a partner.
Leszek Ozimek, editor-in-chief of the local weekly Gazeta Goleniowska
 

Sponsors of the Fourth Competition for the Independent Local Press (in alphabetical order)
United States Information Service
Royal Netherlands Embassy
Stefan Batory Foundation Plus GSM
Publishing House Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN SA