The 1989–1990 breakthrough in Polish press then and now
Artur Trudzik
The 1989–1990 breakthrough events (the so-called The Autumn of Nations) which took place in Poland were one of the most important moments not only in Polish and central-eastern European history but also in the history of the world. Representatives of all humanistic disciplines have researched this time period hence needed was also a media studies analysis. Even “superficial” observation of the transition taking place in Poland twenty years ago leads us to believe that the reception and evaluation of the changes was different then from what it is now. It was worth to carry out more in-depth comparative research in order to confirm this hypothesis.
The article presents key events which took place in 1989 and 1990 based on their coverage in domestic press; the regime press, the newly emerging free press and regional periodical press, how it was perceived by society as well as assessment of the breakthrough two decades later. Moreover, some conclusions were drawn regarding whether Poles took full advantage of these two decades of freedom.KEYWORDS
1989/90 breakthrough then and now, media and politics, Polish press on The Autumn of Nations