Free speech is a concept...

...that some don’t understand.

As Our man in Gdansk notes, being a journalist in the mainstream Polish media is becoming a hazardous business, in these dark days.

He says:

This time it's Mariusz Ziomecki, who called a League of Polish Families deputy a "babsztyl" (big fat aul' one) and a liar in a tabloid, and is now being investigated for "defaming a public functionary." The prosecutor's office called him in for questioning.

'Our man' wants to know what could possibly be the topic of discussions and enquiry – the comments are in the public realm already.

But what the prosecutor will want to know is the motive behind the comments. They are also using the occasion to intimidate journalists in the private sector into more self-censorship.

In the public sector media journalists are being asked to hand over lists of names that they use as commentators. If who ever is in charge – often a government functionary – doesn’t like some of the names on the list then they are banned from the airwaves.

The coalition government feels under siege from a media where they have few friends. It’s interesting to note that all the mainstream weekly titles – even the right wing conservative Wprost – are lining up to have a go at the government. It’s unprecedented in the western world that a government has no friends at all in the MSM.

For friendly coverage the government turns to religious crazies at the Radio Maryja media group who are only too pleased to use ministers for their own peculiar ends.

If I were the government I would drop the intimidation of journalists and try and make some meaningful contacts.

But, at the moment, with opinion polls showing that Law and Justice are retaining their support in the polls, I don’t think this is about to happen anytime soon.