Przemysław Babiarz, a Polish State television (TVP) journalist, will return to commentating on the Olympics after his suspension.
He had been barred for describing the John Lennon song Imagine as ‘Communist’. The decision to suspend him spurred numerous sports journalists and some sport personalities to sign a petition publically demanding his reinstatement.
The solidarity of the journalist fraternity in Poland was part of a media and social media storm over the barring of the senior Polish journalist for his comment during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics Games on July 26.
Regarding the lyrics of Imagine, Babiarz said: “A world without heaven, nations and religion. This is a vision of peace for all. It is also, unfortunately, a vision called Communism.”
Many posters on social media criticised his statement as being unnecessarily political during the Olympics while others pointed to it being factually correct, since Lennon himself admitted that the vision his song presents is a sugarcoated vision of Communism.
The management at TVP agreed with the critics and on July 27 announced the suspension of Babiarz.
“Mutual understanding, tolerance and reconciliation are not only part of the Olympic ideal, they are also a fundament and standard by which TVP lives. We cannot agree to them being violated,” the station said.
“This is why, following the scandalous remarks by Przemysław Babiarz, we inform that he has been suspended from his duties and will not be commentating on the Olympic Games.”
TVP’s decision was slammed by those who agreed with Babiarz, among them former Conservative (PiS) prime ministers Mateusz Morawiecki and Beata Szydło alongside some MPs from the Left party expressed their dismay at the suspension.
On July 31, Prime Minister Donald Tusk took to social media to comment on TVP’s handling of the matter and stated: “I don’t know what’s sillier, the comment by Babiarz or the decision to suspend him. Thank goodness the Olympics are about athletes and not journalists or managers.”
This added to the pressure that had been applied by the public petition signed by 130 sports journalists and well known Polish athletes. That called for the reinstatement of Babiarz and for freedom of expression to be honoured. Poland’s Ombudsman Marian Wiącek also intervened, stating that he would be investigating the matter.
TVP’s management on August 1 decided to reinstate Babiarz enabling him to return to commentating on the Games, a role he has held for nearly 30 years.
Poland’s journalist community is deeply divided by the apparent polarisation in Polish political life over the past 20 years and expressions of solidarity are rare. That is despite the fact that sackings and suspensions for political reasons are not unusual in the public media when one set of rulers replaces another.
Babiarz, who has never hidden his Conservative views and Catholic beliefs, had remained silent since July 26. Following his reinstatement, he told Polish tabloid Fakt that, despite his suspension, he had stayed in Paris to help his colleagues prepare for their commentaries, hoping that TVP would change its mind, and thanked his supporters.
He said he had found the whole matter “upsetting but not traumatic” and insisted he had not violated journalistic standards with his comment on Lennon’s song.
Babiarz pointed out he based his remark on Lennon’s admission that the late artist had been “inspired by the Communist manifesto”. He added that, in his opinion, if anyone mentioned Communism publicly today they had to offer a “sugar coated” version of it.
