Rather than directly criticise Polish affairs, German government officials brief journalists on how to portray Poland. Recommendations include "wild east", "Putin-style rule", "dismantling of the rule of law", etc. That way the government cannot be accused of meddling in another country's affairs and has the alibi of saying "in a free country such as ours the media are free to write whatever they want". The situaiton is simialr to the GDR era, when journalsits were told what to write on any given subject.
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telewizjarepublika.pl/niemiecki-rzad-informuje-media-jak-pisac-o-polsce-quotdziki-wschodquot-quotputinowski-model-wladzyquot,31674.html