Censorship in Gazeta Poznańska during October ’56 thaw Cover Image

Cenzura wobec problematyki „odwilży” 1956 roku na łamach Gazety Poznańskiej
Censorship in Gazeta Poznańska during October ’56 thaw

Author(s): Piotr Swacha
Subject(s): Media studies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: censorship; October ’56; newspapers; Poznan

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the article is to point out the outlook of Local Censorship Office in Poznań to articles about political changes in Poland in 1956, which were published in Gazeta Poznańska. The previous research on the attitude of the press and censorship during the “Polish October” focused primarily on newspapers which were considered revisionist. Gazeta Poznańska was edited by Regional Committee of the Polish United Workers` Party and presented an official conservative point of view. The article was based on the documents from State Archive in Poznań. The basis of arrangements presented in the article were the result of the analysis of source documents created by Local Censorship Office in Poznań. They made it possible to create a category of texts which were consistently excluded from publication. This group included articles on the increase in wages and focused on the movements of Soviet troops in Poland. Censorship also blocked opinions that evaluated the earlier period of the Communist Party governments too critically and suggested dissatisfaction with the ongoing changes. The activity of censorship in Gazeta Poznańska in the year 1956 also indicates what type and level f criticism of the Communist Party at that time was considered to be admissible. The outlook of Local Censorship Office in Poznań to Gazeta Poznańska in the period of 1956 changes in Poland showed what type and level of criticism was acceptable in the Polish United Workers’ Party’s press.

  • Issue Year: 2014
  • Issue No: 1 (217)
  • Page Range: 76-93
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish
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