ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the Polish media coverage of the 2009 European Parliamentary election. The chapter analysis media selected have been actively involved in political life during all national elections since 1989. For political parties as well as voters and the media, participating in European Parliamentary election campaigns is still a new democratic experience. The main question is: what kind of new coverage entrenched or critical journalism was characteristic for the 2009 European Parliamentary Election. Critical journalism, contrary to Patterson's definition based on American experience, is considered as the guardian of media performance principles. European issues were less salient issues on the agenda of the mainstream media, which also correlates with the insignificant position of European issues on the parties and public agendas. Overall, the data thus confirm the hypothesis that the 2009 EP election was treated as a second-order national election in Poland.
