Polish-language
Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In additi ...
weekly
news magazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published magazine, radio or television program, usually published weekly, consisting of articles about current events. News magazines generally discuss stories, in greater depth than do newspapers or n ...
published in
Poznań
Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...
, Poland.English magazines in Poland ''Destination Warsaw'' Retrieved 10 December 2013. Each month the weekly provides an English-language supplement, ''WiK English Edition'', which focuses on concerts, exhibitions, and interesting weekend getaways, and an in-depth guide to Warsaw's dining and nightlife. ''Wprost'' had a circulation of 218,000 copies in 2001–02. The circulation of the magazine was 102,987 in 2010 and 115,645 copies in 2011. It was 94,517 copies in 2012. The print and e-edition circulation of the weekly was 130,136 in August 2014.
History and profile
The first issue of ''Wprost'' was released on 5 December 1982, as a regional magazine in
Greater Poland
Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city ...
whereas since 1989 it has transformed into a nationwide magazine. The weekly provides social and political commentary and is based in
Poznań
Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...
. It was designed based on the formats of ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...
'' and ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
'' magazines.
At the beginning of the 2000s the publisher was ''Agencja Wydawniczo-Reklamowa Wprost''. It has been published by Platforma Mediowa Point Group since 2010.
The first
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
of the magazine was Janusz Przybysz who served in the post between 1982 and 1983. Then Waldemar Kosiński was the editor-in-chief and his term ended in 1989. The longest working editor-in-chief was Marek Król (1989-2006) and until December 2006 he acted also as the president and majority shareholder in ''Wprost'' magazine. Between May 2006 and January 2007 duties of the editor-in-chief were fulfilled by Piotr Gabryel. Upon his resignation in 2007, the position was taken by Stanisław Janecki. After acquisition of 80% of shares in Agencja Wydawniczo-Reklamowa “Wprost” by Platforma Mediowa Point Group at the end of 2009, Janecki left the magazine and Katarzyna Kozłowska became the acting editor-in-chief. Tomasz Lis was in charge of the magazine between May 2010 and 2012. Michał Kobosko was appointed
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
in February 2012 and served in the post until 2013.
Under auspices of the weekly, the jury composed of winners of previous editions grants annual Kisiel Prizes. Wprost weekly itself has granted Man of the Year awards. The magazine has published numerous periodical rankings, such as “Top 100 Richest Poles”, “Top 100 Most Influential Poles”, the list of top innovative companies.
Role in the 2014 government bugging scandal
In June 2014, ''Wprost'' published a series of transcripts of secret recordings involving senior Polish government officials which were believed to have been made in one or more restaurants in the capital, Warsaw, and thought to date back as far as Summer 2013.“Poland leak: PM Tusk faces questions in parliament” ''BBC News'', 24 June 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014. These included one in which Radoslaw Sikorski, Polish minister of foreign affairs, was recorded in a conversation with the former Polish finance minister Jacek Rostowski using very derogatory terms to criticise
British Prime Minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern ...
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
and Cameron's handling of the EU to appease
Eurosceptics
Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies, and seek refor ...
. In another transcript the country's Central Bank governor,
Marek Belka
Marek Marian Belka (; born 9 January 1952 in Lódź) is a Polish professor of economics and politician who has served as Prime Minister of Poland and Finance Minister of Poland in two governments. He is a former Director of the International Mo ...
, discussed the forthcoming 2015 election with the interior minister. Sikorski did not deny the remarks attributed to him by ''Wprost'', and Belka said he would not resign over the remarks he is alleged to have made. The publication of the secret recordings led to calls for the resignation of Polish Prime Minister
Donald Tusk
Donald Franciszek Tusk ( , ; born 22 April 1957) is a Polish politician who was President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He served as the 14th Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014 and was a co-founder and leader of the Civic Pl ...
and the launching of an inquiry into how Wprost had obtained them. The magazine's chief editor, Sylwester Latkowski, was questioned as a witness in the inquiry after he resisted attempts to search the magazine's office and computers.“Poland launches probe into wiretapping of officials” ''BBC News'', 17 June 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.