Constructing Credibility: The Political Economy of "Truth" and State Colonization Within the Polish Press Agency (PAP)

In the contemporary "post-truth" landscape, the boundary between objective evidence and political narrative is increasingly contested. This paper critically examines the Polish Press Agency (PAP) not merely as a neutral purveyor of information, but as a primary site where the relationship between evidence and policy is negotiated, instrumentalized, and occasionally subverted. By analyzing the institutional evolution and output of PAP, this study explores how state-controlled news agencies navigate the tension between journalistic "truth-telling" and the pressures of party colonization. The research is structured around the shifting political economy of the agency. A central focus is the "party colonization" of the media - a process wherein the agency’s editorial independence is compromised by institutional and legal frameworks designed to align its output with the ruling power’s strategic goals. We further expand this analysis by investigating PAP’s financial architecture. By scrutinizing its current reliance on state funding and exploring its developmental strategies to seek diversified, non-state financing, we question whether financial autonomy is a viable path to depoliticization or if the "truth" remains a commodity tethered to the state’s fiscal control. Building on a longitudinal study, the 2021 phase established a high degree of political dependency within the PAP’s systemic role (H1). The 2025 phase deepens this inquiry through a comparative content analysis of Polish and English-language materials. We test hypotheses regarding the agency’s role in "rebranding" Poland for international audiences (H1a) and its alignment with foreign policy imperatives (H1b). Furthermore, in light of recent governmental shifts and heightened geopolitical volatility- specifically regarding security and Western alliances (H1c) - this study evaluates how PAP constructs a specific version of "evidence-based" security narratives to justify policy shifts. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study utilizes MAXQDA-supported content analysis, systems analysis, and desk research to decode the interpretive frames used by the agency. By highlighting the intersection of financial pressures, political colonization, and narrative construction, this paper offers a critical perspective on whether a national press agency can truly function as an independent arbiter of truth in an era where evidence is increasingly treated as a tool of statecraft.