BBC World Service is launching a new pilot Polish language news website. BBC News Polska will also include content on its social channels.
Debuting on 24 June 2025, the BBC says the website will deliver “independent and impartial news” in text and video for Polish-speaking audiences.
The BBC says it wants to help counter a wave of disinformation in the region, providing news and analysis on areas audiences are seeking information on, including the ongoing wars and conflicts, health, climate change, and the cost of living.
AI will be used to help translate existing BBC News content into the Polish language. Video content, distributed over Facebook and Instagram, will feature BBC presenters Kasia Madera and Tomasz Schafernaker.
Deputy Global Director, BBC News, Fiona Crack, said: “Launching BBC News Polska, we are bringing together the most effective practices of working responsibly and innovatively with AI to reach Polish-speakers with the best of the BBC’s global and regional journalism. Following successful trials and advances in translation services, we are able to launch a new offer alongside original stories and fresh angles from our excellent Polish-speaking team. We look forward to building an audience for whom this content will serve as a welcome and required source of trusted news and information.”
The translation of BBC reporting will always have human editorial oversight and, where used, will be clearly labelled. It is the first time the BBC has used AI in this way.
The BBC would like to expand such services further, but in order to do so needs additional funding, the UK government being the primary souce.
“This is part of a strategy that would see the BBC’s global reach grow and advance the case for democratic values. But to do this, the BBC World Service would need a long-term sustainable funding arrangement to build on these foundations and to secure our global public service journalism for the future,” said Global Director and Deputy CEO, BBC News, Jonathan Munro.
The BBC is the most recognised international news brand in Poland reaching around 5.1m people every week in the country – around a fifth of the country’s adult population.
