Agora Group is committed to partnership relations with customers, suppliers, business partners, civic organizations, institutions and all stakeholders of Agora Group. We engage in dialogue, listen to their opinions and respond to their needs.
See Agora Group's Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)
Decent work and economic growth
building relations with entities that abide the law, uphold industry standards and respect human rights
developing and maintaining operations along responsible business standard
RESPonsible consumption and production
providing top quality services, responding to the needs and expectations of clients
building positive and lasting relations with clients
fair treatment of our business partners and upholding the highest ethical standards and transparency in relations with them
offering products and services that meet the needs of vulnerable users
users of Gazeta.pl group and Wyborcza.pl group services****
170.5 thou.
number of digital subscriptions of Gazeta Wyborcza at the end of December 2018 *
15.5 thou.
Premium subscriptions of Radio TOK FM at the end of December 2018***
*Source: consolidated financial statements according to IFRS, 2018
** Polish Readership Survey, conducted by Kantar MillwardBrown, I-IX 2018, N = 15 116, CCS (weekly readership index), report of Agora S.A.
*** Total coverage of all services from the group Wyborcza.pl and Gazeta.pl, November 2018. Data: Gemius/PBI, RU 17293098, PV 620203764; elaboration Agora S.A..
Agora Group has a portfolio of very diverse products and services. Businesses of Agora Group publish press, develop and manage internet portals, web services and mobile applications, conduct radio, cinema and restaurant operations, produce and distribute films, deliver advertising and printing services, etc. Among Agora Group’s partners are business organizations as well as individuals. Self-imposed and external regulations (codes, good practices, by-laws) observed by the company ensure high quality of services and products that reach clients and customers and reflect Agora Group’s approach in this area.
Contractors of Agora have been obliged to read and observe the regulations listed in the document. More in Ethics section
Due to the diverse and segmented operations of different entities of Agora Group, the group has not developed a single formal document outlining the rules for dealing with business partners, contractors and suppliers.
Agora has implemented a set of tender procedures, a protocol for signing contracts between Agora and other parties and other documents regulating different types of business relationships, such as for instance Selection Procedure for Service and Product Suppliers by Agora Group Administration Department.
Our relations with stakeholders are based on fair treatment and partnership. We oblige ourselves to fulfil our contracts and obligations faithfully and responsibly and in compliance with the law.
Trade liabilities do not bear interest and are usually settled within 14-60 days.
Liabilities from taxes, duties and insurance premiums do not bear interest and calculated monthly as specified in payment terms.
Current liabilities include liabilities payable to associated entities.
Tab. Efficiency ratios for inventory turnover, debtors and creditors days
Efficiency ratios for inventory turnover, debtors and creditors days
Effectiveness
2017
2018
YOY
Inventory turnover
15 days
16 days
6,7%
Debtors days
61 days
65 days
1,6%
Creditors days
42 days
31 days
6,9%
Source: consolidated financial statements according to IFRS, 2018.
CHALLENGES IN RELATIONS WITH CONTRACTORS
One of the contractors of Agora S.A. is a distributor of printed media – RUCH S.A., that services approximately 30% of the market. In 2018 RUCH experienced financial problems, which affected the distribution of Agora printed press.
Preventive measures adopted by Agora minimized the negative consequences of RUCH’s problems. However, it would be difficult to make secure forecasts as to future developments, due to the high number of factors that influence the financial condition of distributors: sales of the press in shopping centres and activity of publishers, etc.
Meanwhile, due to loss of liquidity of the contractor, Management Board of Agora S.A. cancelled their long-term distribution contracts and continues to monitor the situation of RUCH S.A., while remaining open to talks. Management Board of Agora S.A. decided on PLN 20.3 million write-off of the receivables from Ruch S.A. at risk of default.
Agora S.A. adopted a number of documents regulating relations with customers / clients:
Code of Best Practices in Customer Service
Internal codes, general rules for publishing advertising
Customer service procedures
Complaint processing procedures
Another source of guidelines for relations in business environment, including clients, customers and users is Agora Code of Ethics introduced in October 2018. The document lists principles relating to i.a.: upholding high ethical standards, responsibility for products and services, their quality as well as transparent and clear terms of use and transparent marketing communication.
TRANSPARENT RULES OF THE USE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
We accept responsibility for the services and products we offer. Agora has transparent marketing communications and a set of rules regulating the use of our services, products and applications by the buyer/ user, including the purchase, return and complaints.
Channels of communication with customers in Agora services:
Complaint regulations, including complaint procedure and an obligation to process a complaint within 24 hours (applies to working days) are specified in:
Zasady ogólne zamieszczania reklam i ogłoszeń w wydawnictwach Agory S.A. (General Rules for Publishing Advertising in Publications of Agora SA)
Zasady ogólne zamieszczania reklam serwisach internetowych Agory S.A. (General Rules for Publishing Advertising in Web Services of Agora SA)
Ogólne zasady zamieszczania reklam w portalu Gazeta.pl (General Rules for Publishing Advertising in Gazeta.pl).
Sales and customer service departments of Agora S.A. have protocols for handling complaints with attachments. Register of complaints is kept and used to deliver regular reports.
DIALOGUE WITH CLIENTS VIA THE NEW WEB PAGE OF GAZETA.PL ADVERTISING OFFICE
A new version of the website Reklama.Gazeta.pl was launched in November 2018, presenting key information about the advertising services and products of the portal and examples of the most interesting executions of Gazeta.pl campaigns from recent months. The website offers a form of dialogue with stakeholders, since it allows for collecting feedback from the clients in the form of a survey that has already served for several months to record their opinions.
Agora observes Code of Best Practices in Customer Service and internal codes and procedures, including a complaint handling protocol. The main standard of relations with the users of products and services is Code of Good Practices in Services for Customers, Readers and Users.
The main idea behind the code is to regulate contacts between the employees of Agora Group and customers, readers and users as well as standardize and optimize the mechanisms.
Annexed to the document is a detailed specification of each rule, including guidelines for e-mail exchange, telephone communications and contacts through the social media.
Gazeta.pl conducts regular surveys among its users, asks for their opinions and suggestions. Key conclusions serve to improve the service. The service also delivers user tests and specific surveys, e.g. a survey on activity in the social media among the users.
NEW AD FORMATS OF GAZETA.PL, FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS OF COALITION FOR BETTER ADS
In January 2018, Advertising Office of Gazeta.pl introduced new non-invasive advertising formats that effectively catch a viewer’s eye while not compromising their user experience. The new formats were developed in line with the preferences and standards of Coalition for Better Ads and Google.
The newest solutions offered by Advertising Office of Gazeta.pl are an alternative to ads that, according to Coalition for Better Ads, are the most irritating and cause internet users to install ad blocking software.
The new advertising formats of Gazeta.pl - Prestitial, Small Sticky Ads and Halfpage Mobi – are effective, simple, non-invasive and user-friendly.
Prestitial is a desktop format that appears across the entire screen before its content is displayed. The ad can be entirely skipped, which gives the user a power to decide whether they want to read it. This solution attracts the viewer’s attention and is ideal for image and range building.
Small Sticky Ads appear at the bottom of the screen for 15 seconds. Since an ad covers only a small section of the page and adapts to the screen size, it does not bother users. It catches the eye and stays on the page as it scrolls.
Halfpage Mobi is a mobile format that smoothly scrolls through page content. Anchored in the text, it catches the user’s eye without being irritating.
AMS AND TANDEM MEDIA AWARDED IN THE RANKING OF ADVERTISING BROKERS OF MEDIA&MARKETING POLSKA
Like in earlier years, the teams of Agora Group were ranked high by advertising clients in the report Biura Reklamy 2018, developed by the advertising industry magazine Media&Marketing Polska. Sales teams of AMS and Tandem Media topped their respective categories.
It was AMS advertising office’s ninth time in the report of Media&Marketing Polska and ninth win in the outdoor advertising category. Clients considered AMS a standout for offering attractive formats and technological solutions. AMS sales team members are flexible and efficient in responding to changes and appreciated by clients for offering good advice and interesting solutions, and for quick and thorough response to briefs.
Tandem Media, a advertising broker of Agora, was appreciated in radio and cinema categories. Radio clients trust the team and view it as flexible and efficient, while providing exhaustive response to advertising briefs. Meanwhile in the cinema category, the clients value the team for openness to negotiation and speed of response to queries.
Also the sales teams of Gazeta Wyborcza, Agora magazines and Gazeta.pl gathered positive opinions.
Media&Marketing Polska magazine publishes an annual report Biura Reklamy. Media sales teams are evaluated by a panel of specialists, employees of media houses. Rating criteria include: overall rating of the advertising office, flexibility and effective response to changes in course of the campaign, openness to price negotiations, offering attractive formats and solutions. The survey was delivered with the use of a CATI method on 9-26 October 2018 by Kantar Millward Brown.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AGORA PRINTING PLANTS
On 24 July 2018 Print Segment of Agora S.A. and Agora Poligrafia Sp. z.o.o. introduced Quality Management System based on ISO 9001:2015 standard. The new system replaced its earlier version based on ISO 9001:2008 standard. The main goal of the new management system introduced on 24 July 2018 is:
continue quality improvement through meeting the requirements and expectations of clients, while maintaining profitability increase and financial security of Agora and Agora Poligrafia.
MAIN QUALITY MANAGEMENT GOALS IN PRINTING PLANTS OF AGORA IN 2018:
improve client relations – reduction of complaints
prepare the facilities for the process of re-qualifying for ISO 9001:2015 certification
QUALITY MANAGEMENT GOALS ACHIEVED IN AGORA PRINTING PLANTS IN 2018:
conducted in-house and external training in the requirements of the new certification
performed analyses and defined the context and interested parties, and developed a risk analysis based on the current processes in the Print Segment
executed tasks resulting from risk assessment, changes in the processes and documentation
In the process of preparing the introduction of the new ISO 9001: 2015 standard, employees of Print Segment attended workshops presenting the requirements and mechanisms of the new standard. The sessions were attended by 34 people working in production and related positions in Warsaw, Tychy and Piła printing plants.
RESULTS ACHIEVED IN 2018:
introduced ISO 9001:2015 standard and presented its requirements to the employees
Relations with the environment, including the industry environment, are particularly important to Agora Group. Therefore Agora and its media become involved in initiatives and projects for the benefit of the industry.
Agora Group strives to influence the environment in which it operates. Therefore, its entities are active members of organizations representing specialists in industries relevant to its operations. The most prominent are:
Związek Kontroli Dystrybucji Prasy (ZKDP – ABC Poland),
PBI – Polish Internet Research,
IAB Polska – Internet Advertising Bureau Poland,
IGRZ – Polish Outdoor Advertising Chamber of Commerce,
ReproPol Publishers Association,
Polish Cinemas Association,
Polish Association of New Cinemas,
IAA Polska - International Advertising Association Poland,
ZPAV – Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry,
KIPA – The Polish Audiovisual Producers Chamber of Commerce,
The Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications
The Polish Chamber of Printing
WAN - IFRA – World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers,
INMA – International Newsmedia Marketing Association
EPC – European Publishers Council,
EGTA - European Group of Television Advertising,
UNIC - International Union of Cinemas,
IPI – International Press Institiute
IPI – International Press Institiute
ENPA – European Newspaper Publishers Association
(as on 31 Dec.2018)
Along with joining industry initiatives, Agora Group also takes steps to educate the industry. Employees of Agora share their knowledge and experience with the representatives of clients or business partners, forming a knowledge exchange platform. Similar activities are organized by Gazeta.pl, Radio TOK FM or Agora IT that regularly organize industry conferences and manifest their responsibility by joining industry organizations.
GAZETA.PL EDUCATES THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY IN GAZETA.PL LAB
Gazeta.pl LAB is a series of events for the clients of Gazeta.pl – large expert conferences, small workshops, training sessions, informal breakfast-and-learn meetings, webinars or other events organized to optimize the cooperation of Gazeta.pl with advertisers clients.
100
participants of the conference launching Gazeta.pl LAB
The first conference organized under Gazeta.pl LAB project was held on Tuesday, 23 October 2018 in Warsaw office of Agora on the theme of quality in digital world. Experts of Gazeta.pl and invited guests talked about measuring the effectiveness of content and programmatic marketing or e-commerce. The participants of QUALITY LAB rated the conference high and declared in the post-event questionnaire that they would definitely recommend the event to others.
4.58
average rating of the conference by participants (on a 1-5 scale)
The following Gazeta.pl LAB event – breakfast for the advertising clients of the portal, with Weekend Gazeta.pl as the main theme, was held on 30 October 2018.
Podcasts – a vastly popular format in the English speaking world – are radio programmes available usually in the form of regularly released episodes, for playing on a hand-held device, computer, in the car, etc. Podcasts are released by brands, companies, organizations, media, celebrities, experts, as well as individuals who simply believe they have something to offer to the world. In Poland podcasts have gained a small yet growing popularity, and their creators and fans want to promote this attractive format.
International Podcast Day is an event that gathers the creators of audio content, their fans, journalists, students of journalism, acoustics experts and all people interested in podcasts. The event was held on 29 September 2018. Radio TOK FM – the host and partner of the event, invited participants to join a discussion on this underappreciated format.
100
attendees of the International Podcast Day
The event was an opportunity for integrating the podcaster community, as well as for the promotion of this medium. Polish International Podcast Day events included lectures, a forum for exchange of experiences and networking while attending the event participants could attend nine presentations and special workshops delivered by experts on legal aspects of podcasting and correct language usage.
Agora is committed to building good relations with clients, users and readers. In 2018 we initiated a number of projects to meet the needs of our clients and users.
CAUSE RELATED MARKETING
Cause-related marketing involves inviting readers to support specific causes.
DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERS OF GAZETA WYBORCZA SUPPORT SOCIAL CAUSES AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Gazeta Wyborcza has a long record of supporting pro bono initiatives. In 2018 digital subscriptions of the title yielded ca. PLN 255 thou. in campaigns: Czytasz i pomagasz! (Helping by reading), Prenumerata Solidarnościowa (Solidarity subscripion) and PrenumeRATUJ (SubscribeSAVE) to be donated to selected non-governmental organizations.
255 thousand
from digital subscriptions of 'Gazeta Wyborcza' donated to support social and environmental causes [PLN]
In 2018 the editors of Gazeta Wyborcza invited readers to support their social and environmental goals and encouraged them to get involved in helping. In three campaigns organized by Gazeta to date, purchasers of digital subscriptions could choose one of the following organizations to donate to: Campaign Against Homophobia, Women’s Rights Centre or Association for Legal Intervention, as well as Agora Foundation, Wspólnota Chleb Życia of Sister Małgorzata Chmielewska, Anna Dymna’s Against All Odds Foundation and WWF.
In the latest campaign, digital subscribers could support the protection of a selected endangered species – lynxes, wolves, seals, porpoises, bears or pygmy owls.
Entities of Agora Group search for solutions for providing access to their products to the broadest population of potential consumers – particularly vulnerable, disadvantaged and socially excluded groups. This is in line with the market trend of expanding the availability to top quality products and services.
Among the beneficiaries are people with disabilities, foreigners and veterans.
AUTOMATIC TRANSCRIPTS OF RADIO TOK FM BROADCASTS
Individuals with hearing impairments have limited access to high value broadcasts and podcasts produced by Radio TOK FM. To cater for their needs Radio TOK FM has been developing the system of automatic transcripts generated by speech recognition software that translates spoken word into text.
Full automatic transcripts or their sections are published online to give users a quick look into the content of audio materials as well to enable finding them through external web search machines.
The solution is in its testing phase, only transcripts of selected broadcasts are published and the feature is not a standard element of the online portfolio of Radio TOK FM.
Production and publishing automatic transcripts of TOK FM programmes is an element of Search the radio project of Grupa Radiowa Agora and Google DNI Fund, under Round 4 of Digital News Initiative supporting innovative technologies in the media.
The technological partner of the project is NEWTON Technologies operating on 11 European markets.
PRYVIT – THE FIRST FREE NEWSPAPER FOR UKRAINIANS IN WROCŁAW
6 thousand
copies of Pryvit
Pryvit is the first newspaper addressed to Ukrainians who live in Poland. It is a joint project of Wrocław Gazeta Wyborcza and Fundacja Ukraina. The idea behind Pryvit Wrocław is to help Ukrainians learn more about Wrocław, find out how to benefit from the projects and events organized there and what brings Poles and Ukrainians closer. Free copies of Pryvit Wrocław are available in locations frequented by Ukrainians, the office of Ukraina Foundation, orthodox churches, offices, schools and restaurants managed by Ukrainians.
HELIOS JOINS A PROGRAMME FOR VETERANS
Poland has approximately 17 thousand veterans, many of whom have sustained injuries in the line of duty. Recognizing the great service rendered by Polish soldiers who fight in missions around the world, including military operations of NATO, the EU, UN and other coalitions, Helios joined the programme of Stratpoints Foundation Weterani są wśród nas – Miejsce Przyjazne Weteranom (Veterans Among Us – Veteran-Friendly Places).
Under the programme, any individual with the status of veteran is eligible to purchase reduced price tickets to any Helios cinema upon presenting their veteran card.
SCREENINGS IN UKRAINIAN IN HELIOS CINEMAS
Helios was Poland’s first cinema network to offer special screenings for Ukrainian speakers. Among the titles screened in all 46 cinemas of the network were: 'Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindevald', 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'A Star is Born'.
Selected cinemas played Nutcracker and Four Kingdoms. The project has started to be popular among cinemagoers, distributors and competitors, the latter started screening films with Ukrainian subtitles.
The promotion of this initiative also strengthened the diversity character of the project by including posters, press information and a website (www.helios.pl/seanse_ua) in Ukrainian.
The project is continued in 2019.
KULTURA DOSTĘPNA (ACCESSIBLE CULTURE) IN HELIOS CINEMAS
4.4 thousand
screenings of 50 Polish film productions 'Accessible Culture' programme within
Kultura Dostępna w Kinach (Accessible Culture in Helios Cinemas) is a programme developed to bring Polish film to a broad range of viewers and to promote Polish cinema through offering affordable ticket prices.
In 2018 all Helios cinemas around Poland presented nearly 50 Polish titles in 4.4 thousand screenings (every Thursday).
Viewers could watch critically acclaimed and internationally awarded films produced in Poland such as: Pokot, Loving Vincent, Plan B, Twarz, Cold War, Cicha noc, Listy do M. 3, Po prostu przyjaźń, Najlepszy, Sztuka Kochania. Historia Michaliny Wisłockiej.
Kultura Dostępna w Kinach is a part of the Kultura Dostępna national programme delivered by the National Centre for Culture and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Among the key values and principles that govern the operations of Agora Group’s media are: independence and dedication to content quality and reliability.
Agora’s media also strive to help their consumers develop skills of conscious media usage and critical thinking. Agora’s journalists and other employees join social campaigns and initiate activities, campaigns and projects that activate local communities and address important social problems.
Among Agora’s products are ones that address problems, issues and topics important for the society.
#ZWYKLINIEZWYKLI AND #MICRODOC VIDEO CYCLES BY WIDEO GAZETA.PL
8.8 million
views of 10 episodes of #zwykliniezwykli
Surveys conducted by Gazeta.pl reveal that our users look for people’s stories. They want to be proud to be a Pole and are fed up with hate speech. Microdocs is a series of unique, high-quality videos, available only on Gazeta.pl, that address this need.
Their subjects are ordinary yet exemplary people who overcome their own limitations, break through stereotypes, inspire, surprise, do good. The idea behind the cycle is to introduce such people to the public and evoke warm, positive emotions, inspire and motivate to take action.
The creators deliberately steer clear of hate and sensational content, instead venture to speak about difficult issues such as homelessness, poverty, illness, disability, etc.; topics that invite reflection in viewers.
Ten episodes were produced in 2018, with the portraits of everyday heroes the audience would like to meet – leaders of community projects, non-governmental organizations: Jadłodzielnia (Foodshare), Medycy na Ulicy (Street doctors), Daj obiad (Share your lunch), etc.
VIDEO SERIES OF WYBORCZA.PL W POŻYCZONYCH GARNITURACH (IN BORROWED SUITS)
30 thousand
views of the first 3 episodes of W pożyczonych garniturach (In Borrowed Suits)
Jakub Hartwich and Adrian Glinka, both wheelchair-bound, are the faces of the two-week protest organized by Parents of People with Disabilities in the Polish Parliament in 2018.
Video department of Wyborcza.pl invited them to work together on a series of videos for sensitizing people to the problems of individuals with disabilities.
The film also fills a gap in the Polish media landscape, a broadcast dedicated to the problems of the disabled with two hosts representing the community.
The series of videos W pożyczonych garniturach (In Borrowed Suits) was launched in July 2018.
Guests included: Jurek Owsiak, who offered suggestions for making the best of the protest of Kuba and Adrian, and how to engage people in civic activities, stimulate empathy and shared responsibility; candidates in local elections, as well as Czesław Mozil or Janina Ochojska, who discussed access to education to people with disabilities as well consolidating the fragmented disabled community.
NEWSMAVENS.COM – EUROPE’S FIRST NEWS SERVICE CREATED EXCLUSIVELY BY WOMEN
NewsMavens.com is a news service in English that offers unique roundup of the most interesting and important news curated by women from European news media. The service is delivered through the collaboration of independent editors and journalists. It was initiated by Wysokie Obcasy and Gazeta Wyborcza and qualified for a Google DNI grant. The service was officially launched on 16 October 2017.
Five to eight news recommendations in English are published every morning on the website. Every week the service publishes a summary of the week’s top news with an editor’s commentary. Over the year the service posted hundreds of news from nearly 30 contributors from media outlets across Europe, mainly materials dedicated to the rights of women and marginalized groups and the impact of politics and economy on the lives of ordinary people.
social campaign
MÓJ PIERWSZY RAZ (MY FIRST TIME) CAMPAIGN OF 'GAZETA WYBORCZA'
In 2018 Gazeta Wyborcza and Wyborcza.pl launched My First Time campaign addressed to Poles who were eligible to vote in local elections for the first time. In the weeks preceding the elections, Gazeta Wyborcza encouraged young people to exercise their right to vote and invited them to read the materials available at Wyborcza.pl/wybory, including all articles about the local elections campaign, surveys, candidates portraits and guidelines for voters.
Additionally, to help young people to vote in their first elections, the team of Gazeta Wyborcza published a special, free of charge, digital Gazeta Wyborcza, available until the end of November 2018 to users between 18 and 22 years of age. New subscribers of Gazeta Wyborcza were additionally offered daily local newsletters developed by their respective local branch of Gazeta Wyborcza.
initiatives and awards of agora media
By organizing competitions and other initiatives, the media of Agora Group manifest our views on socially important topics while promoting culture.
ANNA LASZUK AWARD OF RADIO TOK FM
Anna Laszuk Award of Radio TOK FM was founded in 2011 to recognize individuals and organizations for bold, unconventional and unusual initiatives, work or expression that had high impact on public awareness or drove change to Polish reality within the passing year.
In 2017 Defenders of Białowieża Forest were awarded for ‘unwavering fight to protect Poland’s most precious natural monument against greedy impersonators of foresters’ and for ‘the courage to act in a singularly hostile environment, brutality of forestry authorities, hostility of local population and indifference of general public’.
Among the winners of Anna Laszuk Award are: Black Protest / Polish Women on Strike, Col. Krzysztof Olkowicz, Robert Biedroń and Adam Bodnar and NGO Coalition.
NAGRODA FOTOGRAFICZNA GAZETY WYBORCZEJ IM. KRZYSZTOFA MILLERA ZA ODWAGĘ PATRZENIA (KRZYSZTOF MILLER PHOTO AWARD FOR THE COURAGE TO LOOK)
300
entries in the competition for Krzysztof Miller Award for the Courage to Look
Annual Krzysztof Miller’s Award for the Courage to Look was launched in 2018 to promote photography of special journalistic value, representing a deep, thorough and courageous perspective of difficult subjects – social, political, economic and cultural.
Launched in autumn 2018 by 'Gazeta Wyborcza', the competition commemorates Krzysztof Miller, a legendary wartime photographer, the author of numerous widely-recognised photos. The competition is open to professional and amateur photographers, individuals and collectives.
Any form of photography is accepted, including photo stories, documents, series of portraits or landscapes, etc., made with the use of any technique, professional photographic equipment or a smartphone camera. In the first competition, entries could be submitted until the end of October 2018.
Organizers received nearly 300 photos and announced seven finalists in early November. The finalists’ works were published on Wyborcza.pl/wiecejswiata and the competition ended in an award-giving gala. During the event, the winner Anna Liminowicz accepted a PLN 10 thou. cheque for her photo story Między blokami (Among Blocks).
The organizers are: Gazeta Wyborcza, Duży Format, Wyborcza.pl, Więcej Świata. Nearly 300 photographers from Poland and abroad entered the competition. Jury selected seven finalists and one winner."Między blokami"
GAZETA WYBORCZA AS ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF RYSZARD KAPUŚCIŃSKI AWARD
99
books competing for the Ninth Ryszard Kapuściński Award
Established in 2010, Ryszard Kapuściński Award is presented by Gazeta Wyborcza and Capital City of Warsaw to the authors of the year’s best non-fiction book and the best translation of non-fiction.
99 books were nominated in the ninth edition of the competition, of this number Jury selected the following finalists:
Und was hat das mit mir zu tun? - Ein Verbrechen im März 1945. Die Geschichte meiner Familie by Sacha Batthyany, translated from German by Emilia Bielicka;
Sendlerowa. W ukryciu (Irena Sendler. In Hiding) by Anna Bikont;
Petersburg. Miasto snu (St. Petersburg. City of Dream) by Joanna Czeczott;
Mała zbrodnia. Polskie obozy koncentracyjne (Little Crime, Polish Concentration Camps) by Marek Łuszczyna;
City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World's Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlence, translated from English by Sergiusz Kowalski.
The project includes an educational campaign promoting the works of Ryszard Kapuściński among Warsaw school children and youth, as well as World Translators - a competition for students and post-grads.
Due to the specific character of company operations and committment to building good relaitons with customers, entities of Agora Group set great store by the protection of personald data and privacy.
In relations with readers, users of web services, digital subscribers and recipients of newsletters, as well as cutomers and business clients, company is committed to observing proper procedures and policies as well as provide education and transparent communications. In 2018 Agora continued the activities listed in Agora Group Responsibility Report 2017 (link)
In 2018 Agora Group adopted a new Personal Data Protection Policy, to comply with the European Parliament and Council of Europe resolution on the protection of personal information (UE) 2016/679, also refered to as GDPR or lGDPR, and the introduction of a new personal data protection act of 10 May 2018. Hence, the documents listed in the 2017 responsibility report were augmented by new documents and specifications.
Personal Data Protection Policy In Agora is a set of rules and procedures to protect the personal data processed by the employees and collaborators of Agora as a part of their business activities.
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY IN AGORA COMPRISES:
Transparency Policy (Personal Data Processing Policy) – is a declaration signed by all employees and collaborators of Agora, that ensures clients that their personal data are protected in accordance with all legal requirements. The document includes general information about the rules of processing personal information by Agora, handling of claims from the persons whose data is processed, as well as information required under Articles 13 and 14 of GDPR, concerning individuals whose personal information is processed. The internal document is availale on website.
The remaining documents are available internally for employees only, on company’s intranet website:
Personal data retention policy – a set of rules regulating the retention of personal data stored by Agora.
Procedure for handling the claims and requests of data subjects – set of procedures for handling the requests of data subjects – clients and users – exercising their legal rights in relation to the processing of their personal data. The procedure determines the terms of accepting and recognizing claims and requests, the competences of the GDPR office and business lines in the handling and responding to them.
Assessment of the risks and consequences of personal data processing – the document lists measures that are necessary for properly assessing the risk and consequences of processing personal data. It also specifies the cases in which relevant further, expanded risk assessment is required.
Evaluation and reporting on breaches of personal data protection – specifies what constitutes the violation of personal data managed by Agora or its subsidiaries, how and when an observed breach should be reported, as well as how it should be resolved and by whom.
Selection policy for personal data processing entities – a set of provisions that oblige the company to review a supplier for compliance with personal data protection regulations. The policy is only applied to suppliers intended by Agora to have access to personal data. The review is to verify whether the supplier has technical and organizational capacity for effective protection of personal data entrusted for processing.
Rules of the use of corporate phones and computers – instructions for protecting company phones and computers, saving data related to professional operations and data protection measures in sending e-mails.
Policy of contacts with the personal data protection institution – describes the protocol of handling cases that require contacts with the President of the Personal Data Protection Office, including controls and court- administrative procedures.
REPORTING OF DATA PROTECTION BREACHES
Every employee of Agora Group is obliged to report on observed incidents of personal data breach. Personal data breach is any incident leading to accidental or illegal destruction, loss, modification, unauthorised publication or unauthorised access to personal data transferred, processed or otherwise handled by Agora Group. Personal Data Protection Officer keeps a register of breaches with all reported incidents. The company also introduced a system of monitoring and verification of cases against the markers of personal data protection breach.
GDPR GUIDELINES – EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION FOR THE EMPLOYEES
Employees of Agora Group were prepared for the introduction of the new regulations through a broad communication campaign: e-mails, information in a dedicated intranet section and training sessions. A dedicated e-mail address was published for sending in questions related to the protection of personal data. Since December 2018 further training sessions have been provided to the employees, including instruction offered to new employees as part of Welcome to Agora orientation training, with information about the personal data protection regulations and codes observed in Agora.
PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA AGAINST CYBER THREATS
In 2018 a set of procedures was developed including regulations related to cyber threats. The procedures also refer to personal data processed in Agora’s computer systems. Under our information security management, Agora S.A. adopted Strategia Bezpieczeństwa (Security Strategy), Polityka Bezpieczeństwa (Security Policy) and Polityka Bezpieczeństwa Informacji (Information Security Policy).
The role of Information Security Policy and related documents is to specify the requirements that need to be met to ensure the security of collecting, processing and transfering data in Agora S.A. and compliance of the internal data protection measures with relevant laws.
With respect to web portals and its mobile applications, Agora Group introduced: Zasady korzystania z serwisów internetowych (Rules of Using Agora Web Services), Polityka prywatności (Privacy Policy) and Polityka Prywatności w zakresie aplikacji mobilnych (Mobile Applications Privacy Policy), as well as internal codes and regulations.
For the execution of the regulations listed in the above policies, Agora established data security inspectors, including Data Protection Officer and Data Security Commission.
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION IN HELIOS
In 2018 also Helios SA introduced new measures to protect personal data of the clients and users of Helios.pl. Its Jak dbamy o Twoje dane (How we protect your personal data) site offers detailed information on the handling and processing of users’ personal information. Additionally, the company adopted Politykę prywatności (Privacy policy) and Politykę transparentności (Transparency policy). Any social media profile managed by Helios SA has a special klauzulę informacyjną (information clause).
GDPR AND GOLDENLINE PRODUCTS
Supporting clients in recruitment processes, GoldenLine observes the best personal data protection standards. To that end, a special website dedicated to protection of clients’ and users’ data was launched on goldenline.pl. The site offers relevant necessary information RODO a produkty GoldenLine - co powinieneś wiedzieć? (Compliance of GoldenLine products with GDPR – what you should know).
To protect customers’ privacy and personal data, Agora Group implemented a number of procedures ensuring the security of personal data. The Group maintains the highest standards in communications with clients and customers, in line with legal regulations and industry requirements.
Agora Group has documents that specify the principles and procedures for collecting, processing and use of information about the users of web services of each entity, brand and medium of Agora.
Personal data policies and regulations, as well as rules of the use of some services or regulating e-commerce of services are available in relevant services and portals: Agora.pl, Wyborcza.pl, Gazeta.pl, Helios.pl, Ams.com.pl. The documents cover rules, scope and terms of use for the service/application by the reader/user, including complaints and claims.
In 2018, no penalties were imposed on the company for violating the provisions on the protection of personal data. One application related to Agora was sent to the Office for Personal Data Protection (UODO). The company referred to the case, confirming the correctness of processing personal data by Agora S.A.
In 2018, there was one more situation regarding the probable disclosure of data by a third party, not related to the Agora Group. Information about the incident was transferred to the company by CERT Polska. Due to the fact that among the e-mail addresses were those founded in the Gazeta.pl domain, the following actions were taken: reporting the incident to UODO and informing the users about the situation along with the recommendation to change the password.
Dear User! We want you to be comfortable while using our website. This is why, we try to match the available content to your interests and preferences. This is possible due to the storage of cookies in your browser and the processing by Agora S.A. (the administrator) of your personal data for analytical and statistical purposes. By continuing to use our website, without changing the privacy settings, you agree to the storage of cookies in your browser. Please remember that you can always change the settings of cookies in your browser as well as obtain additional information about the processing of your personal data and your rights from our Privacy Policy.
