Central European Journal of Communication

ABSTRACT: The local media market in Poland developed in very particular conditions, conditions which Nowak (1979,1981) described as a “social void”. As a result, it might be presumed that it was more likely that the new forms of society (including local media) were formed on the basis of the “bounding” type of social capital rather than the “bridging” type. This might be one of the reasons why tight and coplex relationships between the local media and the other social actors still exist. On the basis of my own qualitative research (case studies conducted in four small towns in Poland), this article shows how complex the local relations are and describes the involvement of local journalists and local media owners in these networks of relations which might often be a cause of condlicts of interest (individual or institutional) or media bias.