Kamil Sebastian Durczok (6 March 1968 – 16 November 2021)[1] was a Polish journalist, Editor-in-Chief and presenter of TVN newscast Fakty TVN.
Career
In 1991 Durczok started working in Radio Katowice. Earlier he had co-created Student's Radio EGIDA on University of Silesia in Katowice for few years. As a 24-year-old he became director and editor-in-chief of Katowice radio TOP FM owned by Solidarity.[2]
In 1994 he started co-operation with Telewizja Katowice where he interviewed politicians in a programme called Obserwatorium. In programme Studio Parlamentarne he debuted in nationwide television. Then he was the presenter of TVP3 Katowice newscast - Aktualności until 2002.[2]
Between 15 March 2001 and 7 February 2006 he was the presenter of the main edition of Wiadomości - public television's newscast. He also presented election nights on TVP1 for many years.
Between 29 July 2003 and 2 September 2005 he presented Salon polityczny Trójki alternately with Jolanta Pieńkowska on Polish Radio Channel 3.
Between 5 September 2005 and 15 June 2007 he presented Kontrwywiad RMF FM alternately with Konrad Piasecki on radio RMF FM.
From 1 May 2006 he was Editor-in-Chief of TVN newscast Fakty TVN. He also presented Fakty po Faktach on TVN24 from 5 May 2008.
At the beginning of April 2016, he registered the Coal Minders company, which in August of the same year began looking for journalists.[3] On 3 October 2016, the company launched the Upper Silesian information portal Silesion.pl.[4] The website disappeared from the network at the end of April 2019 after information about problems with settling liabilities.[5] After the website was closed, he was involved in conducting trainings in the field of actions in the event of an image crisis.[6]
On 20 October 2016, he started cooperation with Polsat News, where he ran the program Brutalna prawda, Durczok ujawnia,[7] which in the fall of 2017 changed its name to Durczokracja.[8] The last program was broadcast on 14 December 2017, and it did not return to air in spring 2018.[9]
In the following years, Kamil Durczok was active in social media, commenting on political life in Poland on an ongoing basis, and was involved in social activities.[10] He was, inter alia, a volunteer of the "Wolne Miejsce" foundation, helping every year in the organization of Christmas Eve for those in need.[11] In 2020, he participated in protests against the tightening of abortion laws.[12]
In 2021, he launched the Durczokracja mobile application, in which he published his content.[13]
Death
He died on 16 November 2021, at the age of 53, the cause of death was exacerbation of a chronic disease.[1] The funeral ceremony of Kamil Durczok took place at the cemetery at the parish of the Holy Trinity in Katowice-Kostuchna on 19 November 2021.[14]
Awards
2000 – Grand Press (Journalist of the Year) of Press magazine
2001 – Wiktor Publiczności for year 2000
2002 – Telekamera in category "Information" with Tomasz Lis
2003 – Telekamera in category "Journalism"
2003 – Award of TVP Director "Star of Polish Television"
2004 – Wiktor Publiczności for year 2003
2004 – Award of Foundation of Ksawery and Mieczysław Pruszyński
2005 – Wiktor Publiczności and Wiktor for the most rated journalist of the year 2004
2006 – Telekamera in category "Information"
2006 – Wiktor Publiczności for the year 2005
2007 – Telekamera in category "Information"
2007 – MediaTor in category "AuTORytet"
2008 – Złota Telekamera in category "Information"
2011 – Platynowy Laur Umiejętności i Kompetencji for year 2010 in category "Pro Publico Bono"