About Us
History
White Eagle Media was founded in 2003 in Boston by two young community leaders and entrepreneurs, Darek Barcikowski and Marcin Bolec, who launched the White Eagle-Bialy Orzel as the only Polish language newspaper serving the 350,000 – member strong Polish American community in Massachusetts.
Over the last two decades, the White Eagle has grown to become the largest publisher of Polish–language media in the United States with a diverse portfolio of print and digital products published across the country.
In 2022, White Eagle Media launched its first Spanish-language publication, La Vision, marking its entry into the dynamic and growing Latino media market in the United States.
Today
Our dedication to our values and our readers has enabled us to buck national trends of declining print readership. In fact, we print more newspaper copies today than at any point in our 20-year history.
At the same time, we have made our digital footprint a top priority, which has enabled us to serve a more geographically and demographically diverse audience.
Mission
We strive to deliver local news and information that strengthens the communities we serve and encourages our readers to be active participants. Our mission is to deliver news that informs, inspires, and empowers our readers. At White Eagle Media we also believe in reliable, accurate and unbiased reporting and our commitment to those principles has allowed us to earn our readers’ loyalty and trust.
Values
White Eagle Media supports countless local events and initiatives and over the years has launched several of its own community projects including voter registration drives, conferences, and organized meetings with local elected officials.
The White Eagle is a member of the Ad Council, numerous Chambers of Commerce and various community organizations and foundations.
Darek Barcikowski
Publisher / Co-founder
Darek Barcikowski is cofounder and managing partner of White Eagle Media. For the last two decades he has also served as publisher of a wide portfolio of print and digital publications, a role in which he has successfully shaped their profiles to reflect the interests and needs of their readers.
Barcikowski also oversees business development and sales strategy and his in-depth knowledge of the communities served by White Eagle Media, combined with his marketing savviness, enables him to ensure that the publications he manages deliver top value and return on investment to hundreds of companies that advertise in them each year.
Darek Barcikowski has worked as a political strategist in various roles where he oversaw outreach to ethnic communities across the country for political candidates and presidential administrations.
He served as Executive Director of the American Polish Advisory Council in Washington, DC and is recognized as a national expert on Polish American Relations. From 2016 to 2021 Barcikowski served as Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Connecticut.
Barcikowski has also served on the boards of various non-profit organizations and has been recognized for his philanthropic and community work including Connecticut Immigrant of the Year.
Barcikowski attended Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in the nation, George Washington University and Northeastern University. He earned a certificate in Small Business Entrepreneurship from Boston University.
Barcikowski and his family emigrated from Poland in 1987 when Darek was 9 years old. He was the first in his family to become a US Citizen.
Marcin Bolec
Editor in Chief / Co-founder
Marcin A. Bolec serves as Editor-in-Chief of the White Eagle and is co-founder of White Eagle Media, where he manages all editorial content for the company’s various publications.
Marcin Bolec grew up in Poland and relocated to the United States in 1992. After graduating from high school in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Marcin attended Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee. Upon receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Cardinal Stritch University, he had moved to Boston, Massachusetts.
In 2006, Marcin earned the InnerCity Entrepreneurs Certificate in Small Business Entrepreneurship by completing a rigorous one-year program for inner-city small businesses initiated by the Boston University’s School of Management and Department of Sociology.
Marcin has spent the last 20 years in Boston where he has built his reputation as a trusted and dedicated member of the Polish community. He was the co-founder of the Polish American Networking Organization (PANO) and served as national Vice President for Membership Development for the Polish American Congress.
He is involved with the John Paul II Polish Language School in Boston, the Our Lady of Czestochowa Polish parish, the local Eastern Massachusetts chapter of the Polish American Congress and various other local institutions and organizations.
