Stoparczyk was one of the most recognizable voices of Polish Radio 3, known as Trójka, where she created and hosted popular shows for children and young listeners, including Dzieci wiedzą lepiej (Children Know Better) and Zagadkowa niedziela (Enigmatic Sunday).
She also founded the Polish Radio Children’s Theatre, giving young audiences a chance to participate in professional radio productions.
Her work was distinguished by what colleagues described as respect for children’s perspectives, a belief that the youngest listeners deserve serious conversation, and an ability to blend education with entertainment.
Stoparczyk studied voice and acting at the Academy of Music in Wrocław, southwestern Poland, and later completed postgraduate studies in journalism at the University of Wrocław.
She combined her musical and theatrical training with a passion for storytelling, which became the hallmark of her career in radio and television.
Beyond her work for children, she hosted cultural and literary programmes featuring interviews with artists and writers.
On television, she co-hosted Duże dzieci (Big Kids), an innovative show on public broadcaster TVP that allowed children to speak candidly about the world around them, and later worked as a co-host on the morning show Pytanie na śniadanie.
Stoparczyk was also an author, publishing books such as Politycy w piaskownicy (Politicians in the Sandbox), a collection of conversations with children about politics and adult life.
She led journalism workshops for young people, promoted reading and collaborated with NGOs on projects linking culture, education and social inclusion.
Katarzyna Stoparczyk. Photo: IAR/Cezary Piwowarski
Over her career she received numerous honours, including the Master of Polish Speech award, the Sappho Award for helping children and promoting their wisdom, and a medal from the Ombudsman for Children for her work defending children’s rights.
Polish Radio's IAR news agency described her as a journalist who brought “sensitivity, professionalism and a passion for education” to the medium, leaving behind a body of work that will inspire future generations of broadcasters.
She died on Friday afternoon in a car accident on the S19 expressway in the southeast of the country, the IAR news agency reported.
(gs)
Source: IAR, trojka.polskieradio.pl