The stunning events in Washington on January 6th not only showed the fragility of modern democracies but also demonstrated the untamed power of Big Tech, writes Marc Sundermann, Paolo Cesarini and Christophe Leclercq.
Platforms committed in 2018 to a Code of Practice against disinformation, including changes to their algorithms based on ‘Trustworthiness indicators’. As the EU prepares a Digital Services Act and Action Plans on democracy and on media, clearer references are required, write Marc Sundermann, Christophe Leclercq and Paolo Cesarini.
The current EU budget negotiations risk squeezing programmes like Creative Europe, with the same crumbs as before for the struggling press. In addition to GAFA regulation, and learning from MEDIA dedicated to audiovisual and film, bundling scattered efforts under NEWS could sustain the media sector’s transformation, write a group of MEPs and media experts and Christophe Leclercq
There is an urgent need to fully recognise the democratic rights of all European citizens, write Alberto Alemanno, Giorgio Clarotti, Olivier Costa and Christophe Leclercq.
The media and the EU face similar dangers. Christophe Leclercq, who established Fondation EURACTIV and the EURACTIV media network, creatively illustrates how characters could cooperate to avoid the worst.
In this Open Letter to the President of the EU Commission, media stakeholders and experts, in a personal capacity, along with MEPs and former MEPs ask for the Commission to support trust in public action, and to help sustain the media in this testing time.
For the moment, no one is talking about the ratification of a possible new treaty following the Conference on European Reform. To avoid failure and to engage citizens, the EU's institutions must be made to work according to the principles of representative democracy, and treaty reform must be the central issue at stake in the European elections of 2024, write Giorgio Clarotti, Oliver Costa and Christophe Leclercq.
Democratic debates require trusted information, less economic pressure on media, and more policy pressure on platforms. Supporting citizens’ choices, three concepts will help the von der Leyen Commission: ‘co-regulation’, ‘trust indicators’, ‘systemic publishing platforms’. This open letter to the new...
Christophe Leclercq founded the EURACTIV Media Network and the think-and-do tank Fondation EURACTIV. His fiction piece illustrates media sector consolidation, changing journalist jobs, values, platform regulation, and the fate of the EU itself.
Democracy is at risk and requires healthy media, several portfolios from the new EU Commission are relevant. After years of fake news and weak self-regulation, this ecosystem could be rebalanced if four key Commissioners cooperate around the media sector, argues Christophe Leclercq.
Last week’s Summit did not retain the principle favoured by the Parliament. Before endorsing the final ‘ticket’ proposed, parliamentary groups can make coalition demands: a new top job could help, for healthy media and sound platforms.
Given difficult elections, the new EU Commission President will need a theme supporting MEPs and Prime Ministers. After years of fake news, platforms’ self-regulation and media crisis, this ecosystem could be rebalanced by a Vice-President for Democracy, Media and Platforms, Christophe Leclercq argues.
The European Commission has just released a short-term action plan on disinformation. Remarkably, the sustainability of the media sector is hardly addressed, write a group of MEPs and media industry experts.
Seeing Brexit crumble towards a single market fudge with no UK say, daughter Europa pleads to re-unite her mother - with her father Franz-Emmanuel, not the ideal home-maker.
The European Parliament has just voted to back the copyright directive, as part of the ‘Digital Single Market’ priorities. Now, fighting fake news before the EU elections is not enough: we should prepare a vertical strategy for the media sector 2019-2024, writes Christophe Leclercq.
The EU High-Level Expert Group on ‘fake news’ published its report with recommendations earlier this week. Christophe Leclercq, one of its members, offers his views on its potential impact ahead of the 2019 EU elections, and why it matters to the media sector.
Ferdinando Riccardi, the long serving editor-in-chief of Agence Europe passed away on 22 September, after being a pillar of the Brussels press corps for decades. Two of EURACTIV’s talking heads contemplate his legacy.
Former MEP Stanley Johnson, the father of the current UK foreign secretary, told EURACTIV.com that Brexit should not throw out the baby with the bathwater and maintain the best the EU has to offer.
During the #Media4EU editorial series more than 30 media experts from six countries were interviewed about how the sector can overcome its crisis. This LinksDossier refers to all the interviews that have been published, as well as a bibliography of...
European media organisations have responded to the sector's crisis by focusing on domestic markets, while online platforms confirm their global vocation. But what if the key to success was more cooperation?
After the death of the print advertising model, news outlets are struggling to find sustainable solutions to fund quality journalism. Most publishers now diversify their activities by organising events, trying out new formats and forging long-term partnerships with the private sector.
Experts in mainland Europe are counting on the EU to solve the crisis facing the media and have proposed measures varying from regulatory support to innovative programmes. But on the other side of la Manche, even pro-European outlets are sceptical about EU involvement.
There is a dire need for the traditional media to change radically so that it can compete with social platforms in today’s information market and counter populist propaganda effectively.
The media sector in Europe is faced with a crisis of legitimacy, according to media experts from six different countries. Other challenges include concentration movements, misinformation about Europe and what EU reporting will be like after Brexit.
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