Media

World Press Freedom Day: Safeguarding journalism as a public good in Europe

The extraordinary courage of journalists and media workers reporting from conflict areas in Ukraine and other parts of the world reminds us once again how crucial their work is in providing timely, trusted and fact-based information, write Birgit Van Hout, Irene Khan, and Louise Haxthausen.

Media Freedom: A rebalanced ecosystem and sector consolidation

Given the war in the East, and recent riots in the United States, the quality of the information ecosystem has become central. Media leaders could seize industrial, policy and budget opportunities, beyond the basic democracy principles, with a view to media resilience, write Pedro Ortún Silvan and Christophe Leclercq.

Freedom of the press: Why censorship by platforms must be resisted

The Digital Services Act is a major piece of legislation that should result in a safer digital space. However, a recent vote in the European Parliament stopped short of adopting an amendment that would have made freedom of information in Europe free from non-EU private sector digital giants, writes Pierre Louette.

The Brief, powered by Facebook — EU needs to show teeth to protect Greek media freedom

Say 'media freedom in the EU', and chances are you will think of Poland or Hungary and their rows with Brussels. But Greece has recently passed a draconian media law that should put the country on the Commission's radar. Except no one really talks about it.

The perturbing silence surrounding the case of Julian Assange

The case for the extradition of Julian Assange raises questions about the freedom of the press, about the extraterritorial creep of US law and about Europe’s readiness - or lack off - to protect media freedom, writes Dick Roche.

EU democracy needs all voices in media

When our consumption of news changed from traditional presses to the digital, we lost something more than just a physical newsprint in our hands. Media entered an era of emotion. But it doesn’t have to be that way, writes David Mekkaoui.

The erosion of media freedom in the Balkans has gone too far

The EU is supposed to embody the values of liberty, democracy and fundamental human rights. But when it comes to media freedom, it is a passive observer in the face of widespread abuses on its own turf and in its immediate neighbourhood, writes Antoinette Nikolova.

Facebook’s plan to cut back on political content sets up Orbán for re-election 

By cutting back on political content, Facebook is taking the responsibility to further distort political competition in countries like Hungary, where media pluralism has been severely hit by the ruling parties. Such a move could help Prime Minister Viktor Orbán secure another term in power, argues Anna Donath.

Telekom Srbija: Vucic’s weapon to stifle media freedom

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić bases his power largely on media influence. In this respect, state-owned cable and broadband provider Telekom Srbija is used as a political weapon, writes Darko Čačić.

Game on for the Premier League in Serbia?

Luring them with football, Serbia’s leadership want to lock Balkan audiences into their favoured TV channels carrying anti-western narratives, which correspond with the country’s growing ties to the likes of China, Russia and Hungary, writes Marko Milosavljevič.

The Brief – Slapping down democracy

A series of alarm bells about media, journalism, and democracy have been set off across Europe recently, for those who wanted to listen.

The Duopoly – How platforms are killing the press

From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the media have been accused of creating a false image of the situation and fuelling the negative mood in our society. The word “media” has been used to paint all with the same brush, the criticism is aimed at everyone, and the guilt is collective, writes Libuše Šmuclerová.

Media freedom in the Western Balkans is a geopolitical issue

The decline in media freedom in the Balkans is eroding the European values of democracy and rule of law and creating a climate ripe for disinformation that is cultivating anti-EU and anti-western sentiment across the region, writes Peter Horrocks.

The Brief, powered by amfori – EU’s ‘toolbox fetishism’

Next to the rule of law dilemma, growing assaults on media freedom are posing another test for the EU’s resolve and unity. The question is whether yet another ‘toolbox’ can solve the problem. Do you remember the then European Commissioner...

Beyond Brussels policies: leadership for Europe’s news media sector

EU initiatives from last December may help renew the news media sector, if implemented fast and jointly. In an open letter, Christoph Leclercq, Marc Sundermann and Paolo Cesarini call for leadership from Berlin, Paris and the Council, and from the press leaders themselves.

The Brief, powered by Facebook – Who’s afraid of the press?

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has developed an unhealthy habit of avoiding press questions in public and carefully dosing her words to European media, while being seemingly omnipresent in a selected few, mostly German, publications. After refusing to...

After Trump: Rule of law and Big Tech Regulation

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.

The Brief, powered by Facebook – Journalism from the couch

Nine months have elapsed since journalists have had no other choice but to exercise their profession from the couch. Press briefings are held online, leaders speak in front of a microphone with no one behind it. Even institutional leaks are...

The ePrivacy saga: the false choice between privacy and funding online publishing

As the Council seems to have (yet again) failed to adopt a general approach for the ePrivacy regulation, one question that bears asking is: would more exceptions for online tracking support online publishers or the advertising industry? Karolina Iwańska argues that here is a way to sustain online publishing and uphold privacy

Time to act against fake news

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.

Media plurality in Europe

Smaller independent media are struggling to survive in the wake of COVID-19. The EU should do more to protect media plurality, money needs to go to the support of the media sector, without the risk that those outlets end up being forced to take a specific message or narrative, writes Dace Melbarde.

The Brief, powered by Martens Centre – Killing them softly

Since 2015, 335 journalists have been killed across the globe, nine of them in Europe, and this figure does not include citizens journalists, and media assistants. In nine out of ten cases, the killers go unpunished. A further 247 journalists are currently behind bars.

Media recovery beyond regulation: a NEWS bundle across Creative Europe and Horizon, like MEDIA

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

Protests in Bulgaria are also about media freedom

Protests in Bulgaria are a genuine civil protest against the party-state and in favour of basic democratic rights such as media freedom, writes Maria Stoyanova.