About: EU media

Cooperation of four key Commissioners needed for healthy media, democracy

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.

Joining forces for Europe’s public sphere

The EU’s tropism towards business and technology comes at the price of neglecting its most precious realm: Europe’s public sphere, the precondition of its very existence, write Pieter Boeder, Christiane Lötsch and Péter Techet.

Protecting journalism is not synonymous with protecting the interests of big press publishers

The review of the EU Copyright Directive must ensure that publishers, regardless of their size, equally benefit from this reform, writes Carlos Astiz.

Fake news affects all of us – the debate should reflect all voices

We have all had our fill of references to ‘fake news’ – to the point that we are no longer sure what it means. However, that should not blind us to the fact that significant issues are at stake in the digital world, writes Noel Curran.

Fake news panic. Need for EU action?

The discussion of public and private funding must be on the top of any media agenda including how to tackle fake news, writes Renate Schroeder. Investing in resources and staff is a prerequisite for responsible reporting.

News agencies join forces for EU data journalism site

AFP, the French international news agency, is joining forces with Italy's ANSA and Germany's DPA to launch a new website offering data journalism on the European Union.

Media4EU: Editorial project and research for Erasmus4media

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...

Court rules Greek government-led auction on TV licences is flawed

Senior Greek judges ruled on Wednesday (26 October) an auction of TV licences held by the left-led government in September was flawed, throwing into disarray a crusade by authorities to shake up an unregulated broadcasting sector.

Edwy Plenel: Europe needs participative media against populism

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker must  operate in a participative democracy if he wants to carve a proper plan to re-launch the European construction. That is true also for the media, Edwy Plenel said in an interview with EURACTIV.com.

Europe needs bridges between national media, here is how

How to reconcile Greek and German public opinions, or reform the Eurozone, without building bridges between national media? David Mekkaoui and Christophe Leclercq explain why they think this is necessary and possible.

A European media champion?

We have European champions in the automobile industry, in aerospace, in pharmaceuticals, but not in media, writes Philip Geddes. 

Former Commissioners back strategy for EU media

The EU should help encourage a better business environment for pan-European media and help it develop new technology pilots, former Commissioners told an event on sustainable media staged in the Parliament last week (29 January).

As it happened: Six to-dos for sustainable European media

How can independent media survive across Europe? EURACTIV releases six recommendations in January 2015 for a more effective EU strategy towards media and the fourth estate.

Mr Juncker: pick one Commissioner for communications, another for the media sector

In the coming weeks, Jean-Claude Juncker faces the challenge to match profiles, portfolios and country ambitions with the needs of EU citizens. One is to communicate the EU message better; another is to ensure a sustainable industry strategy for the fragile media sector. Mr Juncker shouldn’t confuse these two, writes Christophe Leclercq.

Current ‘Libor’ regulation is a threat to financial journalism

Financial reporting could fall under the scope of the  proposed Libor regulation on financial benchmarks, undermining the role played by journalists. EU regulators must recognise this and exempt the media from the regulation, writes Angela Mills Wade.

Tech entrepreneur: EU should focus innovation where it has a chance

Xavier Damman, founder of the successful online storytelling tool Storify, tried to launch his start-up in Europe, but moved to the United States to get it off the ground. “Could I have developed Storify here? No. Europe shouldn’t try to compete, but it can try to complete,” he told EURACTIV in an interview.

Media in crisis look towards innovation for answers

The European media industry has struggled to find a sustainable model in a changing, online environment, and is sceptical about policymakers' ability to help. As tech entrepreneur Xavier Damman, the creator of Storify, puts it: "We should stop trying to replicate Silicon Valley."

Industry rep: ‘Media companies would rather be left alone’

Media executives and policymakers meet on Tuesday (21 January) at the Future Media Lab conference in Brussels. Industry representatives and innovators will exchange thoughts with EU policymakers on how to reinvent the media business model, even if, says Angela Mills Wade, “there is no need for any new media-specific rules or regulations. Media companies would rather be left alone”.

Too many acronyms, not enough heads: EU’s image problem revisited in Berlin debate

Criticism of Europe has become a recurrent feature in the media with the eurozone debt crisis. But German media received a slap on the back for its quality coverage of EU affairs at a debate in Berlin last Monday (2 December).

MEPs want wider media coverage of EU

Public service broadcasters should cover EU matters more widely, while governments, parties and politicians need to do more to explain them to citizens, said the European Parliament's culture committee in a resolution adopted this week (23 June), triggering criticism that the EU is funding "blatant propaganda".