7/26/2023 0 Comments Media freedomThe Liberties Media Freedom Report 2023 shows that journalists continue to have to deal with physical and verbal attacks, harassment, intimidation, hate speech and smear campaigns. Complaints that the distribution of state-funded advertising in Hungary is misused were rejected by the European Commission. For years, pro-government media outlets have received significantly higher financial support – a trend that continued in 2022. ![]() In Poland and Hungary, no rules whatsoever exist to ensure a fair allocation of state advertising. Public funds are channeled to government-friendly outlets, starving independent media of vital source of income. ![]() There’s also concern that a new law targeting foreign espionage may have a chilling effect on the work of investigative journalists.Īnother concerning tactic to increase control of the media is the weaponizing of state advertising. In November 2022, the new government adopted amendments to depoliticize the PSM, giving hope that its editorial independence can be restored.īut the report also warns that the election results in Sweden are concerning, as the new right-wing government has increased pressure on the PSM, claiming it is biased and threatening it with budget cuts. In Slovenia, media freedom suffered significantly during the previous government of Janez Janša and his moves to control the public service media (PSM). The last year saw political changes that could have serious consequences for media freedom, both good and bad. Governments continue to pressure public service media People should be able to know who owns the news sources they rely on and which forces - political, business, or other - have the power to curate and shape the news they consume. This is why media ownership transparency is essential. In Hungary, the government’s control of the media landscape, either directly or through friendly oligarchs, remains unchanged. In the Czech Republic and France, media ownership is heavily concentrated in the hands of a few powerful people. We are currently seeing this in many EU countries. With concentrated media ownership, there is a risk that media outlets can be used to push a specific agenda or political view or business interest, often to serve as a tool of the owners. Access to diverse sources of news and editorial analysis allows people to consider many ideas and opinions and make up their own minds about issues of public interest. The report makes shows that media pluralism continues to decline. ![]() Pluralism down, ownership concentration up The EU should also make use of and fully enforce its existing tools to support media freedom and pluralism. This regulation, currently working through the legislative process, could dramaticlly reshape Europe's media landscape for the better. The report also urges EU lawmakers to pass the strongest possible European Media Freedom Act. It reveals physical attacks, often by the police, and abusive lawsuits against journalists are on the rise, data protection rules are abused to restrict freedom of information, unchallenged ownership concentration threatens media pluralism, and national security is being used as a pretext for laws that restrict free speech.Ĭompiled by more than 20 civil liberties organisations from across the EU, the report presents evidence and analyses key developments in media freedom and pluralism, safety and protection of journalists and freedom of expression and information in 2022, when media markets have been shaped by not only landmark regulations such as the adoption of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act or the European Media Freedom Act proposal, but also by Russia’s invasion (and disinformation) of Ukraine and elections in several member states. The Liberties Media Freedom Report 2023, released 24 April, shows media freedom and pluralism in decline across the bloc.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |