Policy Recommendations

Newsrooms across Europe face significant pressure. They are having to find new ways to fund independent reporting and defend journalistic integrity amid a rising tide of disinformation, while powerful political and business interests work to deflect media scrutiny. Barriers to accessing information in the public interest and an avalanche of costly legal threats hinder their ability to act as watchdogs. Legacy media are struggling to bridge generational divides and reach diverse audiences. Though the most pressing concerns vary across the six countries under study, taken together they represent common themes that are relevant in many democratic societies.

Governments, regulators, public institutions, and outlets themselves can confront these challenges and foster environments where independent media flourish as a core component of a democracy. The European Union (EU) is now moving from a patchwork of policies toward more comprehensive legislative efforts to counter attacks that undermine media pluralism and independence. More holistic policy responses should be designed to help create a level playing field and bolster trust in independent media. While specific responses should address each local context, lessons from European countries more broadly can provide guidance to stakeholders in democratic societies elsewhere. These include strategies that can guard newsrooms against political and legal attacks—notably new funding mechanisms, ownership models, and incentives to encourage audiences to pay for quality news. In a fragmented information environment, much can also be learned from the role of strong and well-funded public service media in fostering informed public debate.

Address government attacks on free and independent media as a rule-of-law issue in the EU

The European Commission should defend media freedom and pluralism as essential to the rule of law.

It should deploy all tools available to hold EU member states accountable for systematic attacks on independent media and media pluralism. This includes monitoring for violations, as well as implementing enforcement mechanisms like infringement procedures and financial penalties against member states that engage in abuses. Media freedom concerns should be clearly addressed in proceedings under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), which allows the EU to provide formal warnings or suspension of certain rights for members that fail to uphold the common values of the EU. Regular hearings should keep Poland and Hungary on the agenda. The commission should also systematically follow up on the implementation of country-specific recommendations in its annual rule-of-law reports.

European legislators should work with civil society groups to strengthen the European Media Freedom Act.

It is promising to see the act’s focus on increasing ownership transparency, protecting the independence of public service media, countering the discriminatory allocation of state resources, and safeguarding against the use of spyware. Legislators should ensure that provisions are effective in combatting the methods of media capture that were pioneered in Hungary and which are taking root in neighboring countries.

Support sustainable independent media

Governments should foster environments where innovative financing models can thrive.

Democratic governments should ease obstacles that make it harder for media outlets to be granted nonprofit status, which would enable them to receive donations and lower their tax burden. Audience revenues will remain crucial for media to finance themselves; governments should bolster mechanisms that encourage people to donate to media organizations of their choosing, such as income-tax designations or tax relief on digital subscriptions. 

Funders should scale up support for high-quality reporting.

Public and private funders should support independent media while safeguarding against editorial interference. At the international level, investments in multistakeholder initiatives such as the International Fund for Public Interest Media are helping to unlock new resources to support independent media where they are most at risk of market failure. In Europe, the investment coalition Pluralis has brought together media companies, foundations, and impact investors to prevent state monopolization of outlets and defend pluralism.

Governments should build firm guardrails against media market distortions.

A range of funding schemes within countries, including indirect and direct state subsidies, can support quality reporting. Governments should ensure that any support to media includes safeguards that protect pluralism in the market and editorial independence. The allocation of public subsidies, including state advertising, should be based on objective, nondiscriminatory criteria, and follow transparent procedures. Under the 2019 EU copyright directive that enables press publishers to negotiate payment for the use of their content by online platforms, transparent negotiations and a collective approach should ensure fair treatment toward smaller independent outlets that conduct public-interest journalism.

Promote media diversity and inclusiveness

Democracies should ensure that all people have access to reliable news.

Public service media can play a crucial role in promoting a diversity of perspectives and fostering informed public debate across various segments of society. States should guarantee the editorial and institutional independence of public service media, and ensure that they are adequately funded and can reach audiences across various online platforms, including social media, without hampering competition with private media players.

Media organizations should prioritize diversity in their newsrooms, and cover a variety of perspectives.

The media plays an important role in revealing to broad audiences the realities individuals and societies face. Democracy is strongest when people and policymakers are well informed, so that government can work together with civil society and other stakeholders to address challenges and seize opportunities. To this end, media organizations should ensure that the makeup of their newsrooms reflects the diversity of issues facing society, and that they strive to include diverse sources in their coverage.

Build trust and credibility

Elected officials and politicians should publicly stand up for the value of a free media in a democracy.

Political leaders should state the extent to which we all benefit from the work of professional journalists who hold those in power to account, and forcefully defend media when they come under attack. Verbal attacks and incendiary rhetoric against the media by public figures increase the risk that journalists will face severe harassment or physical attack for their work.

Media organizations should demonstrate their trustworthiness through renewed commitments to ethical standards and transparency.

Media organizations, funders, and advertisers should engage with self-regulatory initiatives to incentivize and promote compliance with professional norms. Civil society initiatives such as the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) launched by Reporters Without Borders in 2019 are providing new ways for stakeholders to identify and reward trustworthy journalism. JTI seeks to certify organizations’ compliance with an objective set of standards around transparency and editorial process.

Independent regulators and media outlets should provide clear, publicly accessible information about media ownership.

Regulations in Europe do not consistently require media outlets to disclose who their true owners are, and media consumers are often left in the dark about owners’ potential conflicts of interest. Outlets that are transparent about their ownership can earn greater trust from audiences; this information can also help regulators prevent excessive concentration of the media in the hands of a few owners. Civil society initiatives such as the European Media Ownership Monitor, cofunded by the European Commission, should continue to independently map the level of transparency of ownership information across member states.

Protect the media’s watchdog role

Public institutions should provide access to information for journalists, and ensure that requests are managed efficiently and fairly.

Authorities should not deter independent journalists from reporting on matters of legitimate public interest by unduly denying accreditation, restricting access to venues, or ignoring or denying requests for information. Public officials should regularly engage in press briefings to foster government transparency. In countries where governments are more hostile to media scrutiny, international news outlets can consider partnering with domestic independent media outlets that may not have the same access to government officials.

Governments should address the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) to stifle investigative journalism.

The EU should promote a strong anti-SLAPP directive that would give journalists and media groups the ability to request rapid dismissal of these types of lawsuits, and provide financial support to media groups facing them. Domestic legislators should follow suit, including by decriminalizing defamation laws and expanding financial and legal safeguards for journalists. Donors should bolster support for civil society initiatives conducting crucial research, training, and advocacy, as well as for legal aid mechanisms such as Reporters Shield to ensure that journalists and smaller outlets have the necessary resources to defend themselves.