Tuesday

28th Mar 2023

European reporters' unions want EU to back journalism as ‘public good'

  • If art galleries can be funded, so can journalism, say unions (Photo: DRB62)

In response to the crisis of journalism in Europe, journalists' unions from across the continent are to launch a campaign to press the EU to encourage member states to strengthen the sector.

If governments can fund theatre and art galleries to protect cultural pluralism, they say, they can fund journalism to protect information pluralism as well.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

At its annual meeting in Istanbul, the European Federation of Journalists, which represents unions from 24 countries, resolved to push Brussels to respond to the crisis that is seeing media revenues in a "spiral of decline."

"A toxic mix of editorial cuts, precarious working conditions and unethical journalism has created a spiral of decline for media and democracy in Europe," said Arne König, the organisation's president.

Specifically, the unions plan to lobby the European Commission and MEPs to push EU member states "to open up national debates on strengthening journalism as a public good."

The unions' main worry is the collapse of how to pay for journalism when advertisers are deserting the sector.

The multiple closures of newspapers throughout Europe and slashing of the number of staff in newsrooms means that journalistic standards are rapidly declining, and with them, the checks and balances journalism provides to democratic societies.

In particular, say the unions, publishers and broadcasters have targeted editing, investigative and specialist news reporting.

"Answers need to be found, particularly to the funding crisis," said Mr Koenig.

Speaking to EUobserver, EFJ general secretary Aidan White said that the unions are to press the commission to establish a high-level expert group to analyse the consequences of the decline of the sector on European democracy and develop a series of proposals "to construct a common EU approach to media."

"From Sweden to Portugal, the sector is treated very, very differently. The idea of a common European media culture so far is a false one unfortunately."

"EU policy makers have not done enough to protect standards, to protect ethical journalism."

"We are absolutely saying that a debate on public funding must be opened," he added. "Governments across the bloc are very comfortable with funding art galleries, theatre, ballet and opera in the interest of cultural pluralism. They should not shy away from similar funding to protect information pluralism."

The unions however stressed that any public solution should not endanger journalistic freedom: "There must be no compromise over editorial independence or the need for credible and ethical journalism," Mr Koenig, also the president of the Swedish Union of Journalists, said.

The organisation lays the blame for the crisis on the splintering of advertising and audiences online, reducing profits.

In response, "employers are throwing standards out the window in the battle for readers and audiences, meaning more celebrity journalism and less coverage of local government, fewer foreign bureaux and so on," Mr White continued.

"They are trying to sell newspapers no matter what."

So the unions have said the second element of their strategy is to target newspapers and broadcasters that "are abandoning the field of quality and standards in journalism," he said.

The EFJ members also say they are concerned about the growing use of free content produced by "citizen journalists" and amateur photographers.

"Journalists are angry that employers are using unpaid amateurs via the internet to fill holes in editorial content," the group said.

Opinion

Europe to make media, media to make Europe

Europe is a machine that makes peace, not war. But one part of its peace arsenal should be independent, transnational media and foreign language broadcasts.

'Final warning' to act on climate change, warns IPCC

The United Nations's report — synthesising years of climate, biodiversity, and nature research — paints a picture of the effects of global warming on the natural world, concluding there is "no time for inaction and delays."

EU launches critical raw materials act

The EU presented its strategy to ensure access to critical raw materials needed for clean technologies. No country should supply more than 65 percent of any key material. Currently, China dominates almost all rare earth metal markets.

Opinion

EU's new critical raw materials act could be a recipe for conflict

Solar panels, wind-turbines, electric vehicle batteries and other green technologies require minerals including aluminium, cobalt and lithium — which are mined in some of the most conflict-riven nations on earth, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, and Kazakhstan.

Latest News

  1. Biden's 'democracy summit' poses questions for EU identity
  2. Finnish elections and Hungary's Nato vote in focus This WEEK
  3. EU's new critical raw materials act could be a recipe for conflict
  4. Okay, alright, AI might be useful after all
  5. Von der Leyen pledges to help return Ukrainian children
  6. EU leaders agree 1m artillery shells for Ukraine
  7. Polish abortion rights activist vows to appeal case
  8. How German business interests have shaped EU climate agenda

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality
  5. Promote UkraineInvitation to the National Demonstration in solidarity with Ukraine on 25.02.2023
  6. Azerbaijan Embassy9th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and 1st Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us