Journalists helped shape the EU — now it needs us more than ever

Journalists are an unruly bunch, always have been, always will be. But they are also the lifeblood of democracy.

Without us there would be no accountability for the powerful, no pushbacks against the corrupt, no visibility for the honorable. 

There would also be no European Union.

The EU would exist of course but it’s journalists — whether good, bad or ugly — who give life and traction to the EU story.  

That’s no clueless boast.

Post-war idealists chronicled the EU’s earliest moves toward unity, national and international correspondents hold EU institutions to account today and legend has it that the Brussels-bashing “exaggerated tales” by the Daily Telegraph’s erstwhile reporter in Brussels, Boris Johnson, helped set Brexit in motion. 

Today, as the EU struggles to find its place in a MAGA world, our role as watchdogs of ethical standards, transparency and accountability is more critical than ever.

For proof look no further than the European Court of Justice’s ruling last week on “Pfizergate”. 

Instigated by tenacious journalists who filed a Freedom of Information request with the European Commission, asking for access to text messages exchanged between commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during early Covid-19 vaccine negotiations, the case spotlights the wide gap between EU institutions’ public vows on openness and public scrutiny and a tendency to engage in selective transparency and strategic delay.

The Brussels-based press corps is one of the largest contingents of journalists in the world. 

Quantity does not always translate into quality, however, and there is shrinking space for smaller national outlets and increased pressure on often-poorly paid freelancers. Interests also vary. 

For some the focus is on titillating scandals and missteps by Europe’s movers and shakers. 

Others keep track of the EU’s lack of action on Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, quick-moving developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine, ever harsher Fortress Europe policies, the bloc’s seemingly unstoppable deregulation drive and pushbacks on the green transition.

The importance of life beyond the EU bubble is vividly demonstrated in EUobserver’s latest magazine, with its focus on Europe’s unsung heroes. 

This interest in the EU began as early as 1953.

That’s when Italian journalist Emanuele Gazzo set up Agence Europe, an initially small agency with a mandate to report every single day on a rapidly transforming Europe.

Agence Europe soon became one of the world’s most respected news services and Gazzo himself emerged as a much-sought-out journalist who was arguably as influential as any commissioner.

Full disclosure: I had the privilege of being an intern at Agence Europe straight after university. 

Terrified at first of the iconic “Monsieur Gazzo”, I soon started calling him Bibbo as did his two journalist daughters, Lidia and Marina (who later became the newsletter’s editor-in-chief).

Bibbo was a hard taskmaster but somehow made the daily grind of reporting on Europe a fun, learning experience. We were instructed to know our facts, be meticulous and clear in our reporting but also to question, interrogate and challenge.

Agence Europe’s editorials with their pressure for greater transparency and informed debate set the tone for the small number of EU-focused publications that began to emerge.

In 1995, European Voice, a weekly established by the Economist Group, started to offer in-depth, insider reporting on the EU at a time when such scrutiny was rare in mainstream European media. 

This year, EUobserver celebrates its 25^th anniversary.

Reporting and commenting on the EU continues to be a fascinating adventure, albeit a perilous one.

'Existential battle'

From Hungary to Slovenia, and from Poland to Malta, the erosion of press freedom is becoming a litmus test for the EU’s commitment to its principles and values.

As the Civil Liberties Union for Europe recently reported, weak ownership transparency rules, growing government influence over public media and threats against journalists, mean that media freedom and pluralism are “under attack across the EU, and in some cases in an existential battle.”

There is also a systematic co-option of media outlets by political or corporate interests and a dangerous increase in Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPS), often initiated by powerful corporations, politicians, or oligarchs, which are not really aimed at winning in court but designed to intimidate, silence, and financially drain reporters investigating corruption, abuse of power, or environmental and human rights violations. 

Years spent in EU press rooms, interrogating ministers, policymakers and “spokespeople” and reporting on Europe for domestic and global audiences has taught me the value and appeal of the EU’s story.

I have also learned the importance of speaking truth to power.

In a climate of disinformation, authoritarian resurgence, and geopolitical uncertainty, Europe needs journalists who spotlight the good news but can also track the money, trace the lobbying, confront the evasions, and conduct cross-border investigations that go beyond national silos.

Europe’s democratic future requires a fiercely independent press which is willing to expose institutional failures, corruption, and policy incoherence. 

To do this more effectively, EU journalism must become more inclusive both in its recruitment and in the stories it chooses to tell. 

We owe a debt to pioneers like Emanuele Gazzo who helped write the early chapters of integration with rigour and honesty. 

Over the years, journalists have helped steer the EU, one question, one leaked report and one tenacious investigation at a time. 

Our task today may be to help save the EU from complacency, double standards and irrelevance.

This year, we turn 25 and are looking for 2,500 new supporting members to take their stake in EU democracy. A functioning EU relies on a well-informed public – you.