Liberties: Worrisome Decline in Media Freedom Across Europe (Media Freedom Report 2022)

The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties), in cooperation with Liberties member and partner organisations in 15 EU Member States, published its first annual report on media freedom in the European Union. It highlights the role free and diverse media play in democracy and public debate - providing information, but also supervising those in power. In addition, this report provides the European Commission with reliable and independent information for the preparation of the European Media Freedom Act, to protect the diversity and independence of the media in the EU. 

The report focuses on four topics: media freedom and pluralism, safety and protection of journalists, freedom of expression and access to information, and the enforcement of laws. According to the document, media freedom in Europe is in decline. It is caused by such factors as growing political pressure, lack of oversight on public service media, and high concentration of ownership. As citizens rely on the media to get informed, media freedom and pluralism are extremely important. Regardless, many EU countries, even those with more stable democracies face a high concentration of media ownership or governments pressuring the publishers. For example, in Italy, only two media companies dominate the market. Another expanding problem is the lack of safety for journalists and media workers. They suffer from harassment in both real and virtual life, and the aggression sometimes escalates even into physical attacks. It has also been observed an increasing number of restrictions on freedom of expression and information (e.g. Poland refused dozens of journalists access to the border with Belarus). The public media is being pressured by some governments or used to spread disinformation.

The Liberties’ report stresses that media freedom needs urgent protection, including funding and ownership transparency, protection of journalists and journalistic sources, supporting editorial independence and limiting political and corporate influence.

The full report is available here.

The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) is a watchdog that safeguards the human rights of everyone in the European Union. The team is made up of experts in human rights and communications. They work closely with a network of members in Brussels and across 18 EU countries. They are registered as a non-governmental organisation in Berlin and have a presence in Brussels.