Pros and Cons of the European Media Freedom Act Article Czechia has firsthand experience with a prominent politician controlling his media. Therefore, we must not stay on the sidelines. It is of the utmost importance that Czechia support the creation of this legislation, MEP Marcel Kolaja (Czech Pirate Party, Greens/EFA) says regarding the Media Freedom Act. By Marcel Kolaja
Media pluralism at risk in Greece Analysis Media pluralism is experiencing a rapid downslide in Greece. A look at the events and political developments that have accumulated in the last months. By Michalis Goudis
COVID-19: Tips for a Saner Digital Diet in These Viral Times Article A virus riding on another virus. That is how the ‘infodemic’ is raging in online spaces around the outbreak of the novel coronavirus called COVID-19, which has been on just about everyone’s radar since late January 2020. As grave as the quest to manage the respiratory disease and cure those ill with it is not only the challenge of using facts versus fear - but how to create and keep avenues of information that withstand the unrelenting drip of skewed, confused, partially true to totally false information, to racist and prejudiced views, or a cocktail of these. By Johanna Son
Born out of crisis: New online newspapers are shaking up Spain’s media landscape Background Spain’s political topography and consequently its media landscape have undergone radical change as a consequence of the economic and political crisis of 2008. By Thilo Schäfer
Media Capture Central European Style With foreign owners leaving the market, Central European oligarchs are buying whatever they can get their hands on. The region is an object lesson in how vested interests can create a quasi-media monopoly on information. By Krisztián Simon
“All we want is to work in partnership with our readers” Interview Journalism is in a serious crisis. Nevertheless, alternative left-wing media are still out there in Europe, providing quality news and analysis with financial backing not from oligarchs or big business but from their readers. An exchange between the makers of merce.hu (Hungary), republik.ch (Switzerland), oko.press (Poland), and taz.de (Germany). By Krisztián Simon
Political action for fundamental right of information and a democratic public sphere Interview Christophe Deloire, Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders, explains the vision of how to secure the public space of communication.
Connecting Europe: The Calling of Trans-European Media Interview In a Europe threatened with rising nationalism, trans-European media could present an ambitious project to transcend borders and language barriers, connecting citizens. By Laurent Standaert
Europe Must Do More for Media and Democracy Background While the European Commission is supporting restrictive measures to tackle the spread of false news online, independent and critical media are being left to survive on their own in the face of hostility. By Maryia Sadouskaya-Komlach
Media pluralism further declines in Hungary Media pluralism has suffered another major blow in Hungary. Magyar Nemzet, a newspaper that represented a brand of conservatism that was still able to critically evaluate the governing of Viktor Orbán, was shut down following the Prime Minister’s most recent election victory. By Krisztián Simon
