Given the pattern that where the rule of law is eroding, so too is media freedom, it’s unsurprising CEE member states figure highly in the report.
Media freedom and pluralism in many EU countries stands “perilously close” to breaking point, and in some cases must be almost fully resuscitated, according to the “2024 Media Freedom Report” from the Berlin-based Civil Liberties Union for Europe.
Based on data and input from 37 member and partner organisations in 19 countries, Liberties’ report covers three primary areas: media freedom and pluralism, safety and protection of journalists, and freedom of expression and information.
It said that trends observed in last year’s report – heavy media ownership concentration, insufficient ownership transparency rules, threats to the independence and finances of public service media, widespread instances of threats, intimidation and violence against journalists, and restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information – continued in 2023.
Given the pattern that where the rule of law is eroding, so too is media freedom, it is unsurprising that Central and Eastern European member states figure highly in the report.
Media ownership concentration is high in Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. In Greece, Hungary and Romania, political spending on media advertising is high and disproportionately funnelled to government-friendly media. Public service broadcasters remain under government control in Hungary, are expected to soon come under government control in Slovakia, and are in a state of uncertainty in Poland. Levels of public trust in media remain low, declining in Hungary and Slovakia, and reaching an all-time low in Czechia.
Journalists in Croatia, Greece and Italy faced physical attacks in 2023, in addition to threats and intimidation. In Hungary and Slovakia, the abuse and threats against journalists came from elected politicians. And in Romania police failed to properly investigate attacks on journalists, while in Bulgaria police officers themselves attacked journalists.
The use of Pegasus and Predator spyware continued to be a problem in the EU, notably in Greece, Poland and Hungary where journalists were the targets of such surveillance.
Liberties’ report joins a long list of such reports over the past few years that have raised concerns about the declining state of the media in the bloc, especially in countries where populist parties, both on the left and right, have entered parliament and even government.
This has brought a reaction from the EU, which over the last year has introduced new pieces of legislation designed to better protect journalists.
In 2024, the final link in the chain to bring the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) into being came when the European Parliament approved it, making it law across the bloc. The EMFA creates a new oversight body and introduces new measurements and criteria for media freedom and pluralism across member states.
Despite its compromises, the act creates a legal basis for improving media freedom. “Much will depend on national governments and authorities, but the act means cases can now be brought before a European court that will rule on what media independence, surveillance of journalists and so on really mean,” Eva Simon, senior advocacy officer at Liberties, told the Guardian.
The EU also adopted last year the Anti-SLAPP Directive, which is designed to provide journalists and NGOs with much-needed protection from abusive cross-border lawsuits intended solely to silence or intimidate them. Such strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are frequently used against journalists in Croatia and Greece, Liberties noted in the report.
