European Parliament, Photo: Shutterstock
Today, the European Parliament passed a regulation on the protection of journalists, the fight against political interference in editorial decisions and greater transparency of media ownership.
The regulation establishing a common framework for media services in the EU and ensuring better protection of journalists and their sources was adopted at the plenary session in Strasbourg with 464 votes “for”, 92 “against” and 65 abstentions – it was announced on the website of the European Parliament.
The authorities will be prohibited from putting pressure on journalists and editors to reveal their sources, arresting journalists, imposing sanctions on them, searching newsrooms and installing surveillance software on their electronic devices.
This new regulation is a response to growing fears in the EU about the politicization of the media and the insufficient transparency of media ownership and when the state assigns ads to the media.
The regulation sets obligations for EU countries to better guarantee the editorial and functional independence of public media, especially through “sustainable and predictable financing”.
The editorial independence of the media should be ensured by the ban on firing journalists before the contract expires, unless they meet professional criteria.
The new regulation contains a mechanism to prevent large online platforms, such as Facebook, Ix or Instagram, from arbitrarily limiting or deleting independent media content.
( Beta )