Stressing the link between security and media freedom, Vice-President Virkkunen acknowledged the critical role journalism plays in the essential infrastructure for security and preparedness.
Highlighting main points for media safety, the MFRR partners emphasised the need for ensuring sustainability for media and addressing financing gaps caused both by decrease in government funding and platform capture of advertising revenue. Drawing on the Joint MFRR EU Democracy Shield submission, MFRR partners proposed concrete, innovative solutions on how to address this, opening discussion on the needs to develop sustainable revenues for journalists.
The MFRR stressed the urgent need to regulate generative AI due to its extensive and often unauthorised use of editorial content. The MFRR shared the significant concern that AI-generated content could displace editorial work, leading to revenue loss and decreased interest in journalism, and emphasised that AI regulation must include transparency, enforcement, fair remuneration, and meaningful consultation as part of the European Commission’s third Code of Practice. Commissioner Virkkunen insisted on the need for balance between AI innovation and copyright regulation while affirming the importance of fair compensation. She expressed interest in receiving examples of effective strategies for supporting media viability including tax incentives to increase investment in media.
The MFRR also highlighted the crucial role of public service media and the absolute need for strong enforcement of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), with Commissioner Virkkunen agreeing that significant cuts to media, such as cuts to public broadcaster YLE in Finland, and the increasing prevalence of news ‘deserts’ are concerning developments.
Further points of discussion included the necessity of supporting the sustainability of independent media and civil society, enhancing digital security within the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA), emphasising the threat of spyware and the increase of online attacks against journalists.
The MFRR delegation was comprised of representatives from the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute (IPI), ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU).
This meeting was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
