Our Media Pluralism Monitor 2020: a Source for the EC's Rule of Law Report

The First Annual Report on the Rule of Law situation in the European Union, published on 30 September, aims to be a tool to prevent backsliding on the rule of law in all 27 EU Member States. It monitors significant developments - both positive and negative - in four areas including media freedom and pluralism.

In its Report the European Commission mentions the Media Pluralism Monitor 2020, a project developed by our Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom and published in July this year, as ‘an important source’. Specifically, it uses the Monitor’s data on several indicators such as the independence of media authorities; the transparency of media ownership; the distribution of state advertising; the political pressure on the media; the right of access to information, and the measures to support and protect journalists against threats and attacks.

The findings in the Rule of Law Report on media freedom and pluralism echo many of those found in the Monitor, raising “concerns about effectiveness and adequate resources, as well as risks of politicisation of media authorities in some Member States”. Furthermore, it flags significant concerns regarding political independence of media and threats to journalists in retaliation for their work.

The Media Pluralism Monitor is a scientific and holistic tool to assess the health of media ecosystems, detailing threats to media pluralism and freedom in Member States and some candidate countries. It is co-financed by the European Union.