On 17-18 November 2016 the Commission hosts the second Annual Colloquium on Fundamental Rights which will be held in Brussels. The current edition focuses on Media Pluralism and Democracy. A wide range of experts discuss on the key role in democratic societies of a free and pluralist Media, in particular digital Media, and on how to safeguard and promote Media pluralism and freedom in the EU.
The Colloquium brings together, in an interactive roundtable discussion, EU institutions and Member States, NGOs, journalists, Media representatives, companies, key academics and International organizations.
Frans Timmermans, Günther Oettinger, Věra Jourová, Koen Lenaerts, Marek Maďarič, Ulrike Lunacek, Thorbjørn Jagland, Katharine Viner, Alexandra Pascalidou, Melody Patry, Michael Roth, Dunja Mijatovic, Xavier Vidal-Folch, Jacki Davis, Damian Tambin, Michael Ignatieff, Tom Weingärtner, William Horsley, Christophe Deloire, Michael O'Flaherty, Kristina Hristova, Frank La Rue, Melody Patry, Anna Myers, Stefania Maurizi, Stefan Kaltenbrunner, Audrey Pulvar and Pawel Swieboda are some of the participants at this event to reflect on a wide range of topics including among others:
- how to protect and promote media freedom and independence from State intervention and from undue political or commercial pressures;
- how to empower journalists and protect them from threats of physical violence or hate speech;
- the role of media and ethical journalism in promoting fundamental rights;
- how can a pluralistic media environment foster political debate on crucial issues for democratic societies.
The Commission states that its objective with the celebration of this Annual Colloquium is to improve mutual cooperation and greater political engagement for the promotion and protection of media pluralism and democracy in the EU.
Special Eurobarometer results and the Internet experience
The results of the Special Eurobarometer requested by the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers and co-ordinated by the Directorate-General for Communication paint a mixed picture of Media pluralism and freedom across the European Union.
On the positive side, the majority of respondents think their National Media provide a diversity of views and opinions. Furthermore, the majority in each Member State think this is the case. Most respondents also think the level of diversity is either the same as, or more than the level of five years ago. A small majority agree National Media provide trustworthy information.
However, in spite of the diversity of the media, the majority of respondents say neither their National nor their public service Media are free and independent. Furthermore, almost three in ten think their National Media are less free and independent than they were five years ago.
Just over half of respondents follow debates on social media by reading articles on the Internet, or through blogs or other social media. Less than three in ten actively participate in them by posting comments and so on. For those who do participate, it is more likely to be an occasional rather than a regular occurrence.
Amongst those who at least sometimes follow or participate in such debates, there is widespread experience of hate speech, threats or abuse directed against journalists, bloggers or people active on social media. Three quarters say they have ever experienced this kind of behaviour, and more than one in ten say they often experience it. For almost half, these experiences make them hesitant to engage in online debates.
According to the survey, in the eyes of Europeans, there is still considerable work to be done in ensuring the independence of National Media – a vital cornerstone of a democratic EU. The widespread experience of hate speech, abuse and threats in online spaces also needs to be addressed to ensure all citizens feel free to safely express themselves in the online sphere.
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