Policy Priorities

NEWS MEDIA COMPANIES, REPRESENTED BY NEWS MEDIA EUROPE, ARE DEVELOPING THEIR FUTURE IN AN EXCITING AND CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT.

Europeans are hungry for news that is reliable, professionally produced, and served on a variety of digital platforms – mobile devices, apps, the printed press, tablets, desktops, television and radio. But our industry is also a business – with a strong and proud tradition based on creative content – which has to remain sustainable to thrive and continue.

Our companies are at the forefront of digital technologies. We innovate and invest in services, products, technology, content and journalism which drive the digital economy. And our end products remain, as they always have, essential bedrocks in any democracy.

News Media Europe has adopted positions in relation many of the European Union’s activities in order to best advance the balanced interests of our users, products and businesses.

GENDER EQUALTIY

News Media Europe is a co-signatory to the Digital4Her declaration of European tech leaders on gender equality, by which we will strive to create an inclusive business ecosystem open to all, acknowledging the strong business case for change in company policies, culture and vision. The key word being diversity, News Media Europe commits to acting as a responsible social and economic actor advocating for change. We are a key policy interlocutor on behalf of news organisations when it comes to gender equality.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, MEDIA FREEDOM AND MEDIA INDEPENDENCE (self-regulation, fake news and online disinformation, fundamental rights, media freedom and independence, AFR, EU projects, whistleblowers, AVMS)

Championing freedom of expression, media freedom and media independence lie at the heart of News Media Europe’s mandate as a body representative of the industry’s views across Europe. Without the freedom and independence to produce news content, our sector cannot flourish and live up to its mandate as the watchdog of democracy and guarantor of transparency and accountability in contemporary society. NME advocates for a self-regulatory approach to the media, to ensure its independence from the state, and for greater independence of relevant regulators, as well as greater protection for news professionals.

NEWS MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY (e-commerce, copyright, advertising, platforms, PSBs, P2B, consumer protection, VAT, digital tax, vat reform, CCCTB, DSM strategy)

Europe’s news media ecosystem is faced with increasingly difficult economic industry conditions. There is an urgent need to harness market forces through smart and targeted policies to ensure that the production of professional news content remains an interesting economic proposal. Without private sector involvement, the news media would be funded by the state, and therefore not independent. Ensuring good conditions for business, especially by the need for a better level playing field with online platforms who commercialise the intellectual property of producers of news content without giving news organisations their fair share, needs to be a priority.

MEDIA LITERACY

News Media Europe’s members have been conducting media literacy campaigns for decades. The importance of such projects should not be borne out of contemporary debates about online disinformation but should rather been seen as an imperative from an educational perspective: critical and independent thinking are the backbone of media literacy. News Media Europe is committed to engaging with policy makers on behalf of industry on this key policy field, where we believe there is room for more involvement by the EU.

DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY (GDPR, ePR, EDPS, EDPB)

Trust lies at the heart of the relationship between informed citizens and their favourite news brands. This is why News Media Europe strives to promote better regulation in the field of data protection and privacy. Far too often, we find that internet users are at risk of becoming overburdened with information and privacy notices due to regulation – we favour an approach based on transparency, user-friendliness, and effective protection of internet users. The protection of data and of privacy is, and will remain, a priority at EU-level for News Media Europe as industry is committed to fostering a safer online environment.

COMPETITION (modernisation of rules, ECJ, anti-trust, state aid, AVMS)

Competition policy has become increasingly important for the news media ecosystem as news companies are increasingly required to business with online platforms. Often, we find that online platforms are able to abuse their dominant market position at the expense of producers of news content who receive less revenue for their content, and see their costly investments undermined together with the industry’s capacity to innovate. At the same time, we are also concerned that European public service broadcasters may be crowding private news media in some areas. News Media Europe is committed to engaging on a constructive dialogue on competition issues, whether in relation to anti-trust or state aid.

ADVERTISING (self-regulation)

Advertising represents a significant and vital revenue stream to sustain free and independent news media industry in Europe. Advertising is an essential element to any commercial and independent news media organisation: it continues to fund journalism, digital and printed newspapers, innovation and investment in new technologies. When advertising revenues decline, investment in editorial content is directly affected. The EU’s news media industry deploys self-regulatory models which regulate advertising and subscribes to various advertising codes.  Self-regulation remains the most effective means of ensuring responsible advertising and consumer protection.

NEWSPRINT AND ENVIRONMENT (timber, ecolabel, recycling, product waste)

Printed newspapers continue to remain an essential contributor to an informed society. Paper is one of the best-managed raw materials. Paper is a sustainable product. News Media Europe monitors and engages with the EU Forest Strategy, which focuses on managing forests sustainably, promoting efficient use of raw materials and boosting the competitiveness of the forest-related industries to create growth and jobs. The revision process of the EU Ecolabel criteria for Printed Products as well as the revision of EU Timber Regulation, both currently on the EU’s agenda, are some of the strategic issues that News Media Europe is engaging with. Both revision processes could have serious consequences for the news media sector in the future.

INNOVATION, FUNDING AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (innovation union, HorizonEurope, media programme, creative Europe)

The European news media industry is currently undergoing a transition to secure itself a more digital and sustainable future, a future where new technologies such as virtual reality, blockchain and drones deliver news content to citizens in various customised formats. It is essential that the innovation and research and development activities of news media companies are supported through targeted funding. We support the creation of a dedicated EU innovation funding scheme for media organisations, a field where we believe ample space exists for cross-fertilisation of technologies. In addition, News Media Europe also believe that more funding should be made readily available for news media organisations undergoing a difficult journey towards their more digital and sustainable future