Support for news media
21.10.2020
Question for written answer E-005720/2020
to the Commission
Rule 138
Andrus Ansip (Renew)
Independent and free media is instrumental for the functioning of democracy.
The news media sector is in crisis. The revenues of global service providers who are able to sell behavioural advertising are increasing. At the same time, the revenues of quality news media outlets are decreasing. COVID-19 has decreased media revenues even further. Sufficiently funded news media is essential as it provides information and tackles disinformation.
The Commission has proposed several instruments to support the media sector under Next Generation EU and the multiannual financial framework: Creative Europe, Digital Europe, InvestEU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, REACT-EU and many others. The MEDIA sub‑programme of Creative Europe has become a reference point for the film and audiovisual sectors. However, none of the aforementioned programmes have news media as their priority. It often happens that when many people have to take care of something alongside other things, nobody is responsible for the result.
- 1.Does the Commission agree that more attention needs to be paid to quality media, rather than it just being covered under different programmes?
- 2.Has the feasibility of a future NEWS programme already been analysed?
- 3.Does the Commission agree that a separate programme aiming to directly support news media and quality journalism is needed?