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04.07.2022

Measuring Media Pluralism in the EU

The implementation of the EU-funded Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) 2022 indicates (like the MPM 2021) that media pluralism in Austria is at medium risk in all but one of the areas of investigation (Market plurality, Political independence, Social inclusiveness). Only the area of Fundamental protection shows a low risk. The study, carried out by Josef Seethaler and Maren Beaufort, shows that three out of twenty indicators even represent a high risk: Market concentration – offline and online, and Independence of governance and funding of public service media. All European results were presented in the presence of EU Vice-President Věra Jourová in Florence on June 30, 2022.

Risks to independence of PSM governance and funding (Source: https://cmpf.eui.eu/mpm-2022-interactive/) ©EUI, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom

 

Strengths…

It has to be emphasised that the foundations of the democratic media system are intact and robust:

  • Freedom of expression is well protected.
  • Access to journalism is free and journalistic work is legally protected in many ways.
  • Media authorities work independently.
  • The media market has largely recovered from the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis (although the print sector remains battered for several reasons).
  • During election times, the public service broadcaster ORF does a reasonably good job of representing the parliamentary parties.
  • The ORF also feels responsible for providing access to media for people with disabilities.
  • Equally important, there is a rich and varied supply of regional and local media services, including a lively community media sector.
     

…and Weaknesses

Risks to media pluralism in Austria are primarily due to

  • horizontal and cross-media concentration;
  • threats to the independence of PSM governance and funding, which in contrast to the almost European-wide concentration of the media markets, are only to be observed in a few countries;
  • the failure of countless governments to pass a Freedom of Information Act;
  • a lack of sufficient reflection on the changes in the media landscape in the competition law;
  • the outflow of advertising revenues to a few globally operating online platforms,
  • endangered editorial autonomy;
  • some shortcomings in the provisions on transparency of media ownership (information on the ultimate ownership structures of media companies is not generally available);
  • limited access to media for women and minorities;
  • spread of disinformation;
  • and a missing policy (and missing resources) for promoting media literacy.

 

Moreover, there are two particularly alarming developments. First, the growing number of physical attacks and online threats against journalists, in recent times, particularly in the context of demonstrations organized by COVID-19 denialists, opponents of vaccination, the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) and other right-wing groups, and the missing of a comprehensive policy framework to ensure physical and digital safety of media professionals.

Second, the extraordinarily high amount of state advertising expenditures (about five times the amount of regular media subsidies!) and the lack of transparency in the allocation criteria. The details of the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office's corruption investigations, which have become public and forced Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to resign in October 2021, have exposed unhealthy ties between some politicians, polling companies, and media organisations. According to a representative survey conducted by the Gallup Institute, these incidents have badly shaken trust in the media and underscored the urgency of reforming the system of media subsidies which should be exclusively dedicated to supporting the media in performing their democratic functions.

 

 

Previous reports

Seethaler, J., & Beaufort, M. (2021). Monitoring media pluralism in the digital era: Application of the Media Pluralism Monitor in the European Union, Albania, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia & Turkey in the year 2020. Country Report: Austria. Florence: European University Institute, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF).

Seethaler, J., & Beaufort, M. (2020). Monitoring media pluralism in the digital era: Application of the Media Pluralism Monitor 2020 in the European Union, Albania and Turkey in the years 2018-2019. Country report: Austria. Florence: European University Institute, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF).

Seethaler, J., & Beaufort, M. (2018). Monitoring media pluralism in Europe: Application of the Media Pluralism Monitor 2017 in the European Union, FYROM, Serbia & Turkey. Country report: Austria. Florence: European University Institute, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF).

Seethaler, J., & Beaufort, M. (2017). Media pluralism monitor 2016: Monitoring risks for media pluralism in EU and beyond. Country report: Austria. Florence: European University Institute, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF).

Seethaler, J. (2016). Media pluralism in Austria: A test implementation of the Media Pluralism Monitor 2015. Florence: European University Institute, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF).

 

Related publications

Seethaler, J. (2021). Safety of journalists in Austria. In M. Žuffová & R. Carlini (Eds.), Safety of journalists in Europe: Threats and best practices to tackle them (EUI Working Paper RSC 2021/43) (pp. 23-30). Florence: European University Institute.

Seethaler, J., & Beaufort, M. (2019). Recent developments on freedom and pluralism of media in Austria. In A. Giannakopoulos (Ed.), Media, freedom of speech, and democracy in the EU and beyond(pp. 116-130). Tel Aviv: S. Daniel Abraham Center for International and Regional Studies, Tel Aviv University.

Seethaler, J. (2018). Informations- und Meinungsfreiheit: Medienpolitische Grundlagen und Herausforderungen. In H. Koziol (Ed.), Tatsachenmitteilungen und Werturteile: Freiheit und Verantwortung (pp. 13-26). Wien: Sramek.