Judy Dempsey
{
"authors": [
"Judy Dempsey"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Carnegie Europe"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Europe",
"programAffiliation": "",
"programs": [],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Europe",
"Eastern Europe",
"Ukraine",
"Western Europe"
],
"topics": [
"EU",
"Political Reform"
]
}Source: Getty
Pressures Mount on European Media
What can be done to preserve the independence of the European media and ensure competition?
Source: New York Times

The media face similar economic difficulties in other countries. But media owners and journalists are coming under another kind of pressure too in Europe: political pressure.
In my latest Letter From Europe, I write about the threat that corruption poses to Europe, and the news media are not immune.The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was accused of trying to rein in newspapers that criticized him. In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi’s media empire continues to exert an immense influence on public opinion.
In the Balkans, journalists regularly complain about the local business bosses threatening to withdraw advertising if papers criticize their companies or uncover corruption.
Interference is prevalent in Latvia and Ukraine, according to Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe, the pan-European human rights organization.
In both countries, oligarchs, who are also parliamentarians, own the media, dictate the editorial line and do everything possible to prevent investigations into corruption.
Even if corruption cases are published, in Ukraine, the courts will not take action. ‘‘The judiciary is not independent enough,’’ Mr. Jagland said. That, he added, makes it even more difficult to deal with corruption, the subject of my latest Letter from Europe.
So what can be done to preserve the independence of the media and ensure competition?
The European Commission recently set up a panel to see how newspapers and media groups could be protected from political influence. It is also charged with finding ways to ensure that the media do not abuse their power.
Mr. Jagland believes the E.U. is taking the wrong path to reform. Self-regulation is preferable to control or bureaucratic oversight, he said, lest press freedom be undermined.
Self-regulation is easier said than done. It can work in strong democracies. But in Ukraine, Latvia and indeed, Italy, the power of the oligarchs or big media conglomerates negates self-regulation.
About the Author
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe
Dempsey is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe
- Europe Needs to Hear What America is SayingCommentary
- Babiš’s Victory in Czechia Is Not a Turning Point for European PopulistsCommentary
Judy Dempsey
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Amid Iran War, Gulf Countries Slow the Pace of ReformsArticle
The return of war as the organizing factor in Middle Eastern politics has predictable consequences: governments are prioritizing regime stability and becoming averse to political and social reform.
Sarah Yerkes, Amr Hamzawy
- Taking the Pulse: Can NATO Survive the Iran War?Commentary
Donald Trump has repeatedly bashed NATO and European allies, threatening to annex Canada and Greenland and deploring their lack of enthusiasm for his war of choice in Iran. Is this latest round of abuse the final straw?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
- “It’s Not Like Turning a Switch On and Off”Commentary
Why the Iran ceasefire isn’t a quick fix to the Strait of Hormuz energy crisis.
Helima Croft, Aaron David Miller
- Europe Cannot Sit Out the Iran WarCommentary
The Greenland crisis taught Europe to push back against Washington. In Iran, it must learn how to engage without falling in line.
Sophia Besch
- Unstrategic Ambiguity: Trump’s Erratic Approach Leaves Europe GuessingArticle
The behaviors, public statements, and policies of Donald Trump’s administration have perverted America’s strategic posture toward Europe.
Dan Baer, Erik Brown