ZAGREB, April 19, 2019 - The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), of which the Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) is a member, on Friday issued its manifesto ahead of elections for the European Parliament, scheduled for 23-26 May, to help promote media freedom, media pluralism and quality journalism in all EU member states and countries aspiring to join the bloc.
"Journalism is a public good," the EFJ says, urging policymakers to support its proposals "for the revival of a free, trusted and pluralistic media in Europe, where possible in cooperation with the Council of Europe, the OSCE representative on Freedom of the Media and other relevant stakeholders dealing with media."
Europe needs media pluralism, financial sustainability and the future of journalism, investigative journalism, collective bargaining and social protection for all workers, trust and accountability through ethical journalism, authors’ rights and fair contracts for all, strong independent public service media, and safety at work for journalists, the manifesto says.
Although the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights promotes freedom of expression, media freedom and media pluralism, journalism and journalists are increasingly under pressure, the ECJ warns, recalling that four journalists have been killed in the EU in the last two years.
"The financial sustainability of independent media is at stake, media concentration is on the rise and the increasing power of the internet platforms caused an unprecedented threat to our news and information ecosystem lacking accountability, transparency and regulation," the manifesto says.
"The 2019 EP elections come at a turning point for the European Union which urgently needs to reconnect with its citizens and represent their interests. We wish a forward-looking EU where not only the economy and growth matter but where concrete action is taken to ensure that everyone’s right to know is guaranteed.
"Unfortunately, the solemnly proclaimed European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and the European Semester together with other EU strategies, such as the Digital Single Market (DSM) do not sufficiently provide an adequate framework for Member States to take action to protect (freelance) media workers and journalists, who often live in extreme precarious conditions and thus leave the profession. The future EU budget should help to deliver on EU post-2020 social and non-discrimination objectives, equal treatment for all workers independent of their employment contract, while a renewed political impulse is needed to support journalism as a public vital good," it adds.
The ECJ recommends promoting laws that encourage independent media and thwart the concentration of media ownership, supporting initiatives on monitoring media pluralism and checks to ensure that new EU legislation is consistent with the principles of media freedom and pluralism, and supporting initiatives that enhance gender equality and diversity in the newsroom.
"Media pluralism and democracy require that all voices are heard in the media," the ECJ stressed.
To ensure financial sustainability and the future of journalism, the ECJ recommends supporting initiatives that explore new ways of funding journalistic work, including non-profit financial models, and develop new socially sustainable economic models aimed at financing and supporting professional independent and investigative (cross-border) journalism.
With regard to investigative journalism, the organisation recalls that its role is to "hold institutions and individuals accountable to the public." It recommends abolishing criminal defamation laws, ensuring open access to EU documents and public data for citizens and journalists, and supporting proposals for the protection of journalists who are regularly subjected to lawsuits intended to censor their work or intimidate them.
The ECJ recommends ensuring equal rights and equal treatment for all forms of employment including free-lancers and journalists working in digital media/start-ups through fair working contracts with sufficient social protection.
As for authors' rights, the ECJ recommends ensuring full recognition of journalists as authors and fair and proportionate distribution of their revenues generated in the digital world deriving from such rights.
Warning that public service media is increasingly under attack in Europe, the organisation calls for a sustainable funding model for an independent public service media that serves the public interest, for the protection of public service media against political interference in their daily management and editorial work, and for supporting the need for public service media "to be able to adapt, innovate and develop, with emphasis on the online remit and the need to reach all (and in particular young) audiences."
To protect journalists' right to work freely without the fear of physical violence or imprisonment, the ECJ recommends implementing Council of Europe recommendations on protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors at the national level, monitoring the ongoing investigations about murders and physical attacks against journalists, and engaging against the increasing (online) threats and harassment against journalists and in particular female journalists.
The EFJ is the largest organisation of journalists in Europe, representing over 320,000 journalists in 70 journalists’ trade unions and professional associations across 45 countries.
More news about journalism in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.
