‘Foreign media pressure putting accession states’ journalism at risk’

By Martin Banks

Date: 20/11/03

JOURNALISTIC standards in accession countries are being sacrificed due to "aggressive" commercial policies by overseas media groups, according to a new report.

The study by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) assessed the impact that foreign ownership has had on the domestic media in each of the ten countries set to join the EU next May.

It claims that a process of "market colonization", particularly by German, Swiss and Scandinavian companies, is increasingly dominating the media in these countries, at the expense of journalistic standards.

The report cites the situation in two countries, Poland and the Czech Republic, as a particular cause for concern.

"The main problem for the Polish press is its independence. Foreign companies are trying to impose their western management in a completely different environment," the report states.

"Laws protecting journalists are weak and large media groups take advantage of this. The rush of foreign investment into Polish media has created lower quality and declining impartiality."

It warns that journalists on Czech newspapers are failing to act as a credible public watchdog "because foreign owners don't want to cause controversy by investing in investigative journalism".

The report argues that diversity is also threatened in the Czech regional press because almost all of it is controlled by a German publishing firm.

In wider terms, the European Federation (part of the International Federation of Journalists) expresses concern about the continuing impact of the US media on Europe.

Aidan White, secretary-general of the EFJ, said: "EU enlargement poses particular problems and issues in terms of media concentration and the promotion of policies to protect media diversity.

"Our report provides dramatic evidence of the sheer scale and domination of sections of the media by foreign media groups which moved into many accession states."

A study by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) claims that foreign ownership of media in accession countries has adversely affected journalistic standards.

http://www.ifj-europe.org/ http://www.ifj-europe.org/

---