EU’s media freedom act is next weapon in arsenal for journalists

EP president Roberta Metsola and Commissioner Věra Jourová in debate on threats to safety of journalists on World Press Freedom Day

European Commissioner Vera Jourova
European Commissioner Vera Jourova

The European Parliament’s plenary in Strasbourg convened to celebrate World Press Freedom Day with renewed commitment to help journalists in the face of new technology and warfare and the insidious creep of corporate and or political interests.

European Parliament president Roberta Metsola announced the second edition of the Daphne Caruana Galizia prize in journalism, the EP tribute to the slain Maltese journalist killed by a car bomb on 16 October, 2017.

“Journalists should never have to choose between uncovering the truth and staying alive or spending years and thousands in court fighting vexatious lawsuits,” Metsola said, adding that the EU would support those who defend and promote core European values in memory of the slain journalist.

Věra Jourová, Commission Vice President responsible for values and transparency also paid tribute to the journalists covering the war in Ukraine, praising their bravery and the ultimate sacrifices they were in some cases making to get the truth out.

Jourová detailed the Commission's work to help safeguard journalists, with €6 million for emergency support to journalists in Ukraine.

Citing the Commission’s recent work on a proposal to counter SLAPs – the vexatious lawsuits intended to silence journalists by saddling them with a barrage of complex and costly legal proceedings, Jourová described them as “David and Goliath” fights, usually entailing a very wealthy and powerful plaintiff suing a much less wealthy and powerful defendant.

“Journalists speak in the public interest, they keep power in check, and this is why we need to protect them. I call this Daphne’s law in honour of Daphne Caruana Galizia and her family who have fought so much for it.”

Jourová said that the Commission, together with internal market commission Thierry Breton, was working to develop a media freedom act (MFA) that she says “will enshrine for the first time in EU law common safeguards to protect media pluralism and independence of the media.”

Alongside the MFA, Jourová recalled the €8 million funding project for cross-border journalism partnerships as well as the protective and fairness enhancing role the Digital Services and Digital Markets acts will have.

MEP Vladimír Bilčík (EPP) described the job of journalists as a brave one, especially those reporting on Russian war crimes. “All of you provide your citizens with information that literally saves lives, you’re heroes who might come under fire even if you wear the press sign, you might be abducted or killed.”

Bilčík described the different region-specific threats faced by journalists across the EU and called for redress, saying that quality journalism was about a constant search for facts and the truth.

Tiemo Wölken (S&D) said that Daphne Caruana Galizia’s case exemplified the need for anti-SLAPP regulation. “We owe journalists our protection and support; it’s not only under a hail of bullets that the media is destroyed, it’s a slow and insidious process.”

Ramona Strugariu (Renew) described the soon to be released MFA as a “surgical tool to tackle the main threats to the freedom of the press while avoiding ministries of truth or tearing apart functioning models where journalism thrives.”

Daniel Freund of the Greens took his speaking time to remind the chamber that threats to journalists and the “playbook” autocrats used to silence them with murder, was not exclusive to Russia, China or other autocratic regimes. “Corruption is the reason Jan Kuciak was murdered, corruption is the reason that Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered, corruption is the reason Hungarian journalist are spied upon by Pegasus.”

Nicolaus Fest from the far-right ID naturally did not share the optimism held by other MEPs over the EU’s initiatives. “Legislation coming from this House is amongst the list of threats,” he said.

While he agreed that free media were of chief importance to a healthy democracy, Fest held misgivings over the EU’s attempts to classify “hate speech” or fund journalism, saying this could lead to censorship and prejudice the independence of the media.

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