Report Launch #2: How to save independent media in Central and Southeasteurope?

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (Budapest) and n-ost have just launched their joint, new study “A Lockdown for independent media?”, analyzing how the pandemic has affected journalism in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia

We would like to share the study with you during the event, and discuss some of the findings and possible conclusions with you and the following panelists:

Nikola Burazer (programme director, Centre for Contemporary Politics, executive editor, European Western Balkans, Serbia)

Krisztina Rozgonyi (media and telecommunication consultant, assistant professor, University of Vienna, Hungary)

Olaf Steenfadt (Head of “Media Ownership Monitor” and “Journalism Trust Initiative”, Reporter Without Borders, Germany)

Host: Márta Orosz (investigative journalist, Correctiv, Germany)

Certainly, demand for news and information has soared since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the economic consequences of the lockdown are rapidly and perhaps irreversibly endangering the already precarious business and social model of independent journalism in the region.

The study offers a snapshot of the situation of the media and the political press in the pandemic from the perspective of journalists based in the region:

How has the coronavirus crisis affected newsrooms? How dangerous are the economic consequences? Where is access to information guaranteed by governments, and where is it undermined?

The panel discussion will address questions like ….

how can the financial sustainability of the media be strengthened? How can the right of citizens to valid public information be protected? How can the autonomy and integrity of the political editorial offices be defended against political influence? How can we persuade even governments not to withdraw public information, not to disseminate misleading, false information and not to threaten journalists for disseminating critical news?

The event will be also broadcasted on the Facebook page of FES Budapest and n-ost!

Download the report here.

Media:"Corona crisis puts media under increased pressure", in: Morgenjournal, Ö1 (ORF RADIO), 9 July 2020

Link (German)