The study “Uncovering news deserts in Europe. Risks and opportunities for local and community media in the EU” by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) has just been published. This research detects challenges and opportunities for local and community media in the 27 EU Member States, analyzing the news deserts phenomenon from a holistic perspective.
The report on the Belgian local news media, authored by Olivier Standaert, can be consulted here: https://cmpf.eui.eu/local-media-for-democracy-country-focus-belgium/
A network of researchers spanning all the 27 EU Member States ran the investigation, using the methodology developed by CMPF. They assessed risks based on 55 variables that relate to the local media market conditions; local journalists’ safety and working conditions, local outlets’ editorial independence and social inclusiveness. The study also highlights examples of best practices in the local and community media sector that could greatly benefit a vibrant and open local public sphere.
The most pressing issues concern the intertwining of decreasing revenues and biased distribution of state advertising and subsidies to local media. Another urgent concern is the political control exerted via direct and/or indirect ownership of local media, a matter particularly prevalent in Central and Southern European member states.
