Alternate presentations:
Task Force for Co-ordination of Media Affairs -
Media Pluralism
High-Level
Group on Media Freedom and Pluralism
A high-level group on Media
Freedom and Pluralism has been established by European Commission Vice-President
Neelie Kroes in October 2011.
The
group, which is fully independent, is chaired by the former President of Latvia,
Professor Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga. The other members are Professor Herta
Däubler-Gmelin, Professor Luís Miguel Poiares Pessoa Maduro and Ben Hammersley.
The group is intended to draw up a report for the Commission with
recommendations for the respect, protection, support and promotion of pluralism
and freedom of the media in Europe. The findings of the Group will be made
public.
The Commission invites the group to analyse and
provide recommendations on issues such as:
• limitations to media freedom arising from
political interference (state intervention or national legislation)
• limitations to media independence arising from private and commercial
interference
• the question of the concentration of media ownership and its consequence for
media freedom/pluralism and on the independence of journalists
• existing or potential legal threats to the protection of journalists' rights
and their profession in Member States
• the role and independence of regulatory authorities
• existing or potential measures in favour of quality journalism, ethics and
media accountability, within the respective competences of national, EU and
international authorities.
The
full Terms of Reference are available
here.