Reports and Studies about Media Freedom and Pluralism Pilot projects

On 20 April a Commission Decision was adopted on the financing of pilot projects and preparatory actions in the field of "Communications Networks, Content and Technology" and the adoption of the work programme for 2020.

The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) has published the Media Pluralism Monitor 2017 reports, covering 31 European countries (EU 28 and Candidate Countries: the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey). The findings show either a general stagnation or deterioration in all of the four major areas encompassed by the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM): Basic protection, Market plurality, Political independence and Social inclusiveness.

In January 2018, the European Commission set up a high-level group of experts ("the HLEG") to advise on policy initiatives to counter fake news and disinformation spread online. The main deliverable of the HLEG was a report designed to review best practices in the light of fundamental principles, and suitable responses stemming from such principles.

The work of the High-Level Expert Group will contribute to the development of an EU-level strategy on how to tackle the spreading of fake news and disinformation, to be presented in spring 2018. The group gathers 40 representatives of social media platforms and media organisations and of citizens, civil society organisation and experts such as journalists and academia.

The European Commission organised a multi-stakeholder conference on Fake News to define the boundaries of the fake news phenomenon, assess the effectiveness of the solutions already put in place by social media platforms and to agree on key principles for further action. The recordings are now available.

Ahead of the 2016 Colloquium on Fundamental Rights, the Commission commissioned a special Eurobarometer survey on the topics of media pluralism and democracy.

The new edition of the Safety of journalists Guidebook chronicles events undertaken by international organizations, governments and nongovernmental organizations to create a safer environment for members of the media since the original Guidebook was published in 2011.

The Commission held a public consultation on the Independent Report from the HLG on Media Freedom and Pluralism from March to June 2013.