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The Impact of Media Concentration on Professional ... - OSCE

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Introducti<strong>on</strong>by Johannes v<strong>on</strong> Dohnanyiand Christian MöllerEc<strong>on</strong>omic c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong> has l<strong>on</strong>g been acknowledged as <strong>on</strong>e<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the main threats to media pluralism and diversity. Scientificresearch into structural deficiencies <strong>on</strong> individual company levelas well as general market c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s which favour c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>processes has c<strong>on</strong>sequently been extensive. Little, however,is known about the impact <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> media c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> individualjournalists and <strong>on</strong> the quality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>essi<strong>on</strong>al journalismas a whole. It is <strong>on</strong>ly thanks to the initiative <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <strong>OSCE</strong> Representative<strong>on</strong> Freedom <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Media</str<strong>on</strong>g> that at least parts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> thisknowledge gap can be c<strong>on</strong>sidered as closed.This study deals with c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong> trends in the dailynewspaper markets and their impact <strong>on</strong> pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>essi<strong>on</strong>al journalismin eight selected <strong>OSCE</strong> participating States. Of these, Finland,Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom are fully fledgedEU Member States. Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Romaniafall into the categories <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> acceding respectively Applicant Statesto the European Uni<strong>on</strong>.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> country selecti<strong>on</strong> followed neither “political gossip”nor prejudicial colportage by the media over the level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> mediac<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong> or the state <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Press Freedoms in this or another<strong>OSCE</strong> participating State. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> sample was not meant to show“good” or “bad” examples <strong>on</strong> how to or how not to deal withthe ever present temptati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>. At the dawn<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an enlarged European Uni<strong>on</strong> the researchers’ sole intenti<strong>on</strong>was to analyse future risks and opportunities for a Europeandaily newspaper industry, whose level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> independence andprotecti<strong>on</strong> from unduly interferences from state authorities orJOHANNES VON DOHNANYI AND CHRISTIAN MÖLLER 11

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