The Impact of Media Concentration on Professional ... - OSCE
The Impact of Media Concentration on Professional ... - OSCE
The Impact of Media Concentration on Professional ... - OSCE
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an unhealthy dominant positi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Western media companies.In principle, the European Federati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Journalists (EFJ) haswelcomed the arrival <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> especially European investors, as “Foreigninvestment in CEE countries can bring benefits in terms<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> greater resources, improved management and increasedindependence from nati<strong>on</strong>al political elites”. 45At the same time the Federati<strong>on</strong>’s survey c<strong>on</strong>cluded thatsince the collapse <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> communism “the old state m<strong>on</strong>opoly <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>secti<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the media, particularly the press, has been replacedby commercial m<strong>on</strong>opolies”. 46<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> noti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> new “commercial m<strong>on</strong>opolies” may be exaggerated.But clearly the massive Western investment into theemerging CEE print media market has sped up the c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>process in these countries.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> pi<strong>on</strong>eering years into the “Wild East” seem to havepassed. Growing ec<strong>on</strong>omic difficulties in Western Europeanec<strong>on</strong>omies have led to the re-thinking <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> business strategiesand company structures. By late October 2003 the Bertelsmannsubsidiary Gruner & Jahr initiated a new round <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> market c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>by selling its acquisiti<strong>on</strong>s in most Central and EasternEuropean countries to the Swiss media group Ringier. Infuture Gruner & Jahr will <strong>on</strong>ly operate in Poland and Russia,while the deal with the German media giant has strengthenedRingier’s already str<strong>on</strong>g positi<strong>on</strong> in the Chek Republic, Slovakia,Romania and Serbia.At least EFJ Secretary General Aidan White is surely preoccupied:“If Europe’s media is to have a future even remotelyc<strong>on</strong>nected to its traditi<strong>on</strong>al role as a watchdog over the exercise<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> political and corporate power and as a provider <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> qualityinformati<strong>on</strong> in the public interest, the issue <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> media c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>must be <strong>on</strong> the European agenda”. 47<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> massive influx <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> foreign capital into CEE countrieshas definitely not helped independent nati<strong>on</strong>ally-based media46 THE IMPACT OF MEDIA CONCENTRATION ON PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM