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

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an unhealthy dominant position <strong>of</strong> Western media companies.In principle, the European Federation <strong>of</strong> Journalists (EFJ) haswelcomed the arrival <strong>of</strong> especially European investors, as “Foreigninvestment in CEE countries can bring benefits in terms<strong>of</strong> greater resources, improved management and increasedindependence from national political elites”. 45At the same time the Federation’s survey concluded thatsince the collapse <strong>of</strong> communism “the old state monopoly <strong>of</strong>sections <strong>of</strong> the media, particularly the press, has been replacedby commercial monopolies”. 46<strong>The</strong> notion <strong>of</strong> new “commercial monopolies” may be exaggerated.But clearly the massive Western investment into theemerging CEE print media market has sped up the concentrationprocess in these countries.<strong>The</strong> pioneering years into the “Wild East” seem to havepassed. Growing economic difficulties in Western Europeaneconomies have led to the re-thinking <strong>of</strong> business strategiesand company structures. By late October 2003 the Bertelsmannsubsidiary Gruner & Jahr initiated a new round <strong>of</strong> market concentrationby selling its acquisitions in most Central and EasternEuropean countries to the Swiss media group Ringier. Infuture Gruner & Jahr will only operate in Poland and Russia,while the deal with the German media giant has strengthenedRingier’s already strong position 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 remotelyconnected to its traditional role as a watchdog over the exercise<strong>of</strong> political and corporate power and as a provider <strong>of</strong> qualityinformation in the public interest, the issue <strong>of</strong> media concentrationmust be on the European agenda”. 47<strong>The</strong> massive influx <strong>of</strong> foreign capital into CEE countrieshas definitely not helped independent nationally-based media46 THE IMPACT OF MEDIA CONCENTRATION ON PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM
groups to grow. And there is the incumbent danger that “asmedia groups from elsewhere in Europe acquire newspapers inCEE countries, they do not pay enough attention to training,pay and the status and independence <strong>of</strong> journalists in carryingout their work”. 48This opinion has been encountered on various occasionsduring the preparation <strong>of</strong> this survey. “<strong>The</strong> foreign investmentdriven concentration process, which started after the collapse <strong>of</strong>communism, may have saved a number <strong>of</strong> media outlets”, saidone leading Romanian journalist. “At the same time this processhas led to a lower degree <strong>of</strong> journalistic freedom, less pluralismand fewer job opportunities for pr<strong>of</strong>essional journalists”.Notwithstanding such harsh opinions, the majority <strong>of</strong>journalists in CEE countries would probably agree that foreignownership has substantially improved the quality not only <strong>of</strong>the content <strong>of</strong> their media, but <strong>of</strong> their working conditions too.To respond to rising concerns among media consumersabout editorial independence and hence journalistic credibility,some internationally operating media conglomerates like theNorwegian Orkla-group, the Essen/Germany based WAZ-Mediengruppeor the Springer-Verlag have voluntarily introducedinternal rules to protect their writing staff from outside pressureand to separate managerial and editorial responsibilities.In the Anglo-Saxon media such principles have a longstanding tradition. <strong>The</strong>y were introduced not to demonstratebut to maintain journalistic independence at a time when politicaland industrial pressure groups tried to gain influence overthe media.45 European Federation <strong>of</strong> Journalists, Eastern Empires (Brussels, June 2003).46 European Federation <strong>of</strong> Journalists, Eastern Empires (Brussels, June 2003).47 Aidan White during a press conference presenting the EFJ Report: Eastern Empires(Brussels, 6 June 2003).48 European Federation <strong>of</strong> Journalists, Eastern Empires (Brussels, June 2003).JOHANNES VON DOHNANYI 47
Page 3 and 4: REPRESENTATIVE ON FREEDOM OF THE ME
Page 5 and 6: ContentsPrefaceby Freimut Duve 9Int
Page 7: 6. Conclusions 187AnnexQuestionnair
Page 10 and 11: advertisement is very insecure, mak
Page 12 and 13: industrial lobbying groups still di
Page 15 and 16: 1. The Imp
Page 17 and 18: sidents” had been imprisoned. “
Page 19 and 20: determined Freedom of</stro
Page 21 and 22: co-operate fully with the OSCE Repr
Page 23 and 24: Such independence, however, comes a
Page 25 and 26: and mirror of the
Page 27 and 28: 30 million rely exclusively on info
Page 29 and 30: Unchecked, concentration will reduc
Page 31 and 32: protected, a certain level
Page 33 and 34: indication of the
Page 35 and 36: time, as the concept of</st
Page 37 and 38: It appears, however, that this posi
Page 39 and 40: 1.7 New Threats on the Horizon1.7.1
Page 41 and 42: owns or controls not only the three
Page 43 and 44: Target countries sometimes interpre
Page 45: independence proposed by the OSCE R
Page 49 and 50: areas of Central a
Page 51 and 52: Directly or indirectly Mr. Silvio B
Page 53 and 54: Yet this simple notion appears to b
Page 55 and 56: newspaper firms. Using the argument
Page 57 and 58: a contribution to democratization a
Page 59: tation of this for
Page 62 and 63: This limitation in no way indicates
Page 64 and 65: press is ridiculous. Journalists co
Page 66 and 67: But these progressive aspects <stro
Page 68 and 69: Nevertheless, the loss of</
Page 70 and 71: may well be true for journalists fr
Page 72 and 73: Is there a works council at your ne
Page 74 and 75: will go to television, this being t
Page 76 and 77: Economic revenue (%) Fig. 61234510,
Page 78 and 79: Good relations with the business co
Page 80 and 81: Further, how can a newspaper, whose
Page 82 and 83: Service for civil society (%) Fig.
Page 84 and 85: The Norwegian medi
Page 86 and 87: Have you ever been put under pressu
Page 88 and 89: Do you feel threatened in your posi
Page 91 and 92: 4. Number of Title
Page 93 and 94: 5. Country Reports5.1 Germany5.1.1
Page 95 and 96: Süddeutsche Zeitung (463,000), Lei
Page 97 and 98:
publisher, the Axel Springer Verlag
Page 99 and 100:
A three directional strategy is wha
Page 101 and 102:
5.1.2 Survey ResultsBacked by tradi
Page 103 and 104:
Cross-ownership has also increased
Page 105 and 106:
Economic revenue (%) Fig. 61234515,
Page 107 and 108:
Service for civil society (%) Fig.
Page 109 and 110:
Understandably all German journalis
Page 111 and 112:
Do you feel threatened in your posi
Page 113 and 114:
As also seen in Germany, the data p
Page 115 and 116:
5.2.2 Survey ResultsFinland compete
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Newspaper chains were the logical r
Page 119 and 120:
5.3 United Kingdom5.3.1 Country Rep
Page 121 and 122:
• Daily Mail and General Trust: D
Page 123 and 124:
Is there a works council at your ne
Page 125 and 126:
Economic revenue (%) Fig. 61234510,
Page 127 and 128:
Service for civil society (%) Fig.
Page 129 and 130:
Do you feel free to voice and write
Page 131:
Page 134 and 135:
Newspaper reach (%)All Adults 30.1M
Page 136 and 137:
As regards ownership concentration,
Page 138 and 139:
Financial BackgroundDespite the pre
Page 140 and 141:
5.4.2 Survey resultsIf Finnish jour
Page 142 and 143:
of those mini-comp
Page 144 and 145:
for example, is very clear on this
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149:
5.5.2 Survey ResultsAn anonymous It
Page 150 and 151:
portfolio. In addition, as democrat
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Mr. Berlusconi’s TV advertisement
Page 154 and 155:
5.6 Lithuania5.6.1 Country ReportCa
Page 156 and 157:
is quite remarkable. The</s
Page 158 and 159:
Lithuania is a small country with a
Page 160 and 161:
Another tendency is that newspapers
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Only in 2003, the daily newspaper L
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
October 22 2003 was an historic dat
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5.7.2 Survey ResultsSince the end <
Page 170 and 171:
y a mostly anonymous to the general
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On a daily, practical basis there
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Newspaper reach (%)All Adults 15Sou
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so-called “human interest” stor
Page 178 and 179:
indicated that Rodipet applies a di
Page 180 and 181:
5.8.2 Survey ResultsAlthough a smal
Page 182 and 183:
12345Objectivity (%) Fig. 57,114,32
Page 184 and 185:
Strengthening of d
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
emerging CEE countries with regard
Page 190 and 191:
- Create in all OSCE participating
Page 193 and 194:
Organization for Security and Co-op
Page 195 and 196:
1. In which country are you working
Page 197 and 198:
17. Who defines the editorial line
Page 199 and 200:
29. How would you describe the situ
Page 201 and 202:
- This common code of</stro
Page 203 and 204:
Personal and business interestsIt i
Page 205:
Orkla Media’s
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www.osce.org/fomJohannes von Dohnan
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