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

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But these progressive aspects <strong>of</strong> the globalisation <strong>of</strong> mediashould not be exaggerated. We have seen how media corporationswant to avoid rocking the boat, as long as theycan do their business. Nor is it their intention to enhancepublic access to information when they believe it can bedelivered by them – at an appropriate price.When commercial interests are set against democraticor pr<strong>of</strong>essional values it is inevitable that the interests <strong>of</strong>the market take priority.<strong>The</strong>re is a discernible decline in standards <strong>of</strong> reportingand especially in the frequency, range and quality <strong>of</strong>investigative journalism. Newspapers and network television,in a panic over audiences, are universally addicted totabloid values. Bizarre changes in the news agenda havebeen accompanied by a rise in intrusive television focusedon mindless and trivial programming. We see the eclipse <strong>of</strong>serious political and social debate in favour <strong>of</strong> tastelessvoyeurism and prurient entertainment.Advertising has always been vital to traditional media, butin the global economy it is becoming ever more importantand is already imposing intolerable pressures on editorialdepartments. Journalists are increasingly expected to producematerial to suit the interests <strong>of</strong> sponsors and advertisers. <strong>The</strong>traditional lines between advertising and editorial content areblurring if not altogether disappearing.At the same time investment in journalism has fallen. Asadvertising-driven content becomes an increasingly importantsource <strong>of</strong> corporate pr<strong>of</strong>it, severe cuts have been imposedin editorial budgets that have reduced quality.Where editorial managers now perceive that certain areas<strong>of</strong> journalism are not commercially interesting – investigativejournalism or coverage <strong>of</strong> foreign affairs, for instance –they are discouraged as being too expensive.<strong>The</strong> reduction <strong>of</strong> coverage <strong>of</strong> foreign affairs by prominentnational media is evident in all countries and has ledto a reliance on material from a small number <strong>of</strong> sources,66 THE IMPACT OF MEDIA CONCENTRATION ON PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM
mainly established news agencies and a tiny group <strong>of</strong> broadcastnetworks with global reach.Cuts in editorial budgets have additionally depressed thecapacity for research. Although the use <strong>of</strong> Internet has madelife much easier for desk-bound journalists, the advantagesand potential dangers are not fully explored. <strong>The</strong> pressureis, instead, to produce editorial material to satisfy sponsorsand advertisers. This has seen an explosion in publicity journalism– for instance, “advertorials” – that is replacing editorialmaterial normally produced according to higher standards<strong>of</strong> independent journalism.While this decline in newsroom quality has taken placean equally dramatic change can be seen in the social conditions<strong>of</strong> journalists.<strong>The</strong> social dialogue process launched by the EuropeanUnion around the European Works Council Directive hasbeen least successful in the media sector, largely due to vigorousopposition from private media.In addition, there is less investment in pr<strong>of</strong>essional training.Almost no pr<strong>of</strong>essional training is provided by mediacompanies for freelance staff. <strong>The</strong>re have been cuts in trainingarrangements for full-time staff, both in the entry leveland in mid-career courses. Too <strong>of</strong>ten, the impact <strong>of</strong> thesetrends on content is the loss <strong>of</strong> journalistic edge.But isolated voices <strong>of</strong> protest, no matter how eloquent, arenot enough to turn the tide in favour <strong>of</strong> a return to publicspiritedjournalism. What is urgently needed, instead, is anorganised challenge to the disturbing national and internationaltrend towards corporate control.In spite <strong>of</strong> long-established commitments from both theCouncil <strong>of</strong> Europe and the European Union to recognise thecultural and social value <strong>of</strong> media products, the distinctlyEuropean quality <strong>of</strong> media organisation – especially in thearea <strong>of</strong> public broadcasting continues to be undermined atnational and regional level. We are still waiting, as we havebeen for many years, for the European Union to respond tothe challenge <strong>of</strong> media concentration.THE SURVEY 67
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REPRESENTATIVE ON FREEDOM OF THE ME
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ContentsPrefaceby Freimut Duve 9Int
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6. Conclusions 187AnnexQuestionnair
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advertisement is very insecure, mak
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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 and 46: independence proposed by the OSCE R
Page 47 and 48: groups to grow. And there is the in
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 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
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5.3 United Kingdom5.3.1 Country Rep
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• Daily Mail and General Trust: D
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Is there a works council at your ne
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Economic revenue (%) Fig. 61234510,
Page 127 and 128:
Service for civil society (%) Fig.
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Do you feel free to voice and write
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Do you feel threatened in your posi
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Newspaper reach (%)All Adults 30.1M
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As regards ownership concentration,
Page 138 and 139:
Financial BackgroundDespite the pre
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5.4.2 Survey resultsIf Finnish jour
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of those mini-comp
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for example, is very clear on this
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5.5.2 Survey ResultsAn anonymous It
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portfolio. In addition, as democrat
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Mr. Berlusconi’s TV advertisement
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5.6 Lithuania5.6.1 Country ReportCa
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is quite remarkable. The</s
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Lithuania is a small country with a
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Another tendency is that newspapers
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Only in 2003, the daily newspaper L
Page 164 and 165:
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October 22 2003 was an historic dat
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5.7.2 Survey ResultsSince the end <
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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
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indicated that Rodipet applies a di
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5.8.2 Survey ResultsAlthough a smal
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12345Objectivity (%) Fig. 57,114,32
Page 184 and 185:
Strengthening of d
Page 186 and 187:
Do you feel threatened in your posi
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emerging CEE countries with regard
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- Create in all OSCE participating
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Organization for Security and Co-op
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1. In which country are you working
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17. Who defines the editorial line
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29. How would you describe the situ
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- This common code of</stro
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Personal and business interestsIt i
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Orkla Media’s
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www.osce.org/fomJohannes von Dohnan
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