Media freedom in the EU continued to deteriorate in 2025, despite the adoption of new legislation, according to the Liberties Media Freedom Report 2026. While instruments such as the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and the Anti-SLAPP Directive were expected to strengthen protections, slow and often superficial implementation has limited their impact. Persistent concerns remain, including political interference in public service media, increasing concentration and opacity of media ownership, and the misuse of state advertising. At the same time, attacks against journalists have increased, with cases highlighting both physical threats and gender-based violence, raising serious concerns about the safety of media professionals across the EU. The report also finds that governments have shown limited commitment to implementing reforms and addressing long-standing recommendations, with repeated gaps across Member States. Overall, the findings point to a broader lack of political will to safeguard media freedom, raising concerns about democratic accountability, access to information, and the resilience of the rule of law across the EU. Read more here.
Source: Liberties