What is journalism in the digital age? Key definitions in the European Media Freedom Act
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32091/RIID0213Keywords:
Journalism, Media service provider, Online platforms, Editorial responsibility, EMFAAbstract
The European Media Freedom Act (Regulation EU 2024/1083) amends the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, updating the list of subjects that can enjoy the safeguards provided in this EU Regulation. For example, it includes press publications in addition to audiovisual broadcasters and – defining who is a Media Service Provider (MSP) – it includes individual journalists and freelancers. The definition of what media are and who is a journalist remains contested though. It seems that EMFA’s definition of MSP includes non-profit media and influencers, but excludes other watchdogs (e.g., human rights defenders and civil society organisations), as well as online platforms – thus not granting to these subjects the related rights and duties provided in this Regulation. Among them, the right to protect their sources and not to be subject to intrusive surveillance; and the duty to be independent, and to convey information of public interest following ethical and professional standards. This article will unfold a series of questions related to the nature of the subjects recognized under EMFA, as well as analyse the Act’s intertwining with two other key pieces of the European legislative framework that deals with the free flow of plural and independent information: the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Directive on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
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