Based on a pilot database of opinion-shaping news media owners in all EU countries. Data from AT, BE, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, GR, HU, IT, LT, NL, PT, SE and SI reflect the situation on 31st May 2022. Data from BG, CY, EE, FR, HR, IE, LU, LV, MT, PL, RO and SK reflect the situation on 30th April 2023.
These are the results of the EurOMo Risk Index 2023 in the aggregated performance (tab “Overall”) and in the specific dimensions, including all indicators and the qualitative criteria for the assessment of each of them (the following six tabs). See the methodology for an explanation on the criteria, including the weights of each dimension and indicator.
High scores/bars mean high performance and, therefore, low risk.
OVERALL
Ownership structure
Management
Economic control
Relations
Distribution
Public policy
OVERALL
Choose between “weighted” and “non-weighted” visualisation. The overall results are also available in alternative visualisation formats.
Ownership structure
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
Owners’ disclosure: media outlets disclose their direct and beneficial owners in their publications or websites
Clarity of legal structure: legal structures allow to identify individuals and/or families that control news media (in contrast to structures that seek to hide actual owners, such as private foundations and family investment funds)
Contested ownership: there is no relevant contestation of ownership relations in the media sample (e.g., no legal owners as “straw men”)
Management
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
CEO’s disclosure: CEOs (or economic managers) disclosed in the publication or website of media outlets
Editor’s disclosure: editors-in-chief diclosed in the publication or website of media outlets
Editorial independence: absence of breaches of editorial independence by owners, advertisers, and economic managers
Independence of council: absence of media owners (or lack of voting rights) in media councils
Economic control
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
Disclosure of audience figures: public availability of audience figures (circulation, broadcasting audience or webpage visits)
Disclosure of public subsidies: availability of data about public subsidies to media outlets
Disclosure of public advertising: availability of data about public advertising in media outlets
Non-media ownership: no media outlet with owners in a non-media business
Relations
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
Independence from affiliations: no media outlets affiliated to external institutions (political party, church, interest group)
Affiliations’ disclosure: if existing, disclosure about affiliation to external institutions (political party, church, interest group) in the publication or website of media outlets. Media with no reported affiliation count here as fully transparent
Political relations: no politically exposed persons (PEPs) in leading positions of media outlets
Related persons: no media owners have related persons (spouse, parent, sibling, child) in politics
Distribution
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
Print distribution: high reach and no discrimination
Radio distribution: high infrastructure diversity and competition
TV distribution: high infrastructure diversity and competition
Internet distribution: high connectivity and competition
Distribution-production ownership: no ownership relations between media distributors and outlets
Net neutrality: high compliance and no recidivism
Content curation: disclosure of content curation criteria by digital intermediaries in the content area or one-click away from the content area
Commercial agreements: digital intermediaries reject the influence of commercial agreements in their content curation or promise to always label it
Public policy
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
AVMSD implementation: national implementation of Art. 5 of the AVMSD
Sectors coverage: media sectors covered by laws that require disclosure of information regarding direct and beneficial owner(s)
Level of information: level of information depth required by the national legal framework about media ownership and control
Update requirements: requirement of periodical updating of ownership information upon change
Information disclosure request: level of accessibility to information disclosure requests for relevant media ownership data
State/public funding: obligation to disclose information on media funding provided by state/public institutions
NRAs for media ownership transparency: existence of national regulatory authorities (NRAs) or other designated bodies responsible for media ownership issues
Enforcement and sanctions (transparency): enforcement of compliance to the AVMSD or other relevant legislation by NRAs (from monitoring to sanction)
Anti-concentration provisions: media sectors covered by anti-concentration provisions
Qualitative and quantitative limits: provisions for media concentration
NRAs for concentration: existence of NRAs or other designated bodies responsible for the control of ownership concentration issues
Enforcement and sanctions (concentration): enforcement of limitations of concentration
Government overrule: role of the governement in anti-concentration decisions taken by NRAs
Newsroom independence: provisions for ensuring newsroom independence from owners and economic management in editorial issues
Legal provisions for PSM: provisions for the role of state/government in defining the board of public service media
Must carry provisions: must-carry rules for content in the public interest or contribute to political, cultural, or geographical diversity
Provisions for content curation: provisions for transparency of curation criteria, commercial arrangements between digital intermediaries and news providers, and alternatives to standard content curation
Exposure rules: provisions for exposure of public interest content in content curation (discoverability and prominence) of digital intermediaries
NRAs for content curation: existence of NRAs or other designated bodies responsible for content curation at the national level
Enforcement and sanctions (content curation): enforcement of provisions for content curation
OVERALL
Ownership structure
Management
Economic control
Relations
Distribution
Public policy
OVERALL
Choose between “weighted” and “non-weighted” visualisation. The overall results are also available in alternative visualisation formats.
Ownership structure
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
Owners’ disclosure: media outlets disclose their direct and beneficial owners in their publications or websites
Clarity of legal structure: legal structures allow to identify individuals and/or families that control news media (in contrast to structures that seek to hide actual owners, such as private foundations and family investment funds)
Contested ownership: there is no relevant contestation of ownership relations in the media sample (e.g., no legal owners as “straw men”)
Management
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
CEO’s disclosure: CEOs (or economic managers) disclosed in the publication or website of media outlets
Editor’s disclosure: editors-in-chief diclosed in the publication or website of media outlets
Editorial independence: absence of breaches of editorial independence by owners, advertisers, and economic managers
Independence of council: absence of media owners (or lack of voting rights) in media councils
Economic control
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
Disclosure of audience figures: public availability of audience figures (circulation, broadcasting audience or webpage visits)
Disclosure of public subsidies: availability of data about public subsidies to media outlets
Disclosure of public advertising: availability of data about public advertising in media outlets
Non-media ownership: no media outlet with owners in a non-media business
Relations
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
Independence from affiliations: no media outlets affiliated to external institutions (political party, church, interest group)
Affiliations’ disclosure: if existing, disclosure about affiliation to external institutions (political party, church, interest group) in the publication or website of media outlets. Media with no reported affiliation count here as fully transparent
Political relations: no politically exposed persons (PEPs) in leading positions of media outlets
Related persons: no media owners have related persons (spouse, parent, sibling, child) in politics
Distribution
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
Print distribution: high reach and no discrimination
Radio distribution: high infrastructure diversity and competition
TV distribution: high infrastructure diversity and competition
Internet distribution: high connectivity and competition
Distribution-production ownership: no ownership relations between media distributors and outlets
Net neutrality: high compliance and no recidivism
Content curation: disclosure of content curation criteria by digital intermediaries in the content area or one-click away from the content area
Commercial agreements: digital intermediaries reject the influence of commercial agreements in their content curation or promise to always label it
Public policy
Summary of indicators and normative requirements:
AVMSD implementation: national implementation of Art. 5 of the AVMSD
Sectors coverage: media sectors covered by laws that require disclosure of information regarding direct and beneficial owner(s)
Level of information: level of information depth required by the national legal framework about media ownership and control
Update requirements: requirement of periodical updating of ownership information upon change
Information disclosure request: level of accessibility to information disclosure requests for relevant media ownership data
State/public funding: obligation to disclose information on media funding provided by state/public institutions
NRAs for media ownership transparency: existence of national regulatory authorities (NRAs) or other designated bodies responsible for media ownership issues
Enforcement and sanctions (transparency): enforcement of compliance to the AVMSD or other relevant legislation by NRAs (from monitoring to sanction)
Anti-concentration provisions: media sectors covered by anti-concentration provisions
Qualitative and quantitative limits: provisions for media concentration
NRAs for concentration: existence of NRAs or other designated bodies responsible for the control of ownership concentration issues
Enforcement and sanctions (concentration): enforcement of limitations of concentration
Government overrule: role of the governement in anti-concentration decisions taken by NRAs
Newsroom independence: provisions for ensuring newsroom independence from owners and economic management in editorial issues
Legal provisions for PSM: provisions for the role of state/government in defining the board of public service media
Must carry provisions: must-carry rules for content in the public interest or contribute to political, cultural, or geographical diversity
Provisions for content curation: provisions for transparency of curation criteria, commercial arrangements between digital intermediaries and news providers, and alternatives to standard content curation
Exposure rules: provisions for exposure of public interest content in content curation (discoverability and prominence) of digital intermediaries
NRAs for content curation: existence of NRAs or other designated bodies responsible for content curation at the national level
Enforcement and sanctions (content curation): enforcement of provisions for content curation
