Activities of Damian DRĂGHICI related to 2017/2209(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Media pluralism and media freedom in the European Union (short presentation) RO
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on media pluralism and media freedom in the European Union
Amendments (16)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that access to quality, free and independent information is a fundamental human right, that media pluralism is the pillar of democracfreedom and pluralism are an essential pillar of democracy, sustainable economic growth, social cohesion and cultural diversity and that the media’s independence from political and economic powersressure and influences must be guaranteed accordingly;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls EU’s commitment to safeguard freedom of expression and information across the EU and abroad and emphasises the need to optimise its efforts fostering and protecting media freedom, pluralism and integrity in candidate, neighbouring and third countries;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that the formation of public opinion is based upon a social pact between citizens and media professionals aimed at influencing those in powerfostering a culture of public accountability and transparency for the purposes of general interest; notes with the gravest concern that the financing system for the press has collapsed, resulting infaces many challenges, resulting in a high concentration of media ownership and dominant media players using information to pursue political, social and commercial propaganda objectives, thereby dramatically lowering the quality, diversity, reliability and trustworthiness of information and giving rise to phenomena such as ‘fake news’;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Urges the Commission to address the phenomena of fake news as an EU priority by developing a coherent and comprehensive counteracting strategy which takes into account possible legal actions and measures fostering high- quality and ethical journalism and strengthening media literacy among all EU citizens;
Amendment 36 #
3. Stresses that online media pluralism is under serious threat from the excessive concentration of corporate pmedia ownership; asks the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to overcome regulatory deficiencies in order to create legal clarity and consistency to ensure genuine diversity, findability and accessibility of media content and media freedom and prevent the abuse of their dominant position by web giants;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to continue to support the Media Pluralism Monitor tool and to encourage its further development for a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the risks to media pluralism in the EU; encourages the Commission, Member States and all relevant stakeholders to promptly address the highlighted risks by taking appropriate measures;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Notes with concern that access to media by minorities, local and regional communities, women and people with disabilities is at risk as highlighted by the 2016 Media Pluralism Monitor; underlines that an inclusive media is essential in an open, free and pluralistic media landscape and therefore calls on the Commission and Member States to encourage and support research, projects and policies that improve access to media and enhance opportunities for participation and expression for all citizens;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Underlines that a non- discriminatory, comprehensive and balanced media coverage is essential to a free, inclusive and well-informed society in Europe; highlights that national media, in particular public service media, have an important responsibility to adequately reflect the cultural, linguistic, social and political diversity and to inform citizens extensively about all topics that affect and are relevant to their everyday life, including EU policies and news;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote and encourage cross-border cooperation projects and co- productions between media actors in the EU in order to strengthen European media, highlight its diversity and promote intercultural dialogue;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the fact that freedom of expression and information in Europe is being jeopardised by increasing intimidation of and acts of aggression against journalists, as proven by the recent murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia; calls on Member States to ensure that their legal frameworks and low-enforcement practices guarantee appropriate protection, assistance and support for journalists and other media actors, while paying special attention to the specific dangers faced by women journalists;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls its resolution of 24 October 2017 on legitimate measures to protect whistle-blowers acting in the public interest when disclosing the confidential information of companies and public bodies; urges the Commission to present as soon as possible a legislative proposal that will guarantee a high level of protection for whistle-blowers in the EU;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Underlines that the rise of hate speech, abuse and threats in online spaces highlighted by the 2016 Eurobarometer survey on media pluralism and democracy, needs to be addressed in order to safeguard freedom of expression and diversity of opinions in online media; calls on the Commission to further assess online abuse and its effects and take appropriate measures to effectively prevent and counteract it;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that media professionals often work in precarious conditions with regard to their contracts, salaries and social guarantees, which compromises their ability to work appropriately and thus hampers media freedom; stresses the need to reinforce co-operation between journalists and trade unions; calls on Member States and media organisations to ensure just and fair working conditions for media professionals;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises that a critical use of media content is essential to people’s understanding of current issues and to their contribution to public life; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to promote and support media literacy projects.opportunities and challenges of an increasingly complex and interconnected media environment and to their contribution to public life; underlines that this is particularly important as online media platforms and media services providers give citizens the opportunity to act like journalists themselves by reporting events and creating opinions, and they thus have an important responsibility to avoid the wide spreading of fake news and hate speech; calls, therefore, on the Commission and Member States to ensure the protection of professional and reliable journalism in the digital environment, and to develop a comprehensive media literacy policy and to promote and support media literacy projects targeting citizens of all age groups and all media types; calls on the Commission to ensure relevant EU funding opportunities in this regard;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises that a critical use of media content is essential to people’s understanding of current issues and to their contribution to public lifeopportunities and challenges of an increasingly complex and interconnected media environment and to their contribution to public life; underlines that this is particularly important as online media platforms and media services providers give citizens the opportunity to act like journalist themselves by reporting events, creating opinions and that they have an important responsibility to avoid the spreading fake news and hate speech; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to promote and support media literacy projects.develop a comprehensive media literacy policy and to promote and support media literacy projects targeting citizens of all age groups and all media types; calls on the Commission to ensure relevant EU funding opportunities in this regard;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Encourages Member States to increase their efforts to strengthen media literacy among all citizens through formal, non-formal and informal education from a lifelong learning perspective, also by paying special attention to initial and ongoing teacher preparation and support and by encouraging dialogue and cooperation between education and training sector and all relevant stakeholders, including media professionals, civil society and youth organisations;