Quality journalism in need: Politicians called for!

Quality journalism in need: Politicians called for!

In the midst of a serious crisis in the Austrian media landscape, the Association of Austrian Newspapers (VÖZ) and the journalists' union in the GPA are calling for urgent measures to ensure quality journalism. These demands are aimed at the parties involved in coalition negotiations. Maximilian Dasch, President of the VÖZ, emphasizes that “a qualitative public is the basis for serious opinion formation and constructive debates”. He speaks out against the monopoly-like structures in the digital advertising market, which put financial pressure on professional journalism OTS.at reported.

Structural crisis of the media

In addition to the general challenge, the media industry is burdened by the effects of war and rising paper prices. Eike-Clemens Kullmann, chairman of the journalists' union in the GPA, criticizes that the existing measures are not sufficient to secure the industry sustainably. “Society and the state must take action to ensure the democratic function of quality media,” demands Kullmann. He and his deputy Ute Groß want to start a discussion about financial support for the media. The quality journalism funding law passed just a few weeks ago, which provides 15 million euros, is seen as a first step, but it needs to be significantly increased GPA.at notes.

In order to ensure access to information, tax relief for newspaper subscriptions is also required. The urgency of reducing VAT for quality media is also highlighted. In addition to financial support, Kullmann and Groß are also calling for fairer distribution practices to promote local journalism, especially in rural areas. They warn that postal delivery has no longer been reliable in many communities. “A comprehensive package of measures is needed that gives media companies long-term planning security,” conclude Groß and Kullmann.