Austria improves freedom of the press: Green measures have an effect!

Austria improves freedom of the press: Green measures have an effect!

Österreich - On May 2, 2025, Sigi Maurer, deputy club chairwoman and media spokeswoman for the Greens, emphasized positive developments in the Austrian media landscape. According to [ots.at] (https://www.ots.at/presseaus-sung/ots_20250502_ots0049/maurergruene-Gruene-Gruene-Gruene-Masses-in-Medienpaler-Stehrer-Die-press freedom) Austria improves ten places in the press freedom index without limits and now reaches 22nd place. This is attributed to quality -oriented grants during the green government participation and an increased focus on digital transformation.

Various laws and grants were implemented as part of the last legislative period in order to strengthen the media and to promote freedom of the press. This includes quality journalism funding, promotion for digital transformation and podcast promotion. In addition, existing grants for private broadcasting and non -commercial broadcasting have been increased. The measures aim to increase media transparency and to strengthen the financing and the digital possibilities of public service broadcasting.

demands for more support for journalism

In her opinion, Maurer emphasizes the need to move away from the current advertisement practice and to introduce targeted funding for professional journalistic framework. It refers to the drainage of advertising geographers to international digital groups that affects the budgets of domestic media companies. In order to counteract this, she calls for media cooperation to be suppressed in favor of objectifiable grants. This is done in the context of two applications brought in, which strive for an increase in quality journalism funding and private circuit promotion.

On February 5, 2025, the Austrian UNESCO Commission will present the first result report of the “Platform Media Diversity” initiative, in which over 30 experts discussed measures to strengthen a diverse and sustainable media sector. This is in accordance with the findings of [UNESCO.AT] (https://www.unesco.at/presse/spresse/article/Plattform-Medien-veroefflicht-fuer-e-ein-Fuer-Fuer--media policy), which name central challenges in media pluralism.

recommendations for media policy

The challenges outlined in the report include the lack of alignment of funding to journalistic quality criteria and the growing market power of fewer players. Dr.in Sabine Haag, President of the Austrian UNESCO Commission, emphasizes the urgency of determined measures in order to counteract a one-sided and disinformation-prone media landscape. Recommendations for a sustainable media policy include:

  • Promotion of high-quality journalism, especially in public law, non-commercial and non-profit areas.
  • Transparent and fair funding policy with comprehensible quality criteria for access to access.
  • diversity and inclusion as well as combating structural discrimination in journalism.
  • regulation of digital platforms and creation of transparency obligations for algorithms as well as fair remuneration of journalistic content.
  • Promotion of media literacy through educational programs for all age groups.

UNESCO is committed to media diversity and freedom of the press worldwide and supports actors who stand up for securing basic freedoms in the digital and analogous space. The current developments in Austria show that both political measures and the cooperation between experts are necessary to ensure a diverse and high -quality media landscape.

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