PressCouncilsEU

Study's recommendations:
💡 recognise new actors
💡 create ethical oversight for digital formats
💡 integrate human rights perspectives
💡 combat covert disinformation

🔄 The paradox: While press councils debate whether YouTubers count as "journalists," they're already doing journalism with massive social impact.

⚠️ The "pseudo-media" problem: Hyperpartisan outlets have smaller but highly loyal audiences. Press councils are wary of labeling them "fake" - Finland's council warns this could backfire and strengthen polarization. Meanwhile, many far-right YouTubers are gaining serious influence.

📊 43% want independent journalist/academic bodies regulating media, 32% want government registers.
But there’s a split 👉 older folks prefer free markets while Gen Z actually wants MORE government control over media. News avoidance is also higher among younger groups.

New study explores European press councils’ practices in responding to new digital challenges A comprehensive new study by Blanquerna Roman Llull university shows significant challenges in defining media outlets and regulating emerging digital ...

A comprehensive new study by Blanquerna Roman Llull university shows significant challenges for press councils in defining media outlets and regulating emerging digital news formats in an era of declining public trust and changing information consumption habits. #PressCouncilsEU

European media councils face common challenges in the digital age Ghent University’s new research analysed 178 complaint decisions from nine European media councils in 2022, examining how journalism ethics are ...

In an era of fragmented attention, misinformation & technology-driven disruption, media councils face various challenges.

Ghent University analysed how media councils respond to common issues, essentially investigating how journalistic ethics are upheld 🕵️‍♀️

www.presscouncils.eu/european-med...

What is TRACK?

Transparency, Representation, Awareness, Commitment, and Knowledge

🧩 Each is a piece of the puzzle to modernise #EU press councils and adapt to digital realities

#MediaCouncils #TRACKmodel

Netherlands Council for Journalism unveils TRACK model to strengthen EU Media Councils A new report from the Netherlands Council for Journalism, Raad voor de Journalistiek, introduces the TRACK model (Transparency, Representation, ...

Today the Netherlands Council for Journalism ‪@rvdj.nl‬ unveiled the TRACK model 🙌

💡 It's an innovative framework designed to strengthen #EU media councils across Europe. A major step forward for media self-regulation, trust, and accountability 🧵

www.presscouncils.eu/netherlands-...

🌍 Why it matters for EU media?
Based on the EU-funded Media Councils in the Digital Age (MCDA) project, TRACK aims to harmonise self-regulation across Europe's diverse media councils

KNOWLEDGE-SHARING

Media councils across Europe operate differently. TRACK creates a shared learning environment: toolkits, case libraries, staff exchanges, etc.

💪 We're stronger together

COMMITMENT

TRACK promotes dialogue between journalists, platforms, policymakers & civil society.

🤝 It’s a model for shared responsibility, without any control over content

ACCOUNTABILITY

How are councils held to account? Through regular monitoring, audits, and performance indicators

🎯 TRACK encourages benchmarking and external evaluations to ensure impartiality and effectiveness

RESPONSIVENESS

TRACK stresses quick, accessible complaint procedures that are digital, multilingual & user-friendly.

⚡ Fast handling = greater citizen engagement and relevance

TRANSPARENCY

The model calls for press councils to publish clear, accessible case rulings, editorial codes, and processes. This builds public trust and helps journalists understand the standards they’re being held to

📖 Openness = legitimacy

What is TRACK?
Transparency • Responsiveness • Accountability • Co-regulation • Knowledge-sharing

Not-for-profit media stood out:
✔️ 76% of content was original
✔️ Minimal use of anonymous sources
✔️ Highest rate of ethical compliance

A clear sign that ownership structure affects editorial integrity. More scrutiny and support for ethical journalism is urgently needed. 🔥

Key violations included:
– 📉 37% of articles plagiarised
– 😶 13% misused anonymous sources
– 📢 9.7% were sensationalist
– ⚖️ 9.4% ignored presumption of innocence
– 🧨 Most hate/discrimination content came from corporate-owned media

CMEM analysed nearly 2,000 articles from 40 online media outlets between Feb–May 2025. Most outlets were privately owned by businesspeople or journalists. #NorthMacedonia #MediaEthics

Ethics Breaches Most Common in North Macedonia’s Private Online Media In North Macedonia, where media independence is often undermined by political and corporate interests, the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (CMEM) ...

#NorthMacedonia: Private online media are responsible for the most journalism ethics violations - from plagiarism to sensationalism & misuse of anonymous sources.

Not-for-profit outlets performed better. What does this say about media accountability? 🧵

www.presscouncils.eu/ethics-breac...

👀 Keep an eye out on this space - more updates coming soon!

Mediation Process Mediation Process Mediation, in the specific case of press and media councils, represents the process of seeking an alternative solution between both ...

And finally, @deontoloj.bsky.social developed a database comparing mediation processes of European media councils.

Check it out! 👉 www.presscouncils.eu/comparative-...

Austrian Press Council ended media literacy tour around Europe The Austrian Press Council embarked on a journey around Europe to spread media literacy to students aged 16 - 18 years old. The purpose was to raise ...

The Austrian Press Council, @presserat.bsky.social, toured around Europe to give media literacy classes to students from Helsinki to Barcelona ✈️

www.presscouncils.eu/austrian-pre...

Building trust in the digital age: EFJ conference unites stakeholders on media regulation and self-regulation On Monday 14th October, the media community reached a consensus on the need for multi-stakeholder dialogue as countries implement recent EU media ...

The EFJ also organised a high-level European conference on self-regulation and regulation in the media sector, where the media community reached a consensus on the need for multi-stakeholder dialogue as countries implement recent EU media legislations.

www.presscouncils.eu/building-tru...

Commission on Journalistic Ethics held an international conference on the interaction between self-regulation and co-regulation in Ukrainian media On 10 December 2024, more than 90 participants discussed via Zoom the development of cooperation between self-regulation and co-regulation bodies in ...

Thanks to funding from @efjeurope.bsky.social, Ukrainian press council Commission of Journalistic Ethics held an international conference on the interaction between self-regulation and co-regulation in Ukrainian media, reacting to a new #medialaw in Ukraine 👇

www.presscouncils.eu/commission-o...

Complaints to European media councils are mostly about lack of truth in the news Ghent University analysed 333 decisions by nine media councils to understand how journalistic ethics and values are interpreted and applied by different ...

Ghent University analysed 333 decisions by nine media councils to understand how journalistic ethics and values are interpreted and applied by different press councils in Europe 🌍

www.presscouncils.eu/complaints-t...

How do European press and media councils resort to mediation? In its new research consisting of a factual catalogue and an analytical article on the matter, the Belgian CDJ demonstrates the importance, the ...

The French-/German-speaking press council in Belgium, @deontoloj.bsky.social, analysed European press and media councils’ mediation when handling complaints

www.presscouncils.eu/how-do-europ...

Journalists’ organisations attend training to set up new media councils in Europe Raad voor de Journalistiek, the Dutch-speaking Press Council of Belgium and the Council for Mass Media in Finland organised a workshop on 17 June in ...

Raad voor de Journalistiek, the Dutch-speaking Press Council of Belgium and the Council for Mass Media in Finland, advised orgs in Malta, Greece + Spain on how to set up a media council 💡

www.presscouncils.eu/journalists-...

🌞We're in sunny Barcelona for the final meeting with project partners!

🧵See below for some outcomes from this project since the last two years!

@blanquerna.bsky.social ‪‬ @deontoloj.bsky.social @presserat.bsky.social @rvdj.nl @ulbruxelles.bsky.social @efjeurope.bsky.social

SOS Déonto Vous êtes journaliste et vous hésitez face à une situation délicate rencontrée dans votre reportage ou votre enquête ? Vous vous interrogez sur les implications éthiques de votre travail ? Vous ...

🆘 Le @cdjm.org lance un service d'accompagnement à destination des journalistes ! cdjm.org/sos-deonto/

Austrian Press Council ended media literacy tour around Europe The Austrian Press Council embarked on a journey around Europe to spread media literacy to students aged 16 - 18 years old. The purpose was to raise ...

🎓🌍 Austrian Press Council, @presserat.bsky.social, wraps up its Europe-wide media literacy tour!

From Vienna to Helsinki, they've been empowering teachers & students w/ tools to navigate disinformation, uphold journalistic ethics + strengthen independent media

www.presscouncils.eu/austrian-pre...