The capabilities of AI and the real-time nature of social media have poured a lifeblood into disinformation networks and now more than ever there is a need for trusted sources of information that the media can provide, Killarney-based MEP Seán Kelly has stressed.
Welcoming today’s European Parliament vote in favour of a new European Media Freedom Act, which the Ireland South MEP supported, he said maintaining the freedom of the press is fundamental.
“In Ireland, the RTÉ scandal has opened people’s eyes to the need for certain safeguards in public media organisations. We are lucky enough to have a healthy media sphere in terms of press freedom but one thing I would note is that we have, comparatively, a very low presence in mainland Europe,” he said.
Mr Kelly said Ireland joined the EU at the same time as Denmark, a country of similar size, yet they have three times the amount of EU correspondents.
Brexit and the pandemic have brought the EU institutions closer to Irish citizens but the lack of coverage keeps Brussels at a distance, Mr Kelly said from Strasbourg.
He said the European Media Freedom Act is very important in this regard as it creates the EU a legal framework for greater cultural diversity, freedom and independence of the media in Europe.
“Transparency is particularly important here as regulating the media is a delicate balancing act. Maintaining the freedom of the press is fundamental but in cases of legitimate serious crime investigations, I think most people would agree that provisions should be in place for information access. This is similar to the limitations of attorney client privilege for example,” Mr Kelly said.
“When it comes to media coverage, it is easy to just look at your immediate bubble. The unfortunate truth is that across the EU, we face a pressing challenges to the sustainability of a free and vibrant media landscape,” he added.
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