Media ownership transparency and the European Media Freedom Act: how did the EU get there?

Abstract

The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) brought a significant improvement to the disclosure of ownership information in the media sector, providing a clear framework on the types of information that media service providers should make available to the recipients of services. Given this context, this article aims at discussing the contribution that the EMFA rules on ownership transparency brings to the media environment, particularly with regards to improving media pluralism. In order to do that, the article explores the development and evolution of media ownership transparency as a concept in EU media law and policy. Then it discusses the implementation of the new rules and the challenges that it may pose to governments and the society at large.

Keywords

• emfa
• media ownership
• transparency
• media pluralism