Response to the public consultation on the European Media
Freedom Act
The Danish Government welcomes the consultation on the Media Freedom Act and
supports the overarching goal of protecting pluralism, independence and
sustainability of European media. Strong and independent media are a prerequisite
for a healthy democracy. The free press plays a crucial role in controlling the exercise
of power in our society and supports the public’s
opportunity to form their own
opinions by providing investigative and credible journalism for all. Thus, the Danish
Government supports the intentions of the initiative. However, The Danish
Government has two main points to bring to attention in forming the coming Media
Freedom Act.
1. The tech giants are transforming the distribution channels
The tech giants or very large online platforms have influenced much of our
democratic infrastructure, and have become intermediaries in our relations with
each other without sufficient democratic control and transparency. It is important
that we internationally ensure tech giants act in a responsible manner
commensurate with their size and influence.
We must build international alliances for greater democratic accountability for tech
giants, aiming at setting the strongest possible transparency requirements on how
their algorithms affect democracy, social cohesion and wellbeing. The Danish
Government also emphasizes the need to prevent any unjustified interference in the
access to independent media content. We should aim to avoid online platform’s
censorship of content and apps made by independent media services, operating
under national media legislation.
2. Public service media
The Danish Government believes that public service media play a vital role in our
democracies educating and uniting our citizens. In their nature, public service media
are an important public source of unbiased information and diverse political
opinions. They are particularly suited to cultivate pluralism and awareness of
diverse opinions, notably by providing different groups in society with an
opportunity to receive and impart information, to express themselves and to
exchange ideas. They can contribute greatly to the promotion of social cohesion,
cultural diversity and pluralist communication accessible to everyone.
The Danish Government wishes to work towards ensuring the prominence of public
media service apps on digital devices like Apple TV or Android TV. This would
ensure the long-term sustainability and prominence of public service media, which
are of paramount importance.
The Danish Government welcomes the
Commission’s statement that the
Media
Freedom Act will be consistent with EU primary and secondary law, in particular
28. marts 2022
MBN
GBS
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