Reports and papers

Analyses on specific aspects related to press and media freedom, performed and published by research centres, non-governmental organizations and public bodies

Media Capture in Europe

An accurate overview on the worrying media capture phenomenon that is occurring in Europe, and mostly in its Eastern part, with useful theoretical instruments to understand several dangerous forms of interference in the media sphere

read more Media capture Freedom of expression Media freedom Media ownership Media pluralism Hungary Czech Republic

Pushing on an Open Door: Foreign Authoritarian Influence in the Western Balkans

Powers such as Russia, Turkey, China, and several Persian Gulf states are exerting increasing influence in the Western Balkans, bringing significant economic and political leverage. This publication is part of a new International Forum working paper series

read more Western Balkans Russia Freedom of expression Media freedom Media pluralism Media ownership Media capture

Italy: so much mafia, so little news. Report on the December 2018 joint fact-finding mission

A detailed description of the Italian system of protection for journalists, a survey among reporters under police protection, and an overview of proposals: this is the result of a fact-finding mission held in Italy by ECPMF with Ossigeno per l’Informazione and OBCT

read more SLAPP Freedom of expression Media freedom Safety of journalists Italy

Nations in Transit 2018 – Slovenia Country report

The "Nations in Transit" Report on Slovenia by Freedom House (2018) provides an overview of the country's democratic institutions, including a section devoted to independent media. This digest focuses on this section

read more Slovenia Media ownership Defamation and Libel

Bulgaria: media ownership in a “captured state”

A report on the fact-finding mission by ECPMF and OBCT on Bulgaria’s media ownership structures and their implications for media freedom

read more Bulgaria Media freedom Media ownership Media pluralism Freedom of expression Transparency Media funding Media capture Media literacy

The backfire effect

The backfire effect happens when debunking an ideological belief reinforces rather than weaken the belief itself. Full Fact’s Research Manager Amy Sippitt reviewed seven studies about backfire effect, concluding that it may occur only in some cases

read more Fact-checking Fake news and disinformation

Feindbild Journalist

Feindbild Journalist by ECPMF reports on the physical attacks journalists faced in Germany in 2018. It also compares the results with the analyses carried out in the previous years

read more Germany Access to information Hate speech Legal protection Media freedom Safety of journalists

Confronting the Crisis in Independent Media

Given the undeniable decline of independent journalism and the lack of understanding by international donors about how to help, this report sketches guidelines on how to confront the crisis on a coordinated global scale

read more Media freedom Media pluralism Media ownership Ethics of journalism

New digital threats to media pluralism in the information age

The increasing concentration of resources and the spreading of disinformation threaten quality information and media pluralism online. This essay, belonging to the Working Paper Series on 'Freedom and Pluralism of the Media, Society and Markets', focuses on economic, quality, and social threats, with the goal of examining dangers to pluralistic, quality information and finding responses to preserve media pluralism and a professional process of information production

read more Media freedom Media ownership Media pluralism Online news Online media Business model Digital rights Cybersecurity

Disinformation and ‘fake news’: Final Report

This is the final report of an inquiry by the Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) Committee of the British House of Commons into Disinformation and 'fake news', which started in September 2017. In November 2018, representatives from eight countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Latvia, and Singapore) joined the DCMS Committee to form an International Grand Committee

read more Social media Fake news and disinformation United Kingdom Russia