The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) have joined forces to produce the Media Capture Monitoring Report, aimed at assessing the state of media capture by political interests and the extent to which regulation to protect media independence meets new standards set by the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
The Romania report sheds light on how, despite legal frameworks designed to protect the independence of public broadcasters and regulators, both remain highly vulnerable to political interference. It is the first in a series of seven country reports to be published in 2024.
The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which came into force in May 2024, requires Member States to reform their national media legislation in a range of areas to combat media capture. These include guaranteeing the independence of media regulators and of public service media; ensuring transparency in media ownership and protecting media pluralism; and curbing the misuse of State resources to influence editorial policy.
Romania’s media landscape is marked by significant political influence, particularly in media regulation and public broadcasting. The National Audiovisual Council (CNA), despite legal guarantees of independence, remains heavily politicized, while state advertising funds are often misused to influence media output. This situation is further compounded by media concentration and a lack of transparency over beneficial ownership.
In this first year, the report covers seven EU countries – Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia – serving as a pilot for an annual report to measure progress over the coming years. These case-studies are designed to be a resource for media rights organizations, policymakers, and advocacy groups seeking to monitor progress and drive legislative reform.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
- Oliver Money-Kyrle, Head of Europe Advocacy and Programmes – IPI, [email protected]
- Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, [email protected]
The project is a part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response, a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. The project is co-funded by the European Commission.
