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The study “Uncovering news deserts in Europe. Risks and opportunities for local and community media in the EU” by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) was published on February 28th. The research detects challenges and opportunities for local and community media in the 27 EU Member States, analsysing the news deserts phenomenon from a holistic perspective.
Among the cases of all 27 EU member states presented in the report, there is also a detailed analysis of the situation in Lithuania, which was prepared by DIGIRES head and chief researcher, Vytautas Magnus University Department of Public Communications professor Auksė Balčytienė together with Vilnius University associate professor, Doctor of Social Sciences Deimantas Jastramskis.
“Independent local media is the backbone of professional and independent journalism. This study, the first of its kind in Europe, detailing the state of news deserts, shows that we can no longer ignore this alarming situation facing local media and democracy at large. No country is immune from ‘news desertification’ unless urgent and innovative actions are taken to support local journalists and media” said Renate Schroeder, EFJ Director.
A network of researchers spanning all the 27 EU Member States ran the investigation, using the methodology developed by CMPF. They assessed risks based on 55 variables that relate to the local media market conditions; local journalists’ safety and working conditions, local outlets’ editorial independence and social inclusiveness. The study also highlights examples of best practices in the local and community media sector that could greatly benefit a vibrant and open local public sphere.
Based on the collected data, an interactive map has been created that reveals the overall risk level of local “news desertification” (from 0 to 100%) for each EU member state, as well as the risk level of each indicator separately.
“The findings are clear: without adequate financial backing, a supportive regulatory environment, and safeguards for journalists in remote areas, the very foundation of democracy is at risk” said Pier Luigi Parcu, CMPF Director. “However, this study is just the beginning. It highlights the pressing need for further research in this area, as the topic of ‘news deserts’ and the challenges facing local media are not yet well understood in Europe. More research is essential to inform policy decisions and develop effective strategies to address these issues,” he said.
The research is part of the Local Media for Democracy (LM4D) project, run in collaboration with the European Federation of Journalists, Journalismfund and International Media Support.
Full report you can find here.
Lithuania report you can find here.
The text was prepared based on information of Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom.
Kristina Berksun
