Media systems function as critical democratic infrastructure. Independent, pluralistic and sustainable media underpin electoral integrity, public trust, institutional accountability and informed participation. In this regard, ensuring media viability is essential for fostering informed and resilient societies. When media organisations are financially stable, operationally robust, and institutionally strong, they are better positioned to maintain editorial independence, adhere to ethical standards, and deliver fact-based and quality journalism that serves the public interest. Without viable media, societies risk losing access to free, independent and diverse sources of information – an outcome that can ultimately erode pluralism, undermine informed public debate, diminish accountability, and contribute to polarisation and public distrust within democratic societies.

On 12 November, the European Commission published its long-awaited European Democracy Shield, laying out the Commission’s agenda for democracy support over the next few years. Among the three pillars of the initiative, the Shield commits to boost the integrity of the information space and to strengthen free and independent media, thereby acknowledging the central role public interest media play in safeguarding democracy. 

Several weeks prior, 34 governments, including 19 EU Member States, signed the Paris Declaration on Multilateral Action for Information Integrity and Independent Media, acknowledging pluralistic and independent information as a public good, while committing to sustained public support for the sector.

This shows that the political will to support media freedom and media viability exists across the EU.

But how to turn this will into targeted and effective support?

To discuss the road that lies ahead to truly strengthen media freedom and media viability, the European Partnership for Democracy convened a high-level discussion, in partnership with the International Fund for Public Interest Media, and supported by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and Nets4Dem.

Here are some takeaways from our speakers: 

Without free and independent media, democracy and accountability weaken. Viable media provide the “voices of reference” that are vital in a participatory democracy. 

So, what can be done to ensure the media can play their crucial role as democratic actors? 

• More systematic consideration of free media as part of the democratic structure: free media is a critical infrastructure for democratic societies, and this should determine how funding is assessed and distributed. 
• Core funding: the protection and support of the media has to be predictable and a long-term investment, acting more against systematic threats to civil society. 
• Enforcement: ambitious rhetoric needs to turn words into action and act against those who don’t comply.
• Protection of journalists against smear campaigns and legal action: journalists often have to choose exile and remain stateless because they cannot go back to their countries, while transnational repression also tries to suppress voices from inside authoritarian countries. 
• Securitisation of the information landscape: it is important to prioritise the independence of the media, while ensuring that fighting disinformation does not fall into censorship. 
• Ensuring that digital information spaces are healthy, holistic, independent, inclusive and safe: technology should be leveraged for media freedom, pluralism and participatory democracy, instead of being used against all this. 

Ambassador Jan Braathu

Ambassador Jan Braathu is the sixth OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, appointed in December 2024. Prior to his appointment, Braathu served as Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia from January 2021 to December 2024 and Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo from October 2016 until December 2020.Previously, he was Norway’s Ambassador to Kosovo and Albania, and Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina. His other assignments have included serving as Deputy Director General and Head of the Division for Western Balkan Affairs(2000-2006). Braathu served as an Adviser on Balkan Affairs (1996-2000), and was also working with the Norwegian Foreign Ministry’s OSCE Chairpersonship-in-Office Section from 1998 to 2000 on Western Balkan issues. He held the role of First Secretary and Acting Counsellor for Economic Affairs at the Royal Norwegian Embassy to the Court of St. James’s from 1993 to 1996. He was also First Secretary at the Royal Norwegian Embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 1993.

Maksym Butkevych

Maksym Butkevych is a Ukrainian journalist and human rights defender. He is a co-founder of the independent Ukrainian outlet, Hromadske Radio. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Butkevych volunteered for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, became a platoon commander, and was captured by Russian forces in June 2022. He was subsequently sentenced in a bogus Russian trial to 13 years’ imprisonment and endured more than two years in harsh captivity before being released in a prisoner exchange in October 2024. After his release, Maksym resumed his journalist work at Hromadske Radio, leading a program called “I hear others”. He is also active in advocating for the rights of prisoners of war and civilian captives being held in Russia. In recognition of his courage and commitment to human rights and freedom of expression, Butkevych was awarded the 2025 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, one of Europe’s most prestigious honours for human rights defenders.

Simona Constantin

Since December 2024, Simona Constantin has been a Member of the Cabinet of Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, working on democracy, elections, FIMI, disinformation, media policy, citizenship and free movement. Previously, she was the Deputy Head of Cabinet of Vĕra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency and Member of the Cabinet between 2014-2019 when Ms Jourová was Commissioner for Justice and Consumers. Between 2011 and 2014 Simona worked as a Legal Officer in DG Climate Action, and in 2014, as a Member of the Cabinet of the Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard. Prior to the European Commission, she was a Researcher at the University of Tilburg and a public civil servant at the European Institute of Romania.

Tom Gibson

Tom Gibson is CPJ’s lead advocate in Brussels, covering the EU. Before joining CPJ, Gibson managed Protection International’s Burundi and Congo desks, advocating for stronger state accountability for the protection of human rights defenders and journalists. Gibson was also part of Amnesty International’s Africa program in London and Nairobi.

Barbara Massing

Barbara Massing has been Director General of Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster since October 2025. From 2014 to 2025, she served as Managing Director of Business Administration, playing a key role in shaping the digital transformation, the modernisation of corporate culture and the strategic development of DW. At the beginning of her career at Deutsche Welle, she was largely responsible for establishing and further developing DW’s Strategic Planning department. She studied law and history in Hamburg and Berlin. Her earlier positions included working as a producer at ARD and Arte, as well as a lawyer specialising in media law. She is, among other things, a member of the Board of Trustees at TH Köln and the deputy chair of the Supervisory Board of Internationale Beethovenfeste Bonn gGmbH. In addition, Massing is active in various cultural and media-related committees.

Marina Nord

Marina Nord is a senior research fellow at the V-Dem Institute (University of Gothenburg) and is one of the authors of the V-Dem Institute’s annual Democracy Report, as well as of the OSCE research report on Media Freedom, Democracy, and Security. Her research focuses on explaining autocratization and democratisation processes, and the interplay between economic processes and political transformation. Before joining the V-Dem Institute, she worked on several research projects at the Hertie School (Berlin) and at the German Institute for Economic Research, where she became passionate about bridging the gap between academic research and policy domains.

Maryia Sadouskaya-Komlach

Maryia Sadouskaya-Komlach is a media development specialist, editor, and journalist with more than 20 years of professional experience. She has lived and worked in Belarus, the US, Czechia, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France and managed projects involving 20+ countries in Eastern and Central Europe, Central Asia, and Central America. Maryia’s research interests are democracy transition, human rights, media development in “closed” environments, including exiled media, disinformation, and the development of new communication and media strategies and responses. Being a Belarus native, she has covered the EU-Belarus relations and Belarusian foreign policy since 2001. In 2015, Maryia advised the European Endowment for Democracy on its Feasibility Study on Russian-language Media Initiatives. In 2019, she co-wrote a comprehensive analysis of Syrian exiled media for the International Media Support (Denmark). Maryia is currently the Global Engagement Strategist at the press freedom organisation support organisation Free Press Unlimited and contributes as a freelancer to several European media outlets. She looks for synergies between like-minded professionals and organisations all over the globe and specialises in creating and managing networks. Maryia holds a Master’s degree in Journalism/Politics from Columbia University and is a Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

Renate Schroeder

Renate Schroeder is the Director of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). She joined the International Federation of Journalists in 1993 and has worked for the EFJ since 2003. Her work includes EU and Council of Europe advocacy, representing the EFJ internationally, coordinating media freedom missions, journalism juries, and supporting expert groups on freelancing, broadcasting, media literacy, and AI. She has been leading the Federation’s debate on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). Renate studied Political Science and International Relations in Boston (USA) and Berlin, Germany with a Master’s in 1988. She speaks English, French, Italian, passive Spanish and her mother tongue is German.  

Krisztina Stump

Krisztina Stump is Head of Unit at the European Commission, in charge of social media policy and the Commission’s policy work on information integrity. Her responsibilities include working with the signatories of the Code of Conduct on Disinformation, supporting media literacy, as well as research projects focusing on information integrity. Krisztina holds a Master of Laws degree with a focus on Media Law from Columbia Law School (New York) and from Humboldt University (Berlin), as well as a Master’s degree in Communication and Media Studies.

Deniz Wagner

Deniz Wagner is an independent expert on media freedom, technology, and security. She is currently an advising consultant at the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, conducting their work on media freedom, democracy and security. Deniz led the OSCE’s first project on Artificial Intelligence and Freedom of Expression, was rapporteur to the OSCE Advisory Group of Eminent Experts on Freedom of the Media, and author of the book ‘Can There Be Security Without Media Freedom?’. She has directed projects establishing independent oversight bodies for the media industry, supported legal reform to enhance media pluralism in Europe, and developed human rights-based guidance to addressing disinformation in the digital age. Previously, Deniz worked in strategic communications, and was a Senior Adviser for Human Rights at the Austrian Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs.

If you have any questions about the event, get in touch with [email protected] and [email protected].

This event is co-organised by the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) and Nets4Dem.

Cover photo: ©Ted McGrath on Flickr.

Event photos: © Bruno Maes