Activities of Jytte GUTELAND related to 2017/2209(INI)
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (23)
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with regret that insufficient attention has been paid to the concentration of media ownership in Member States; recalls that EU competition rules play an important role in preventing the creation or abuse of dominant positions online and offline; calls therefore on the Member States and local authorities to monitor media concentration and to provide easily accessible information and transparency on media ownership and economic influence over media;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Calls on the Commission to monitor and collect information and statistics about media freedom and pluralism within all Member States and to analyse cases of infringement of the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and of journalists and other media workers while respecting the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Underlines that the independence of public service media is not always properly guaranteed and there is a need to promote sound legal provisions and good administrative practice in the domain of public service media, with a view to strengthening their independence and their capability to fulfil their mission in the general public interest;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Reiterates that adequately equipped and financed public service media, particularly public service broadcasting, can play a key role in counterbalancing the risk of misuse of power of the media resulting from a strong media concentration due to their operational independence;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1 d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote and develop new socially sustainable economic models aimed at financing and supporting quality and independent journalism and strengthening the sustainability of public service media, which are prerequisites of a pluralistic media system;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1 e. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take adequate measures to safeguard and promote a pluralist, independent and free media in order to ensure freedom of speech and democracy;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is concerned about the legislative and administrative measures used in certain Member States to restrain and control the media, directly or indirectly; emphasizes that it is the Member States that have the positive obligation to ensure media pluralism and an environment in which citizens can participate in public debate and express ideas and opinions without fear; stresses that the fundamental principle of editorial independence from the government and from political or commercial interests should be protected; underlines that the coverage of election campaigning should be fair, balanced, impartial and systematically monitored;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Is concerned of the high amount of journalists and other media workers in Europe that are increasingly being threatened, harassed, subjected to surveillance, physically attacked and even killed because of their investigative work and reporting on the misuse of power, corruption, human rights violations and criminal activities; regrets that only a small percentage of threats or harassments of journalists are reported to the police; Calls on the Member States to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media workers by ensuring proper enforcement of applicable laws and through monitoring and reporting on threats and harassment;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Calls on the Member States to ensure that crimes against journalists and other media workers are adequately addressed under national law and to avoid impunity. Member States should moreover ensure to follow-up to the Declaration of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Stresses the need of ensuring good working conditions for journalists and media workers, as a means to avoid undue internal and external pressure, dependency, vulnerability and instability and the risk of self-censorship;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3 d. Reiterates that working conditions and the safety and security of journalists and other media workers is a prerequisite to guarantee their role fully in order to inform citizens on matters of public interest; Therefore calls on the Member States and media organisations to ensure fair working conditions for journalists and other media workers;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3 e. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote a healthy political debate and lasting political engagement towards the respect of fundamental human rights through media literacy, media pluralism and ethics;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 f (new)
Paragraph 3 f (new)
3 f. Highlights that journalists and other media workers are often specifically targeted because of their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, membership of a minority group and, religion. Female journalists and other female media workers face specific gender-related dangers, including sexist, misogynist and degrading abuse, threats, harassment and sexual aggression and violence. These violations are increasingly taking place online; Calls on the Commission to develop studies with statistics on threats and harassments of journalists and other media workers through gender lenses;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 g (new)
Paragraph 3 g (new)
3 g. Calls on the Member States and the social partners for urgent, resolute and systemic responses with preventive measures in order to combat threats and sexual harassments on journalists and other media workers;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that whistle-blowers are a crucial resource for investigative journalism and an independent press; calls on the Commission therefore to provide EU-wide protection in accordance with the Union objectives of democracy, pluralism of opinion and freedom of expression, believes that this protection should set clear channels to blow the whistle allowing for public disclosure whenever the whistle-blower consider it necessary and especially in the absence of a favorable response from the organisation, or if reporting internally or to the competent authorities would obviously compromise the efficiency of the alert, if the whistle-blower is at risk or urgently needs to report information;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that whistle-blowers are a crucial resource for investigative journalism and an independent press; calls on the Commission therefore to provide EU-wide horizontal protection in accordance with the Union objectives of democracy, pluralism of opinion and freedom of expression;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Highlights that whistle-blowers that are employed in the organisation concerning the actual whistle-blowing act, are particular vulnerable to severe reprisals and therefore are in extra need of protection against reprisals and retaliation;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Points out that guaranteeing the confidentiality of sources is fundamental to freedom of the press; calls on the Member States to ensure that the right of journalists not to reveal a source’s identity is effectively protected;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Notes that investigative journalists and members of the independent press pursue a profession that is often solitary and in the course of which they face many kinds of pressure, that there are also vulnerable and therefore that it is essential they be protected against all attempts at intimidation and should benefit from legal protection;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Recognises that the “right to blow the whistle” in all cases where information is disclosed in all good faith and is clearly in the public interest, for example where infringements of fundamental rights or of criminal law, including active or passive corruption, or facts that reveal a threat to safety, health or the environment are concerned;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Calls on the Member States to ensure to follow-up to the Declaration of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Emphasizes the need to analyse and monitor the emerging problems with false news in the digital sphere and to develop concrete measures both at national and European level.; Welcomes therefore the initiative of the European Commission to establish a High Level Expert Group on fake news and disinformation online comprising representatives from the civil society, media actors and platforms, journalists, social partners and academia in this regard;
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. In the evolving digital media ecosystem, new intermediaries have emerged with the ability to influence and control information and ideas online by acquiring gate-keeping functions and powers; Underlines that there must be sufficient independent and autonomous online channels and services and sources with the capability of ensuring a plurality of opinions and democratic ideas to the public on issues of general interest; Calls on the Member States to develop new, or existing national policies and measures in this regard;