Activities of Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ related to 2020/2009(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on strengthening media freedom: the protection of journalists in Europe, hate speech, disinformation and the role of platforms
Amendments (31)
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to the Joint Communication of 10 June 2020 entitled 'Tackling COVID-19 disinformation - Getting the facts right' (JOIN(2020) 8),
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas according to the 2019 Reuters Institute Digital News Report the average level of trust in the news in general (worldwide) is down 2 percentage points to 42% and less than half (49%) agree that they trust the news media they themselves use; whereas trust in the news found via search (33%) and social media remains stable but extremely low (23%);
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas according to the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, the situation concerning the independence of the press differs significantly between Member States, with some Member States ranking among the top 5 best performers, while the worst entry ranking as low as 111th out of 180;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Jan Kuciak are two tragically profound examples of the extent to which investigative journalists are being targeted for exposing corruption, protecting democracy and the rule of law;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas recent years have witnessed an increase in gender-based violence against female journalists, both physical and online;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas freedom of the media has been deteriorating in recent years and while the COVID-19 outbreak has exacerbated this, it has also brought to the forefront the importance of the media and the right to access reliable information;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas disinformation related to COVID-19 may have dangerous consequences on public health, cause panic and social unrest and needs to be addressed; whereas measures to combat disinformation cannot be used as a pretext for introducing disproportionate restrictions on press freedom;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas disinformation related to COVID-19 may cause panic and social unrest and needs to be addressed; whereas measures to combat disinformation cannot be used as a pretext for introducing disproportionate restrictions on press freedom, media pluralism and safety of journalists;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is deeply shattered by the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta and Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in Slovakia due to their investigative work, and reiterates the importance of an; recalls the essential role that investigative journalism holds in fighting organised crime by collecting and connecting relevant information, exposing criminal networks and illicit activities; highlights the fact that these activities expose them to an increased personal risk level; calls on national law enforcement authorities to fully cooperate with Europol and other relevant international organisations in order to conduct independent investigation to brs, identifying and bringing to justice the perpetrators of and masterminds behind these crimes;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is deeply shattered by the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta and Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in Slovakia due to their investigative work unveiling corruption, and reiterates the importance of an independent investigation to bring to justice the perpetrators of and masterminds behind these crimes;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to initiate and support supranational programmes to organise platforms for investigative journalism, given its important service for democracy, while also supporting organisations that work on “credibility indices” to create a database of trustworthy sources with adequate allocation of resources; 1a _________________ 1aPolicy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs. Disinformation and propaganda – impact on the functioning of the rule of law in the EU and its Member States, p. 144. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/STUD/2019/608864/IPOL_STU(20 19)608864_EN.pdf
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Strongly reiterates its call on the Commission to treat attempts by Member State governments to damage media freedom and pluralism as constituting a serious and systematic abuse of powers and as going against the fundamental values of the EU as enshrined in Article 2 TEU; welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s intention to include a specific chapter on monitoring media freedom and pluralism in its Annual Report on the Situation of the Rule of Law within the EU; suggests that ,in relation to this specific chapter, a bottom-up approach reflecting individuals' voices and diversity would ensure that the challenges faced by journalists and the media sector are effectively captured; further calls for the inclusion of country-specific recommendations and effective responses as well as an assessment of the transparency of ownership and government interference in the EU member states, to be included in this chapter; urges the Commission to take into account the impact of the emergency measures taken in 2020 in the context of COVID-19 on press freedom, media pluralism and safety of journalists; in this context, recalls Parliament’s repeated call for a permanent, independent and comprehensive mechanism covering democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in the EU;
Amendment 124 #
3. Strongly reiterates its call on the Commission to treat attempts by Member State governments to damage media freedom and pluralism as constituting a serious and systematic abuse of powers and as going against the fundamental values of the EU as enshrined in Article 2 TEU; welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s intention to include a specific chapter on monitoring media freedom and pluralism in its Annual Report on the Situation of the Rule of Law within the EU; encourages the Commission to actively cooperate with the Council of Europe, exchanging best practices and making sure that measures undertaken are complementary; urges the Commission to take into account the impact of the emergency measures taken in 2020 in the context of COVID-19 on press freedom, media pluralism and safety of journalists; in this context, recalls Parliament’s repeated call for a permanent, independent and comprehensive mechanism covering democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in the EU;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the irreplaceable role of public service media and stresses that it is essential to ensure and maintain their independence from political interference; condemns attempts by Member State governments to silence critical media and undermine media freedom and pluralism, in particular attempts to control public service media; deplores the fact that in some Member States public broadcasting has become an example of single political party propaganda, which often excludes opposition and minority groups from society and even incites violence; stresses that safeguarding independent authorities and ensuring strong independent oversight of audiovisual media against undue state and commercial intervention is crucial; highlights that the frameworks for financing public service media should ensure the editorial independence and the sustainability of these outlets; calls on Member States to use financing models where public service media is financed from sources independent of political decision-making such as monthly or annual dedicated taxes;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Emphasises the importance of regular checks for media freedom and pluralism in Member States and application of existing instruments against illegal state aid or ownership concentration in the media sector in EU member states, including through the adoption and enforcement of rules protecting independent media, freedom of expression and the right to access to information and the promotion of self- regulatory initiatives and mechanisms, subject to external scrutiny and impact assessments 3a in order to create an environment conducive to an independent and pluralistic media landscape; _________________ 3aPolicy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs. Disinformation and propaganda – impact on the functioning of the rule of law in the EU and its Member States, p. 147.
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates its concern that few specific legal or policy frameworks protecting journalists and media workers from violence, threats and intimidation can be identified at national level within the EU; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure the effective protection and safety of journalists and other media actors as well as of their sources, including in a cross-border context; strongly reiterates its call on the Commission to present proposals to prevent so-called ‘Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation’ (SLAPP); highlights that there are significant differences with respect to the freedom of the press and protection of journalists situations between Member States; calls on the Commission to come forward with a comprehensive Directive proposal aiming to establish minimum standards against SLAPP practices, across the EU;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Further calls for a comprehensive legislative framework and rules enabling online and offline safe environment for journalists and other media actors, including preventive measures, provisions for criminalising specific and serious attacks against journalists such as arbitrary arrests, torture threats to one’s life and effective redress mechanisms for victims and their families; also calls for the establishment of effective, independent and impartial investigations into threats, killings, attacks, harassment, intimidation and ill-treatment of journalists and media workers;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Suggests that the absence of a uniform definition of journalism, encompassing media pluralism, makes addressing the issues relating to media freedom more difficult, especially with nowadays-new digital environment and the increasing threats to freedom of expression;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is concerned about attempts to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to punish independent and critical media and introduce restrictions on the media’s access to and scrutiny of government decisions and actions, hampering proper and informed debate on those actions; stresses the role of journalism and the free flow of information as essential to the EU’s efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic; points out that journalism plays a crucial function at a moment of public health emergency; calls on the Commission to comprehensively monitor such practices by national governments and to include the results in its upcoming Annual Report on the Rule of Law;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to urgently introduce EU and national emergency recovery packages to protect the jobs and livelihoods of media workers, support companies and fund public service media through the COVID- 19 crisis; highlights that during the COVID-19 crisis certain media outlets and local media platforms in particular, have lost as much as 80% of their revenues due to the decrease in advertising; stresses that in the face of the pandemic European citizens need professional, economically secure and independent journalists; reiterates in this context its call for the creation of a permanent European fund for journalists in the framework of the next MFF (2021- 2027), as redrafted following the COVID- 19 crisis, offering direct financial support for projects submitted by independent journalists and media outlets, freelancers and self-employed media workers; and comprising dedicated funding lines for investigative journalism, news media, media literacy programmes and local media outlets; underlines that funding should be managed by independent organisations in order to avoid any interference with editorial decision- making;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Notes with concern that the envisaged budgetary envelope for the Creative Europe programme under the revised MFF/ recovery proposals of 27 May 2020 brings a 100 million Euros decrease in allocations, compared to the initial Commission proposal of 2018, and now amounts to 1.3 billion Euros less than the allocations initially proposed by the European Parliament; furthermore, notes with regret that funding available under the Justice, Rights and Values programme has also been decreased by 100 million Euros within the revised Commission budget proposal and now stands at 1.2 billion Euros less than the figures proposed by the European Parliament; urges the Commission to revise these figures and present new proposals, in line with the position adopted by the European Parliament;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates its call on the Member States to take further measures to prevent, condemn and counter hate speech and hate crime, so as to fight organisations that spread hate speech and violence in public spaces and online also though ensuring that law enforcement applies effective hate crime recording practices based on the principles endorsed by the EU High Level Group on combating racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. points out that the framework of administrative rules should be reinforced to tackle hates speech and discrimination; reiterates to that end, its call to unblock negotiations on the horizontal anti- discrimination directive;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that the new digital environment has exacerbated the problem of the spread of disinformation and has resulted in online platforms playing an influential role in publishing, disseminating and promoting news and other media content; reiterates its concern about the potential threat disinformation poses to freedom of expression and the independence of the media; highlights that measures combatting disinformation should focus on fostering a plurality of opinions, through the promotion of high- quality journalism, delivering reliable, fact-based, verified information, as well as on building media literacy, and that any such measures must provide guarantees for the freedom of information and the freedom of expression;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Highlights that upholding the editorial independence within central and local media outlets, and developing media literacy projects, are essential elements for building resilience, raising awareness and strengthening education in efficiently combatting propaganda, disinformation and manipulations; calls on the Commission to actively engage in the promotion of reliable, fact-based and fact- checked information, enhancing media distribution channels in order to improve access to such information, empowering Union citizens to better identify and deal with disinformation; calls on Member States to fully implement the provisions of the revised Audio-visual Media Service Directive requiring them to promote and develop media literacy skills;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Notes that in accordance with many leading international actors, including the UN, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Council of Europe, platforms should not be made liable for third-party content, but need to be responsible for expediently administering their platforms while protecting data and privacy of their users2a; _________________ 2aPolicy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs. Disinformation and propaganda – impact on the functioning of the rule of law in the EU and its Member States, p. 10; 13
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Points out that different forms of misinformation and disinformation, as well as other forms of information manipulation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to proliferate around the world and have potentially harmful consequences for public security, health and effective crisis management; welcomes the Joint Communication on Tackling COVID-19 disinformation, of 10 June 2020; recalls that all measures to combat disinformation, including those taken in the context of the COVID-19 emergency, need to be necessary, proportionate and subject to regular oversight, and may under no circumstances prevent journalists and media actors from carrying out their work or lead to content being unduly blocked on the internet;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Points out that different forms of misinformation and disinformation, as well as other forms of information manipulation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to proliferate around the world, targeting in many occasions those most deprived, including Roma communities, and have potentially harmful consequences for public security, health and effective crisis management; recalls that all measures to combat disinformation, including those taken in the context of the COVID-19 emergency, need to be necessary, proportionate and subject to regular oversight, and may under no circumstances prevent journalists and media actors from carrying out their work or lead to content being unduly blocked on the internet;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Emphasises that promoting media literacy and critical thinking, including through content awareness and source credibility, are key in the fight against disinformation and are critical in decreasing the level of people being susceptible to fake news while increasing their resilience; points out that in order to reach a wider audience and more age groups it is important to scale up media literacy initiatives through social media platforms, including effective media literacy strategies for the elderly and most vulnerable groups;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Encourages the EC to provide support for complementing educational programmes in all Member States not only in the scope of media literacy, but also in wider civic education, including democratic values and human rights for further sensitisation regarding disinformation and propaganda;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative to present a European Democracy Action Plan that aims to counter disinformation and to adapt to evolving threats and manipulations, as well as to support free and independent media; emphasises in this respect that protecting free and independent media while combating hate speech and disinformation is a fundamental factor in terms of the defence of the rule of law and democracy in the EU; notes with concern that according to a GDI research, websites spreading disinformation in the EU receive more than 70 million Euros in ad revenues every year; calls on the Commission to further engage with the digital platforms and step up the efforts towards ending such practices, as well as towards combatting the strategic, automated amplification of disinformation through the use of bots or fake profiles online, and towards increasing transparency in respect to the financing and the distribution of online advertising;