Poland: Media Capture and EMFA Monitoring Report 2025

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) today publish a new report examining media capture in Poland in 2025 and the country’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

16.12.2025

The report – the eighth in a new series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025 – reviews developments regarding media capture and control in Poland over the past year and assesses the country’s compliance with EMFA since the EU Commission’s regulation entered into full force in August 2025.

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It concludes that EMFA has not yet been incorporated into Poland’s national media legislation. Following the October 2023 elections which raised hopes for the re-democratisation of public service media, a fairer distribution of state advertising, and stronger measures to promote media plurality, the current coalition government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk has still not advanced with the amendment to the media law that would align national regulation with EMFA’s key principles.

Facing the obstacle of a presidential veto, much of the government’s overall media reform agenda has stalled or been limited, undermining broader media freedom progress.

Examining these issues in detail, the report provides recommendations on a variety of measures and policies necessary to address media capture in Poland and create a free, pluralistic and democratic media ecosystem, in line with EMFA provisions

This report is part of a broader series covering seven other EU countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

IPI and MJRC will also publish an overview report, summarising major developments across the EU in the past year.

These reports are intended as a vital resource for media rights organizations, civil society groups, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to monitoring and fostering media freedom across the EU.

Download the Report

EXPLORE THE METHODOLOGY

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

Jamie Wiseman, Senior Europe Advocacy Officer – IPI, jwiseman@ipi.media
Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, mdragomir@journalismresearch.org

This report was coordinated by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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MFRR Summit 2025 report on media freedom in Europe

MFRR Summit 2025 Report on Media Freedom in Europe

This report offers a recap of the discussions and key takeaways from the MFRR Summit 2025. This year’s Summit fed into EU Democracy Shield policy discussions, highlighting journalism as vital democratic infrastructure. Drawing on MFRR’s monitoring, missions, and policy work, the event explored five key pillars of media resilience: economic viability, safety, legal protection, AI governance, and implementation of safeguards.

10.12.2025

The summit took place on October 13, in Brussels, and this report documents how journalists and media outlets across EU member states and candidate countries are confronting mounting economic pressure, legal harassment, physical and digital attacks, and threats emerging as a result of changing digital space. Drawing on five thematic panels and a special focus on Ukraine, it connects on-the-ground monitoring with concrete policy debates on issues such as the European Media Freedom Act, anti-SLAPP measures, spyware, and foreign agent laws, offering both an overview of violations and a roadmap for strengthening journalism as a vital part democratic processes.

Read the Report

This report was coordinated by the ECPMF and IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Spain: Media Capture Monitoring Report 2025

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) today publish a new report examining the level of media capture in Spain and the country’s compliance with the new European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) in 2025.

05.12.2025

The report – the seventh in a series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025 – reviews developments regarding media capture in Spain and assesses the country’s compliance with EMFA since the EU Commission’s regulation entered into full force in August 2025.

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While other reports in the series are an update from the 2024 report, Spain is the newest country added to the series and provides a new assessment of media capture in the country through IPI and MJRC’s methodology.

The Spanish report focuses on EMFA elements directly addressing media capture: the independence of public service media and of media regulators, the misuse of state funds to influence media, and ensuring ownership transparency and media pluralism.

The report examines the standards prescribed by law and how they are currently implemented in practice. It also sets out the areas of reform needed to bring the country into line with EMFA while also making recommendations for where reform can go further.

Download the Report

EXPLORE THE METHODOLOGY

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

Jamie Wiseman, Senior Europe Advocacy Officer – IPI, jwiseman@ipi.media
Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, mdragomir@journalismresearch.org

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Finland: Media Capture Monitoring Report 2025

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) today publish a new report examining media capture in Finland in 2025 and the country’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

04.12.2025

The report – the sixth in a new series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025 – reviews developments regarding EMFA in Finland – a country with one of one of the healthiest climates for press freedom in the world.

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While other country reports in the series so far highlight engrained challenges for media capture and either slow or delayed implementation of EMFA, Finland is among the EU countries to have made the most progress on aligning domestic laws with provisions laid out under EMFA and offers a positive example of EU-mandated media reform.

Overall, the Finnish media ecosystem does not suffer from media capture due to a combination of strong legislation, forceful regulatory systems and healthy political and business practices.

Instead, due to its strong track record in media, communication, and democracy, Finland is often classified as a “media welfare state,” where communication services are traditionally regarded as public goods and editorial independence is actively encouraged – significantly limiting the space for the problematic capture and control of media.

Implementation on EMFA in Finland started back in October 2024 has since resulted in the adoption of the Act on the Supervision of Media Markets and several amendments to existing laws, designed to ensure compliance with EMFA’s core provisions while introducing minimal additional changes.

The report concludes that, in practice, this implementation in Finland has resulted in targeted additions to national legislation that ensure compliance without extending regulation beyond the scope of EMFA’s main provisions.

This report is part of a broader series covering seven other EU countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

IPI and MJRC will also publish an overview report, summarising major developments across the EU in the past year. The next reports will be published in the coming weeks.

These reports are intended as a resource for media rights organizations, civil society groups, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to monitoring and fostering media freedom across the EU.

Download the Report

EXPLORE THE METHODOLOGY

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

Jamie Wiseman, Senior Europe Advocacy Officer – IPI, jwiseman@ipi.media
Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, mdragomir@journalismresearch.org

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Slovakia: Media Capture Monitoring Report 2025

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) today publish a new report examining media capture in Slovakia in 2025 and the country’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

28.11.2025

The report – the fifth in a new series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025 – reviews developments regarding media capture and control in Slovakia over the past year and assesses the country’s compliance with EMFA since the EU Commission’s regulation entered into full force in August 2025.

Download the Report

It concludes that though legislation adopted in 2025 addressed some areas of the EMFA, the regulation has only been partially adopted, and major overhaul of the public broadcaster by the coalition government of Prime Minister Robert Fico directly violated EMFA rules on independent public service broadcasting.

With the explicit political aim of capturing public service broadcasting, the government dissolved the public broadcaster RTVS and established a new entity, STVR, which is controlled exclusively by pro-government appointees. By 2025, these appointees had already implemented measures demonstrating that the direction of reform was toward a less independent and more politically captured broadcaster, in clear violation of the EMFA.

Examining these developments in detail, the report provides recommendations on a variety of measures and policies necessary to address media capture in Slovakia and create a free, pluralistic and democratic media ecosystem, in line with EMFA provisions.

This report is part of a broader series covering seven other EU countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Spain.

IPI and MJRC will also publish an overview report, summarising major developments across the EU in the past year. The next reports will be published in the coming weeks

These reports are intended as a vital resource for media rights organizations, civil society groups, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to monitoring and fostering media freedom across the EU.

Download the Report

EXPLORE THE METHODOLOGY

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

Jamie Wiseman, Senior Europe Advocacy Officer – IPI, jwiseman@ipi.media
Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, mdragomir@journalismresearch.org

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Romania: Media Capture Monitoring Report 2025

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) today launch the fourth in a new series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025, this time putting the focus on Romania.

26.11.2025

The report reviews developments regarding media capture in Romania in 2025 and the country’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) since the EU Commission’s regulation entered into full force in August.

Download the Report

It concludes that Romania has yet to implement any elements of EMFA. Although the Ministry of Culture initiated some consultations with other institutional stakeholders and some non-governmental organizations, no official draft legislation has been put forward so far.

Download the Report

EXPLORE THE METHODOLOGY

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

Jamie Wiseman, Senior Europe Advocacy Officer – IPI, jwiseman@ipi.media
Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, mdragomir@journalismresearch.org

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Greece: Media Capture Monitoring Report 2025

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) today launch the third in a new series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025, this time putting the spotlight on Greece.

18.11.2025

The report reviews developments regarding media capture in the Mediterranean country in 2025 and examines Greece’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) since the EU Commission’s regulation entered into full force in August.

Download the Report

It concludes that Greece has only taken limited steps towards aligning its legislation and practice with its provisions. While some legal frameworks already partially comply with EMFA requirements, core problems persist across regulation, public service media, and funding.

The report provides detailed recommendations on a variety of measures and policies necessary to address media capture in Greece and create a free, pluralistic and democratic media ecosystem, in line with EMFA provisions.

This report is part of a broader series covering seven other EU countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

IPI and MJRC will also publish an overview report, summarising major developments across the EU in the past year. The next reports will be published over the following weeks.

These reports are intended as a vital resource for media rights organizations, civil society groups, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to monitoring and fostering media freedom across the EU.

Download the Report

EXPLORE THE METHODOLOGY

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

Jamie Wiseman, Senior Europe Advocacy Officer – IPI, jwiseman@ipi.media
Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, mdragomir@journalismresearch.org

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Bulgaria: Media Capture Monitoring Report 2025

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) today launch the second in a series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025, examining the state of play in Bulgaria.

14.11.2025

The report reviews developments regarding media capture in the country in 2025 and examines Bulgaria’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) since the EU Commission’s regulation entered into full force in August.

Download the Report

It concludes that Bulgaria has made no tangible progress since EMFA came into force. Although a cross-ministerial and institutional working group was previously established and made some initial progress, its suspension stalled much needed reforms. While the Ministry of Culture has said a new working group has been formed to implement EMFA reforms to the Radio and Television Act, no information has been provided about plans for wider implementation of any other Articles of EMFA and the timeline for additional reforms remains unclear.

The report provides detailed recommendations on a variety of measures and policies necessary to address media capture in Bulgaria and create a free, pluralistic and democratic media ecosystem, in line with EMFA provisions.

This report is part of a broader series covering seven other EU countries: Finland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. IPI and MJRC will also publish an overview report, summarising major developments across the EU in the past year. The next reports will be published over the following weeks.

These reports are intended as a vital resource for media rights organizations, civil society groups, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to monitoring and fostering media freedom across the EU.

EXPLORE THE METHODOLOGY

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

Jamie Wiseman, Senior Europe Advocacy Officer – IPI, jwiseman@ipi.media
Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, mdragomir@journalismresearch.org

Download the Report

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Hungary: Media Capture Monitoring Report 2025

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) today jointly launch a new series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025, with Hungary the first country report to be published.

12.11.2025

The new report reviews developments regarding media capture in the country in 2025 and examines Hungary’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) since the EU Commission’s regulation entered into full force in August.

Download the Report

It concludes that Hungary remains the EU Member State with the most sophisticated model of media capture ever developed within the bloc, and that rather than take any steps to implement the EMFA, the Hungarian government has framed it as a tool of foreign interference and legally challenged the regulation before the European Court of Justice seeking to have elements annulled.

Ahead of the April 2026 election, the report explores the opportunities and challenges posed by the EMFA for improving Hungary’s media environment, including strengthening regulatory independence and public service media governance, increasing ownership transparency, strengthening safeguards for media pluralism and guaranteeing the fair distribution of state funds.

It also provides detailed recommendations on a variety of measures and policies necessary to unwind entrenched media capture in Hungary and create a free, pluralistic and democratic media ecosystem, in line with EMFA provisions.

This report is part of a broader series covering seven other EU countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. IPI and MJRC will also publish an overview report, summarising major developments across the EU in the past year. The next reports will be published over the following weeks.

These reports are intended as a vital resource for media rights organizations, civil society groups, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to monitoring and fostering media freedom across the EU.

Download the Report

EXPLORE THE METHODOLOGY

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

Jamie Wiseman, Senior Europe Advocacy Officer – IPI, jwiseman@ipi.media
Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, mdragomir@journalismresearch.org

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Report: Fragile media freedom progress in Bulgaria at risk…

Report: Fragile media freedom progress in Bulgaria at risk of backsliding without urgent reform

While Bulgaria has experienced modest progress on media freedom in the last four years, the situation remains undermined by persistent structural, legal and political challenges, with urgent action needed by government and public authorities to push forward both domestic and EU-mandated reforms.

29.10.2025

These are the key findings of a media freedom report published today following a three-day joint fact-finding mission to the country between 24-26 September by the partner organisations of the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR).

The full report – Bulgaria: Fragile media freedom progress in Bulgaria at risk of backsliding without urgent reform – is available to download.

It provides an executive summary of the key challenges facing media freedom and pluralism in Bulgaria in 2025. Thematic sections explore the safety of journalists, the Council for Electronic Media and the public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television. Additional sections address legal threats, SLAPPs and defamation, media pluralism and independent journalism, and access to information, public trust in media and disinformation.

The report also provides detailed recommendations to national authorities and government on measures that can be taken to improve the climate for media freedom in Bulgaria, as well as general recommendation to the journalistic profession within the country.

The report was produced following the mission, which was joined by ARTICLE 19 Europe; Association of European Journalists (AEJ); European Broadcasting Union (EBU); European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF); European Federation of Journalists (EFJ); International Press Institute (IPI); Reporters Without Borders (RSF); Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) and Index on Censorship. The local partner was the Association of European Journalists Bulgaria.

During the visit to Sofia, the delegation met with a range of professional media stakeholders, including leading journalists and editors from print, online, broadcast and investigative media, as well as media associations and unions, media experts and civil society. Separate meetings were held with the Bulgarian National Radio and the Bulgarian National Television.

Meetings were also held with the President; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Interior; Council of Electronic Media (CEM); Office of General Prosecutor; Commission for Personal Data Protection; Central Election Commission and representatives of embassies.

Download the Mission Report

Click here for more information about the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform.

This mission was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.