The European Commission Calls on Member States to Support Quality Journalism to Combat Fake News

As part of the fight against fake news, the European Commission is asking member countries to increase support for quality journalism and announces that it will publish a call for proposals for the production and dissemination of quality informative content on the topic of the EU through data-driven media this year.

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In order to promote the quality and diversity of information, “the Commission calls on member states to enhance their support for quality journalism to ensure a pluralistic, diverse, and sustainable media environment. The Commission will publish a call for proposals in 2018 for the production and dissemination of quality informative content on the topic of the EU through data-driven media,” the European Commission announced last week. European Commissioner for Security Union Julian King states that fake news pose a serious security threat to society.

“Turning fake news and misinformation on the internet into a weapon poses a serious security threat to our society. The subversive use of trusted channels to disseminate destructive and harmful content requires a lucid response based on greater transparency, traceability, and accountability. Online platforms have an important role to play in preventing hostile misuse of their infrastructures and protecting their users and society,” said King.

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Calls for support and strengthening of data-driven quality journalism are part of the broader efforts of the Commission in the fight against misinformation on the internet, which, among other things, include promoting media literacy and providing support to an independent network of fact-checkers, as well as developing a code of conduct at the EU level against misinformation.

“Misinformation is not a new tool of political influence. New technologies, especially digital ones, enable its dissemination via the internet in ways that threaten our democracy and society. Since trust in the online environment is easily lost and difficult to rebuild, it is necessary to work together with the industry to address this issue. Online platforms have an important role in combating misinformation campaigns organized by individuals and states with the intent to undermine our democracy,” says the Commission’s Vice President for the Digital Market Andrus Ansip.

Research – Citizens Consider Traditional Media Most Credible

According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, the majority of surveyed European citizens perceive traditional media as the most credible – radio, 70 percent; TV, 66 percent; print, 63 percent.

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The least credible sources of information are online sources and video hosting websites, which are trusted by 26 and 27 percent of respondents, respectively.

The Commission announced that it will soon convene a multi-stakeholder forum to create a framework for effective cooperation among relevant stakeholders, including online platforms, the advertising industry, and major advertisers, and to ensure engagement regarding coordination and intensifying the fight against misinformation. The first outcome of the forum is expected to be a code of practice for combating misinformation for the entire EU, which will be published in July 2018, so that it can produce measurable effects by October 2018.

Code of Conduct

Other measures proposed by the Commission in the fight against fake news include the aforementioned code of conduct, ensuring transparency regarding sponsored content, especially political advertising, introducing measures to identify and close fake accounts and address the issue of automated bots, creating an independent European network of fact-checkers that will establish common working methods, exchange best practices, and work towards achieving greater representation of factual corrections in the EU, as well as creating a secure European online platform on misinformation that will enable cross-border data collection and analysis for the network of fact-checkers and relevant academic scientists, providing access to data from across the EU.

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The Commission will report on progress by December 2018. This report will consider the need for further action to enable ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the proposed measures.