May 3rd marks World Press Freedom Day and this year finds the state of the world’s media pluralism and freedom in turmoil as existing, rapidly evolving issues, become further aggravated by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The data gathered in 2018-19 for the forthcoming Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM2020) shows either general stagnation or deteriorating conditions in the EU and the two candidate countries included in the assessment, Albania and Turkey. The assessment spans fundamental protection, market plurality, political independence and social inclusiveness and, as in previous rounds of Media Pluralism Monitor implementation, none of the countries covered are free from risks. 

Media pluralism represents a key precondition for any democracy and is embodied in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Art. 11), and their protection is a corollary of freedom of expression, mandated by Art.10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The CMPF continues to conduct research that honours this important pillar of European democracy. 

In the coming weeks the CMPF will publish the findings of the MPM2020, updated to include a more thorough assessment of contemporary risks to media pluralism and allow for an extraction of a digital-related score for each country covered. 

Discover the results of previous MPMs here.