On December 18th, Deirdre Veldon, Vice Chair of NewsBrands Ireland, addressed the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT), speaking on behalf of Irish news publishers at a meeting focused on the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) in Ireland.

EMFA is an EU regulation that puts in place new rules to promote media pluralism, to protect editorial independence and to increase transparency around media ownership and funding. In July, the Government approved the General Scheme, which will give effect to some elements of EMFA in Irish law. This will modernise Ireland’s existing media mergers framework and introduce new rules in relation to State expenditure on advertising.

In her remarks, Ms Veldon welcomed the introduction of EMFA and, in particular, its commitments to protecting media independence and pluralism, safeguarding journalistic sources, and regulating the role of online platforms in the dissemination of media content. However, she cautioned that the new rules are being designed for an “old order”, in which media outlets could, in the past, rely on viable standalone business models without the disruptive effect of platforms and AI. Ms Veldon said: “Artificial intelligence is already distorting the media landscape by using publisher content without consent or compensation, failing to direct traffic back to original sources, spreading misinformation and disinformation, and eroding public trust in the news ecosystem. She said the provisions of EMFA could be reviewed in a significantly disrupted media ecosystem to take account of the influence and behaviours of platforms and AI companies in particular.”

Ms Veldon urged Members to seek assurances from the Government that EMFA will be implemented in a manner in which does not seek to impose significant compliance costs on smaller publishers and to provide support where necessary to help publishers meet their obligations. She also called for analysis of the impact of the new rules on media mergers, which might inhibit mergers in a market which is consolidating, and exemptions for commercially confidential information.

While publishers welcomed the move to increase regulation for Very Large Online Platforms, she said, they continued to have concerns about the monitoring and enforcement of rules for VLOPs along with some of the criteria set down for platforms to remove publisher-generated content. Ms Veldon asked the Committee to insist there was no scope for VLOPs to deny access to audience information that they had refused to release under the EU Copyright Directive in the past.

In light of Coimisiún na Meán’s expanded remit, she asked the Committee to ensure the media body had the resources, knowledge and published guidance to carry out its work. In addition, it was important An Coimisiún respected and helped to preserve the independence and self regulation of publishers, she said. The Committee should look for evidence that the new funding schemes being administered by An Coimisiún would, in fact, make a contribution to supporting a diverse media ecosystem in Ireland.

Ms Veldon noted that the Act comes into force at a moment of unprecedented challenge for newspapers and the wider media sector and that “more tangible and practical support, beyond the provisions of EMFA, may be required to secure a healthy and sustainable media ecosystem.”

In closing, Ms Veldon said: “If implemented with care, proportionality and predictability, EMFA can strengthen public trust and protect media pluralism without accelerating the decline of newspaper titles.”