Media freedom worsened in 2025 despite new legislation, as journalists attacks rose, public broadcasters faced political pressure, and governments dragged their feet on enforcement.

Media freedom and pluralism in the European Union (EU) in 2025 continued to be plagued by longstanding concerns, finds the Liberties Media Freedom Report 2026. The adoption of new EU rules, including the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and the Anti-SLAPP Directive, promised improvement; however, slow and often superficial implementation rendered their impact negligible. The overarching trends of previous years, including rising media ownership concentration, opaque ownership structures, the politicisation of state advertising and political interference in public service media and regulators, remained pervasive issues throughout the Union, with certain areas even declining. This Report is the fifth annual report on media freedom in the EU produced by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties). It is based on data and input from nearly 40 member and partner organisations from 22 EU Member States. As in previous editions, this Report covers three primary areas: media freedom and pluralism, safety and protection of journalists, freedom of expression and access to information, as well as an additional section on European legislation related to media freedom and pluralism.

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EU Media Freedom Worsens Amid Political Inertia to Implement New Rules