Media capture constitutes one of the gravest and most intractable new threats to independent journalism around the world. In country after country, collusion between governments and wealthy media owners has become the preferred method of control over the media as a small, self-serving elite pursues political consolidation and authoritarian control. As the phenomenon continues to spread to more countries throughout the world, in countries such as Turkey and Hungary it is already the dominant form of media ownership. In these countries, once vaunted independent media outlets have been gutted, and journalists have been silenced, effectively kneecapping the media sector’s function as the fourth estate. This panel session will explore the phenomenon of media capture and why it poses such a serious threat to independent media. What are the warning signs? How is media capture playing out in the digital age? How can journalists, media organizations, and civil society leaders combat it?
Organised in association with the European Journalism Centre.
