Media pluralism and democracy : summary

Free media and a plurality of voices in society and in the media are indispensable preconditions of, and essential safeguards for a healthy democracy. Freedom of expression and media freedom and pluralism are enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental rights of the European Union. They are at the core of the basic democratic values on which the Union is founded. The importance of these basic tenets is further underlined by the EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline, adopted in 20142. In light of the importance of media plurality and freedom, the Directorate General for Justice and Consumers commissioned the following Eurobarometer survey to explore citizen's opinions about the diversity of views available in the media, and their perceptions of media independence. In particular, the survey covers the following areas: Views about the variety of opinions and views presented in the media; Perceptions of the independence of both the general and public service media; Trust in the information provided by the media; Awareness of the national media regulator, and opinions about its independence; Participation in debates on social media; Online encounters with hate speech and threats, and the influence this has on participation. This survey was carried out by TNS Political & Social network in the 28 Member States of the European Union between the 24th of September and 3rd of October 2016. Some 27,768 EU citizens from different social and demographic categories were interviewed face-to-face at home and in their native language on behalf of the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG-JUST). The methodology used is that of Eurobarometer surveys as carried out by the Directorate-General for Communication ("Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer" Unit). A technical note concerning the interviews conducted by the member institutes of the TNS Opinion & Social network is annexed to this report. It also specifies the interview methods and the confidence intervals.