Against disinformation von der Leyen launches a “Media Resilience Programme”

Strasbourg – “When the independent media are dismantled or neutralised, our ability to monitor corruption and preserve democracy is severely weakened,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to the European Parliament during the annual State of the Union Address. Words, promises the German politician, which will be followed by deeds to protect the citizens’ right to information. 

“In several communities across Europe, traditional media are in crisis. In many rural areas, the days of going to buy the local newspaper are a distant memory. This situation has turned many places into information deserts, where disinformation finds fertile ground,” she denounced, stressing that “this is an extremely dangerous phenomenon for our democracy.” 

According to von der Leyen, “informed citizens, who can trust what they read and hear, are essential for holding those in power to account. And when independent media are dismantled or neutralised, our ability to monitor corruption and preserve democracy is severely weakened.” 

This is why, she recalled, “the first step in the strategy of an autocrat is always to neutralise the independent media. Because silence encourages democratic regression and corruption.” 

“We must therefore work harder to protect the media and the independent press. We therefore intend,” von der Leyen announced, “to launch a new Media Resilience Programme, which will support independent journalism and media literacy.” 

It will not be just that, however, because, explained the EU chief executive, “we also need to accompany investments to respond to some of the root causes of this trend, which is why we have proposed a significant increase in media funding in the next budget.” 

According to the President, “it is also necessary to stimulate private equity capital. We will therefore use our instruments in this regard to support the independent and local media. A free press is the foundation of any democracy. And we will support the European press so that it remains free.” 

The undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for information and publishing, Alberto Barachini, quickly responded to this statement: “We welcome the statements by the President of the EU Commission on the need to defend the free press and support journalism at this time of hybrid information warfare and content manipulation made easier by innovations. The European commitment strengthens the direction already taken by the Italian government and Forza Italia.” 

Barachini explains that “the constant measures put in place by our country’s executive in support of national publishing systems, the offence of deep fakes introduced in the legislative decree on artificial intelligence, which is completing its regulatory process, and the Italian government’s constant contribution in the European arena go exactly in the direction indicated by President von der Leyen. We must take action to stop the erosion of citizens’ trust in information.”