Independent media around the world faces significant challenges. In Central Europe, recent discussions highlighted strategies for ensuring its sustainability. While Poland’s media landscape shows more resilience compared to its neighbors, it is still vulnerable to regulatory pressures, financial challenges, and structural limitations that threaten its long-term stability.
The urgency of these issues was a central topic at the conference in Warsaw titled Strengthening and Financing Media Freedom: Best Practices for Central Europe. Experts emphasized the need for quick, coordinated support from businesses, civil society, and international allies to defend and empower independent media in the face of threats.
The event emphasized the important opportunity for the new EU Commission and the Polish EU Council Presidency to actively involve the private sector in creating new financing models for independent media. These models could provide essential resources and support to help independent journalism thrive and survive in the region.
CIPE and CIMA Lead Efforts in a Collaborative Conference
The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) hosted this high-level conference on October 30, 2024. Leaders and stakeholders from Central Europe and beyond gathered to address funding strategies and essential support mechanisms for independent media. Participants from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and the United States came together to explore solutions tailored to the region’s unique challenges.
The event offered a blend of public plenary sessions and closed-door, expert-led discussions, focusing on region-specific solutions for media sustainability. Attendees included media executives, policymakers, and experts in media finance, advertising, and journalism, who contributed to a comprehensive view of the media landscape and its future in Central Europe.
High-Profile Engagement Sets the Tone
Opening remarks from Andrew Wilson, Executive Director of CIPE, and Heather Gilberds, Deputy Director of CIMA, were followed by a keynote address from U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski. All three speakers underscored the importance of supporting free and independent media as a core element of democratic society and regional stability.
A Regional Effort with Broad Implications
This event provided an opportunity for cross-border collaboration on practical strategies to support national and local media outlets in Central Europe. By concentrating on viable funding models, participants discussed region-specific approaches to address the financial sustainability of independent journalism amid ongoing challenges.
Given the escalating threats to media freedom, discussions emphasized the need for effective support structures that could reinforce independent media’s role as a trusted public resource.
In addition to live sessions, the conference was streamed on CIPE’s YouTube channel, making it accessible to a broader audience.
Through this initiative, CIPE and CIMA have supported efforts to strengthen the resilience of independent media across Central Europe, contributing to the broader dialogue on sustainable models for independent journalism in challenging contexts.
Additional Resources
- CIPE and CIMA’s joint research on How the Private Sector Can Strengthen Healthy Information Ecosystems
- Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) study Supporting Media Freedom in Europe
- Factsheet with practical examples of how blended finance can catalyze new capital into media investments in Central and Eastern Europe.
- Event highlights and videos.
Event Details
Location:
Warsaw, Poland
Date:
October 30, 2024
Featured speakers:
- Ambassador Mark Brzezinski, U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Poland
- Andrew Wilson, Executive Director of CIPE
- Heather Gilberds, Deputy Director of CIMA
