Media Capture Monitoring Report
An annual measure of how far EU Member States have fallen under media capture — and how well they meet the new standards set by the European Media Freedom Act to combat it.
Project summary
EMFA · 2024In May 2024 the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) came into force, and Member States are required to reform their legislation and regulatory practices to comply. This study focuses on the EMFA rules built specifically to address media capture. The reports set the standards prescribed by law against how they are implemented in practice, mapping the reforms each country needs — and where reform could go further.
The EMFA capture safeguards this study tracks
- Guaranteeing the independence of public service media
- Guaranteeing the independence of media regulators
- Protecting against the misuse of state funds to influence media output
- Ensuring media ownership transparency and tighter safeguards for pluralism
Overview — Key findings
2025A comparative assessment of media capture across eight EU Member States following EMFA’s entry into force. Toggle between reporting years.
Country reports
8 statesEight member states chosen for geographic spread and varying exposure to capture — Finland as a benchmark, Spain widening the lens to Southern Europe. Filter by risk level, then open a report.
Research design
4 areasThe study concentrates on four areas where EMFA sets out safeguards against capture. Tap each to see what it evaluates.
Methodology
3 stepsQuestionnaire & variables
More than 50 questions across the four areas. A first set tracks EMFA implementation; follow-up control questions test how effective that implementation actually is.
Data collection
National teams of media experts gather data through an online platform, drawing on secondary data supplemented by interviews and document analysis. MJRC supervises quality and consistency.
Data sources
National laws, case law, government documents, NGO reports, official statistics, financial reports and academic research — with EU-wide data such as Eurostat used for comparability.
EMFA questionnaire
4 modulesThe backbone of the assessment. Each module maps to an EMFA article; expand to see representative questions.
Project team
Core + countryInvest in independent media research and join a community of practice.
MJRC takes no government money — which is why we ask people who value independent investigation to invest in it directly. Your contribution supports our investigations and global analysis. Supporters can receive early access to new findings, invitations to small-group briefings, inclusion in our Supporters Circle updates, and the option to be listed on our Supporters Page.