‘Democracies Die in Silence’

What is ‘media’ in a digitalized society where boundaries between news, commercial and social content are increasingly blurred? What is the role of the media? What do we really mean by ‘media pluralism’? How can we safeguard media pluralism against powerful state actors as well as powerful tech companies? These are all key questions liberal democracies in Europe and beyond need answers to, given both political challenges and the rise of market power and Big Tech companies whose actions affect media markets. One of the most recent examples resulting from an imbalance of power with tech companies is the lawsuit of 32 European media groups against Google. While the law will not solve all of the problems associated with these developments, it can help in imposing limits on the way in which political and market power is used. This necessitates a sustained and informed debate as to what the existing legal framework offers and what additional legal responses are necessary.

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