Media Policy Monitoring

Our monitoring work on international media policy focuses particularly on the issues that impact the independence of the press and thus shape the foundations of our society. WAN-IFRA is uniquely placed to represent the newspaper industry in all global policy discussions thanks to the authority derived from its global newspaper membership and the legacy of 70 years spent at the service of a free press.

To belong to WAN-IFRA is to connect with other publishers' associations from around the world to exchange information, protect and defend common universal values, compare strategies for better serving member publishers and share data and approaches in reacting to legal and governmental measures or private initiatives that impact publishing activity.

With WAN-IFRA, national publisher associations and regional trade bodies stay ahead in this fast-moving game. WAN-IFRA's Public Affairs and Media Policy activities help our members to shape the right answers and remain in the driving seat of the debates on media policy issues.

Two years into the creation of the Public Affairs and Media Policy department WAN-IFRA has established a steady stream of research reports, successful platforms and a reputation that keeps building among peers.

RESEARCH

In April 2017, WAN-IFRA published an overview of EU VAT rates applied to news media, both on print and in digital.

In June, a second report, Supporting the Media Report, was published only for members. The focus of the research was on the different ways the news media is supported through public aid the world over. We covered 44 countries and hope to be enabled to make this a yearly report.

In July, after the European Commission fined Google 2,42 billion euros for abuse of its dominant position in comparison shopping services, we provided our members with a briefing on Google’s antitrust troubles and how they are spreading around the world. The 17 pages paper included an exhaustive summary of the seven-year EU probe, an analysis of the position of news media publishers with regard to the European case in particular, and Google and antitrust in general, and an overview of the antitrust probes in Google’s business practices the world over.

PLATFORMS

• WAN-IFRA's Media Policy Monitoring service to members was enriched with an online Resource Center, where WAN-IFRA collects the articles that represent real tools, for the reader who wants to get up to speed in the fastest and most efficient ways in our core topics (Internet governance, Right to be forgotten, Privacy, Copyright,...). Members will also find on the site an easy access to a network of legal experts.
• Throughout the year WAN-IFRA performed a daily monitoring of media policy news, with regular publication of updates and analysis on the media policy blog.
• The Media Policy Briefing newsletter was sent monthly starting 2017. Its open rate is consistent at 40 %, unique views stable at 3,000.
• @WAN_MediaLex twitter channel activity continues to pay off through expanding audience.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

In 2017, WAN-IFRA engaged in an array of activities including:

• Coordination of WAN-IFRA Facebook task force and Facebook expert group;
• Collaboration with UNESCO on the event “Journalism under fire: challenges of our times” (February 2017);
• Collaboration with Press Freedom on the Strengthening Media and Society programme, by producing briefs on the legal hindrances to freedom of expression in the countries: Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa;
• Participation in seminar “Libertad de expresión y derecho al olvido digital” in Bogota, Colombia;
• Support to the campaign #SupportRealNews (NMA);
• Joined Audience Measurement coalition with Esomar, NME et al, participated in drafting position papers with regard to the ePrivacy regulation reform. Particularly engaged in the dissemination of the coalition’s work material;
• Joined the WAN-IFRA diversity and inclusion working group, actively contributing at devising a 3-year plan towards achieving gender balance in the association;
• Communication channel successfully opened with World Intellectual Property organisation resulting with WAN-IFRA's participation in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) with WIPO on the topic of “Copyright in the digital era: supporting local contents production”.