Eurooppalainen medianvapaussäädös edellyttää julkisen palvelun median rahoitukselta pitkäjänteisyyttä ja ennakoitavuutta

Abstract

European Media Freedom Act The EMFA represents a completely new approach to media regulation in the European Union. It subjects the media to specific regulation concerning its pluralism and independence and also emphasizes the importance of public service media. The EMFA requires Member States to ensure that the funding of public service media is transparent and impartial, but in order to guarantee editorial independence, funding must also be sufficient, sustainable, and predictable. This means that funding for public service media cannot be cut on political or economic grounds alone. The current amendments to the Yle Act do not take EMFA's requirements seriously enough. On paper, the parliamentary preparation of Yle matters meets EMFA's requirements, but the model has not been enshrined in legislation; instead, it is based on an agreement between parliamentary groups, which has recently been undermined. As the preparation of legislation concerning Yleisradio is repeatedly the subject of political disputes, there is reason to consider whether the preparatory procedure should be enshrined in the Yle Act. There are also alternatives to a parliamentary working group as a means of seeking political consensus. The article proposes that a parliamentary committee be set up on a trial basis, in which permanent experts would participate in the preparatory work, albeit without voting rights.