EU press freedom is the theme in Strasbourg on 21 October 2026, when the European Parliament presents the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism at 18:00. Ten finalists remain from 344 submissions, and the winner receives €20,000. A press freedom seminar opens the day at 14:00.
What the Daphne Prize says about EU press freedom
The prize honours in-depth journalism that defends core EU values such as human dignity, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. Professional journalists and teams of any nationality could apply, provided the work appeared in an outlet based in one of the 27 member states. Entries were accepted between 4 May and 31 July 2026, and an independent jury picks the winner.
The size of the field matters for anyone tracking EU press freedom. A pool of 344 entries shows that investigative reporting on corruption, migration policy, platform abuse and defence finance remains plentiful, even as the economics of newsrooms weaken.
How serious is the pressure on journalists?
Independent monitors describe a deteriorating picture. The Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform partners recorded 344 serious media freedom alerts in 2025, an increase of 29 percent on 2024. International IDEA reports that press freedom declined in 39 countries between 2020 and 2025, and Europe accounted for 46 percent of those declines.
These numbers do not describe one government or one tactic. They cover legal threats, surveillance, harassment and funding pressure. For readers, the lesson is that EU press freedom cannot be judged by a single index or a single capital.
The European Media Freedom Act in practice
The European Media Freedom Act has applied since 8 August 2025. It sets common safeguards for editorial independence, source protection and transparency of media ownership, and it gives the European Board for Media Services a coordinating role. Its first full year of application is therefore the real test of whether Brussels can turn principles into enforceable habits at national level.
Enforcement depends largely on national regulators and courts. Where those bodies lack resources or independence, the Act risks becoming a statement of intent rather than a shield. The Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report remains the main yardstick for comparing progress between member states.
Independent newsrooms also face a funding problem that no single regulation solves. Local outlets lose advertising revenue to large platforms, and cross-border investigations are expensive and legally risky. When editors cannot afford lawyers or long investigations, the practical level of EU press freedom falls even if the legal text is strong.
Online platforms and journalists
Several shortlisted investigations point to the digital side of the problem. Reporting cited around the prize describes paid political advertising on Meta platforms aimed at journalists and civil society, with 523 of 773 such adverts originating in Slovakia. Other work documents hundreds of TikTok accounts involved in exploitative content. Such findings show that EU press freedom is now also a question of platform design and political advertising, not only of courts and police. They tie the media agenda to the Digital Services Act, which obliges very large platforms to assess systemic risks to civic discourse.
What happens after the ceremony
After the ceremony, attention turns to whether Parliament and the Commission link the prize debate to concrete follow-up: funding for local and cross-border reporting, anti-SLAPP implementation and tougher scrutiny of advertising targeting. The winner will gain visibility, and the finalists’ work offers evidence that lawmakers can use. But lasting progress on EU press freedom depends on laws being applied consistently, journalists being protected on the ground and newsrooms having the money to keep investigating.
