media lab | Podcast Season: 1 - Episode: 5 / Release date: 25-10-2022

1:1 with Renate Schroeder
European Federation of Journalists

Episode Highlights

00:00 Intro

00:59 Q1 - What does (protecting) media freedom mean to you?

05:26 Q2 - What should the EU legislators do or do better to protect media freedom?

13:58 Q3 - What are the pitfalls that EU legislators should avoid when trying to protect the media and its freedom?

17:46 You have 2 minutes to deliver a message to the powers that be in the EU: make your case.

22:03 Outro

Key Quotes

"Knowing who owns and controls the media is fundamental for democratic resilience."

1 / 7

"Media companies have a special power to shape public opinion. So there should be more, instead of less, when it comes to transparency."

2 / 7

"We have to protect media from politicisation"

3 / 7

"We do not want to have any Ministry of Truth, neither at national level nor at European level. We do not want any government or EU interference in content."

4 / 7

"We believe the journalist profession has to remain free."

5 / 7

"[ERGA should] keep its complete independence, and not become an executive arm of the [EC’s] decision in the media (...) it has to stay away from content."

6 / 7

"It is high time to name and shame the EU Member States that do nothing or almost nothing to protect journalists, or even worse (...) continue their smear campaigns against journalists."

7 / 7

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About Our Guest

Renate Schroeder | Director - European Federation of Journalists

Renate Schroeder is the Director of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). In 1993 she joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and since 2003 she works for the EFJ. Advocacy at EU and Council of Europe level; presentation of EFJ at international meetings, fact-finding media freedom missions; member of juries of journalistic prizes, project work and advisor of several EFJ expert groups on freelancers, media literacy and digital journalism, cover her work-load in the small dynamic Brussels office.
Renate Schroeder studied International Relations and Political Science at Boston University (Bachelor’s Degree in 1988) and in Berlin at the Free University (Masters in 1992). She worked at the United Nations, New York, the research institute FAST in Berlin and the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation in Brussels before she joined the EFJ. She is of German nationality and speaks English, French, Italian, German and Spanish (passive)

Relevant Resources

EFJ Position on the European Media Freedom Act (Jan, 2023)

Joint Statement on the Proposal for the European Media Freedom Act (co-signed by EFJ)

European Federation of Journalists

1:1 with Renate SchroederEuropean Federation of Journalists