(Adnkronos) – The European Commission has published new guidelines to ensure that professional journalism is recognized and protected across the world’s largest digital platforms, as stated in a press release. The guidelines are aimed at helping “Very large online platforms” (“Piattaforme online di dimensioni molto grandi, or Vlop”, as defined by the European Digital Services Act (DSA), and media service providers to implement the provisions of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
Specifically, the text explains, the EMFA “introduces concrete safeguards to protect professionally produced online media content from unjustified removal,” which require VLOPs to inform media providers in advance when they intend to remove journalistic content and clearly explain the reasons for their decision. Media providers are also granted 24 hours to respond before the removal becomes effective. To benefit from these safeguards, the latter “must declare that they meet certain requirements, such as being editorially independent and subject to regulatory oversight, through a functionality provided by the VLOPs”.
The guidelines will also help VLOPs in implementing the declaration functionality, guide media service providers in completing and managing their declarations, outlining the procedures by which platforms can consult regulatory authorities in case of doubt and involve civil society organizations, “including fact-checkers,” in reviewing declarations, explains the Commission’s text, which emphasizes that it developed the guidelines “through extensive consultation with media service providers, civil society and fact-checking organizations, regulatory authorities, and representatives of VLOP providers, among others”.
