European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) calls for stronger protection of the European news media ecosystem
On the occasion of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA), the continent‑wide network that brings together the 33 leading European news agencies, highlights the vital role of the news media in safeguarding Europe’s democratic ecosystem.
Our 33 member news agencies distribute more than 100.000 written news articles each year and many times more multimedia content, to every corner of Europe and the world. By providing accurate and timely reporting, news agencies support the foundations of democratic societies across Europe - a more and more important pillar in the currently volatile global geopolitical context.
Even though EANA members aim for the highest standards of press freedom and impartiality, nonetheless conditions are becoming more and more harsh.
EANA urges governments, regulators, academia and digital platforms to support an environment where news agencies, and the wider news media ecosystem, can fulfil their mission of independent reporting. This includes:
1. Recognition of copyright and related rights for news agencies and for all content creators, ensuring fair remuneration for the creation and distribution of original news content.
2. Robust protection of media freedom, including legal safeguards against intimidation, censorship, and commercial pressure.
3. Unchallenged access to publicly relevant information from both public and private sectors.
“The conclusions of the WEF Global Risks Report for 2026 place misinformation and disinformation on the second place when ranking global risks by severity on the short term (2 years) and on the fourth place on the long term (10 years). Even more so, it’s defined as a technological risk. This demonstrates the need for EANA, as a coordinated, continent‑wide network, to do more to protect the flow of independent, high‑quality news content that allows for fact-based democratic decision-making to take place. What we are mainly looking for now is respect for the copyright of our work - this supports the quality journalism we provide to all corners of Europe. European news agencies are the backbone of Europe’s information ecosystem, but our reach spans far beyond our continent. We need to act more in line with this immense social responsibility that we have.” said Alexandru Giboi, Secretary‑General of EANA.
“From the perspective of a national news agency, the fragility of the European information ecosystem is increasingly visible. Technological pressure, asymmetric competition with platforms, and insufficient protection of original news content directly affect the capacity of agencies to deliver verified and impartial information. In this context, EANA’s role is critical. Policies on AI, copyright, and media freedom must be shaped with news agencies at the table, not in their absence.”, said Claudia Nicolae, member of the Board of EANA and Director General of the Romanian National News Agency AGERPRES.
EANA invites governments, legislators, AI companies and digital platforms to support fair compensation for the use of content, media’s access to information and the strengthening of legal safeguards to journalistic activity, thus ensuring that citizens continue to receive professional and trustworthy news that is essential for informed voting, civic engagement, and societal cohesion.
About the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA)
Founded in 1956, the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) unites 33 leading news agencies spanning across EU and non-EU countries. To secure a safe economic and legal environment for news agencies to operate in is one of EANA´s main concerns.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Alexandru Giboi
Secretary General, EANA
secretarygeneral@newsalliance.org
