In an era where information is power, the sustainability of independent journalism is under serious threat. The shift to digital has upended traditional media revenue models, giving unprecedented control to a handful of powerful digital gatekeepers. The European Commission has introduced regulatory measures such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to restore competition, but enforcement remains a critical challenge. Additionally, public service broadcasters (PSBs) expanding into digital publishing and the rise of AI-generated content exacerbate the pressures on independent publishers. These developments make it imperative that policymakers take decisive action to ensure a fair and open information ecosystem.

Enforcing the DMA: Combating self-preferencing and unfair practices

For years, digital gatekeepers have leveraged their dominant positions to favour their own services over competitors, harming independent publishers. The enforcement of key DMA provisions is crucial in curbing these practices:

• Preventing self-preferencing: Article 6(5) of the DMA explicitly prohibits gatekeepers from favouring their own services. Practices like Google’s prioritisation of its own Shopping and AI Overviews over independent publishers must be swiftly addressed.

• Ensuring fair access: Article 6(12) mandates that gatekeepers provide fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) access to their platforms. This should prevent tech giants from demanding excessive data or imposing unfair licensing terms on publishers.

• Addressing AI exploitation: Generative AI, trained on press content without compensation, presents a major market distortion. Without regulatory intervention, AI systems will further entrench the dominance of digital giants while undermining professional journalism.

The digital advertising monopoly: pressing for fair competition

Digital advertising is a critical revenue stream for publishers, yet it remains heavily controlled by a few tech giants. These gatekeepers dictate terms, limiting publishers’ ability to monetise their own audiences:

• Loss of revenue due to data restrictions: Google’s Privacy Sandbox and Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policies disproportionately benefit the gatekeepers while significantly reducing publishers’ advertising revenues.

• Need for strict DMA enforcement: The EU must ensure that advertising markets are not monopolised through practices like Google Adtech’s manipulation of auctions and data dominance.

• Restoring publisher autonomy: Publishers must have full control over user consent mechanisms and monetisation models, ensuring sustainable financing for independent journalism.

Public service broadcasters: the unfair competition problem

While PSBs serve an important role, their expansion into digital publishing threatens the economic viability of private media:

• State aid violations: EU rules restrict PSBs to broadcasting, not press publishing. Yet, public broadcasters increasingly offer written editorial content online, creating unfair competition.

• Failure to enforce state aid rules: Despite multiple complaints from publishers in member states like Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Finland, the European Commission has made little progress in addressing these violations.

• Ensuring a level playing field: Consistent enforcement is needed to prevent PSBs from encroaching into press markets, ensuring a diverse and independent media landscape.

AI and copyright: protecting journalism in the age of generative AI

The unchecked rise of generative AI raises serious concerns for copyright and media sustainability:

• Transparency and accountability: AI-generated content must be labeled to prevent misinformation and manipulation.

• Burden of compliance on AI companies: Instead of forcing publishers to opt out, AI companies should be required to prove their compliance with copyright laws.

• Fair compensation: AI providers must obtain authorisation and compensate media outlets for the use of press content. Uncompensated AI scraping devalues journalism and threatens its economic model.

Conclusion: a call for urgent action

The sustainability of independent media is essential for democracy, yet digital monopolies, unchecked AI exploitation and state-aided competition threaten its future. The European Commission must take decisive action to enforce competition rules, ensure fair advertising markets, regulate AI content use and uphold state aid regulations. Only by addressing these pressing challenges can Europe maintain a free, diverse and independent press in the digital age.

is chairman of the European Magazine Media Association (Emma) and founder and CEO of Maison Moderne, publisher of Paperjam.