Brussels’s media machine: EU media funding and the shaping of public discourse

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Is the EU funding media freedom, or just pro-EU narratives?

This report unveils Brussels's vast, under-scrutinised system of media funding, disbursing nearly €80million annually. Often framed as supporting independent journalism, this money frequently promotes explicitly pro-EU narratives, marginalising critical voices.

This extensive funding, often presented as support for media freedom, in fact frequently serves to promote explicitly pro-EU narratives and marginalise critical voices, raising serious concerns about editorial independence and democratic integrity.

Discover how the EU's 'special relationship' with major media blurs the lines between journalism and institutional communication, creating a structural incentive for friendly coverage. From promoting Cohesion Policy as 'benefits' to funding 'fact-checking', the evidence points to a strategic effort to shape public discourse. The report exposes an increasingly dependent relationship by many major media outlets and press agencies towards EU money, subtly influencing public opinion and threatening journalistic integrity.

Uncover the truth behind Brussels's media machine and the threat to democratic accountability.

About the author

Thomas Fazi is an independent researcher, writer and journalist based in Rome. He is the author of several books, including: The Battle for Europe: How an Elite Hijacked a Continent – and How We Can Take It Back (Pluto Press, 2014); Reclaiming the State: A Progressive Vision of Sovereignty for a Post-Neoliberal World (co-authored with Bill Mitchell; Pluto Press, 2017); and The Covid Consensus: The Global Assault on Democracy and the Poor—A Critique from the Left (co-authored with Toby Green; Hurst, 2023). He is a columnist for UnHerd and Compact.