Euronews: public-interest journalism in jeopardy – read the joint opinion article by Oliver Roethig, UNI Europa Regional Secretary and Ricardo Gutierrez, General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists.
In the wake of the takeover last year of Euronews, an editorial overhaul and mass layoffs are being pressed by its new owner. In July 2022, ALPAC Capital took a controlling, 88 per cent, stake in Euronews, paying an undisclosed fee and causing significant controversy. The Portugal-based investment fund has close ties to Hungary’s far-right prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
Management has announced its intention to lay off most of the permanent staff—197 out of 349—at the Lyon headquarters. The institutional knowledge of the public-mission heritage of Euronews would thereby be erased.
The European Commission has been a major funder of Euronews since day one. Over the past three decades it has invested hundreds of millions of euro in building European media. It cannot allow the new owner to asset-strip Euronews, selling its building, dismissing staff and endangering its reputation.