Challenging democracies: Press freedom in Europe

The Backstory: A media freedom podcast

The October 2023 elections in Poland marked a turning point for its media freedom, when the far-right Law and Justice party were pushed out of power after nearly a decade of rule and media control. But in other Eastern European countries, governments still exert power over the news industry, and throughout Europe, the rise of populism and the far-right is posing significant challenges to press freedom. In this episode we look at how Poland, Norway and the UK are navigating current challenges, and the impact that the war in Ukraine is having on press freedom on the continent, with: - Joanna Krawczyk, deputy managing director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, based in Warsaw, Poland (https://www.gmfus.org/find-experts/joanna-krawczyk) - Helje Solberg, news director at public broadcaster NRK in Norway (https://www.nrk.no/presse/helje-solberg-blir-nyhetsdirektor-i-nrk-1.14119443) - Kamal Ahmed, president of the Society of Editors in the UK, and editor-in-chief and co-founder of The News Movement (https://www.thenewsmovement.com/) - Gavin O’Reilly, former president of Wan-Ifra; publisher and executive chair of the UK-based The New European (https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk) The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Irene Abalo, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode. Music in this episode: Something Elated by Tea K Pea (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/tea-k-pea/ire-desire/lake-2/)