"The Irish public needs to be involved in the debates about how media is funded and regulated"
From the journal.ie - 25/06/2021 (Opinion) It’s been a long time coming, but policymakers are finally catching up with the dramatic changes that have taken place in the media environment. The EU has proposed a suite of packages that aims to rein in the power of big tech companies while providing support for struggling media outlets. In Ireland, the Future of Media Commission is investigating how media can be sustainably funded, while the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny . This Bill will establish a new media regulator with a remit that includes online platforms. These are important developments that will shape the media landscape for decades to come. They are underpinned by a belief that media play a central role in democratic and civic life and they are informed by concerns about the media’s ability to fulfil that role in the digital environment. A funding crisis A core problem is that not all media outlets...