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Ad bans are rarely popular among those who pay their bills from spots and space. Public interest in removing ads did spike when brands and their media buyers boycotted social media for playing very loose with content. Look what happened when ads were pulled from certain social media platforms. Elon Musk took over.
From time to time politicians attuned to social values propose limits on advertising targeting children. It’s an easy sell. Parents hate facing grumpy kids deprived of those unhealthy treats appearing in ads and are relieved when faceless authorities take over the dirty work. German Federal Food and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir is proposing removal of ads for “unhealthy” food from “all platforms,” announced at a press conference last week (February 27). Yes, this is about junk food ads. (See more about junk food ads here)
“Possible negative effects of advertising bans are particularly problematic,” replied private broadcaster association Vaunet chief executive Claus Grewenig, reported Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) (March 2). Herr Grewenig cited his love for journalism. “The demand for independent journalistic offerings and for more investment in high-quality content” can “never be viewed in isolation from the financial framework that politics actively sets.” (See more about media in Germany here)
True to its mission, right-wing tabloid Bild (March 3), published by Axel Springer, howled about “radical advertising bans.” Bild claimed milk and cheese would be on the list of banned products and violators would be fined €30,000. Bild is similar in orientation to Fox News in the US and Daily Telegraph in the UK.
On social media Minister Özdemir replied: “Dear Bild, I’m afraid you fell for the long-prepared talking points from people who want to stop the necessary child protection in advertising. The good thing: you can correct it.”
Punishing critics is a never-ending goal for authoritarians. This is not a new endeavor but global tensions have dispensed with diplomatic niceties. Offending media outlets, reporters and rights organizations are given no quarter: change your tone or change your town. Methods vary only slightly.
The Georgian Republic parliament is debating a draft law that would require “foreign agent” registration by any organization receiving more than 20% of its funding from abroad, imposing fines for those who resist. It is contentious as the draft bears similarities with laws in the Russian Federation used to pound media organizations, reporters and NGOs. A committee debate this week devolved into a brawl, punches thrown, lots of screaming, reported Deutsche Welle (March 6). Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, supporter of the draft law, branded opponents as “spies.” A similar brawl broke out last week. Demonstrators opposing the law assembled outside the parliament building. (See more about press/media freedom here)
The Russian Federation’s “foreign agent” law has had a decade to morph into a full-bodied attack on dissent. Last year a far-right Russia-supporting political party in Bulgaria proposed similar legislation, noted Balkan Insight (November 2). The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) adopted in the United States in 1938 only requires registration of NGOs engaged in political activities.
Georgia is in the Caucasus region tucked between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It borders Turkey, the Russian Federation, Armenia and Azerbaijan with a small Black Sea border. The country, particularly the capital Tbilisi, was an important of the Silk Road trade route. It was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1922, claiming independence in 1991. Corrupt politicians were swept aside in 2003, upsetting Russian Federation forces that chose war in 2008 to install friendly servants, leading to a quiet instability. Joseph Stalin was born in Georgia and went on to lead the Soviet Union until his death. In the 1930’s Stalin imposed a precursor to the “foreign agents” law that criminalized all dissent.
UPDATE - With the first reading passage of the “foreign agents” law - officially known as the Transparency of Foreign Funding” law - Georgians took to the streets. The demonstrations in the capital Tbilisi were modest on Tuesday (March 7) and grew measurably the next day and night, reported Deutsche Welle (March 9). The number was estimated at “10 to 15 thousand” with a strong police presence and 77 arrests. Reportedly, protestors shouted “No to the Russian law” and “You are Russian,” directed a members of parliament.
Apparently, the demonstrations got the attention of the Georgian Dream political party, lead sponsor of the measure. On Thursday (March 9) the visibly pro-Russian party said it would "unconditionally withdraw the bill we supported without any reservations." Opposition party Droa spokesperson Giga Lemonjala said the protests would continue until the draft law was formally revoked by the Parliament.
That came Friday (March 10) as the Parliament voted with near-unanimity against the bill on second reading. "The government didn't count on (such) an intense, quick, and emotional reaction among young people,” said Georgian constitutional law expert Vakhtang Khmaladze, to RFE/RL (March 10). ”The level of public trust in the opponents of these bills was, in general, higher than in those who supported the bills,"
Supporting the Georgian demonstrators were 82 Russian media workers, all designated “foreign agents” by the Russian Federation. In a letter to the Georgian Parliament, quoted by Lenizdat RU (March 10), they described pressures faced after being added to the infamous list. "Inclusion in the list of foreign agents in Russia means civil death,” said the text emphasizing the similarities between the proposed Georgian law and that established in Russia. “Discrediting campaigns, the risks of fines and criminal prosecution make it almost impossible to continue significant social activities today in Russia. We do this to ensure that such laws are not adopted either in Georgia or anywhere else.” The principal author of the letter, human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov warily expects “the initiators of the bill” to simply wait until the “public outrage dies down” before passing the legislation.
The big business news continues to be redundancies and layoffs. Worst hit - and most often reported - has been the tech world. They are certainly shrinking. To quote the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz: “I’m melting, melting. Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?”
The media sphere is also undergoing these transformations. The news world is taking blows. As usual, some are seeing opportunity, aided by private equity injections. Pan-European provider Euronews appears determined to vacate its Lyon, France headquarters, severing 198 of 478 employees. Most of those remaining with Euronews will be relocated to a new central newsroom in Brussels, Belgium in the next six months.
Lyon is a nice city, pretty, great food, not Paris. And it is not exactly a media hub. Euronews has occupied the current central headquarters since 2015. Any accountant will tell you it is often less expensive to relocate than renovate. While notoriously boring, Brussels is a major media center, more so all the time. Aside from having more meetings than ever to attend, news workers in Brussels can share with thousands of colleagues.
A Brussels fixture has been certainly a wise choice for Politico Europe, published by Axel Springer and an extension of the lobbyist-centered Politico in the US. Prior to its arrival, news coverage of European Union institutions was rather staid. Now Brussels lobbyists and surrounding EU workers have their very own gossip sheet. It is quite popular. (See more about news online here)
Axel Springer chief executive Mathias Döpfner, never without something to say, has recently given the media world lots to talk about. The big headline was predicting artificial intelligence (AI) will replace journalists, allowing the company to shed all but the “creators.” (See earlier report here) Then, too, the publisher will open a major operations center in the US; maybe Washington DC, maybe the West Coast. Buried in all that excitement, the Politico Europe franchise has nearly doubled its London staff recently with an eye for more expansion. London, as all understand, has many opportunities for media and political gossip.
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