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Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new media regulator and media development agency, has today (20.06.23) set out its work programme for the coming nine months.

Highlights include:

• For the first time, online service providers will have legally binding obligations to take steps that make the internet safer for everyone.
• Regulation will be extended to cover on-demand services, as well as traditional TV, reflecting significant changes in viewing habits in recent years.
• Support for the wider media sector will be extended, with funding schemes for local journalism, a review of Irish language services, and a strategy to promote Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the media.
• The organisation will grow from around 50 staff at present to approximately 160 in the first phase of growth.

Executive Chairperson of Coimisiún na Meán, Jeremy Godfrey, said: “Harmful and illegal online content is an international problem. Our job is to regulate service providers based in Ireland, to make the internet safer for people here and across the EU. An Coimisiún will adopt a binding online safety code to address harmful content on video-sharing platforms, and we will enforce the new EU Digital Services Act in respect of a wider range of harms. We will particularly focus on keeping children safe. We will also work closely with our counterparts in other EU member States and with the European Commission, so that Irish users are protected, wherever the providers are based.”

Mr Godfrey noted that the online safety code and the Digital Services Act will have real teeth. If service providers do not take appropriate steps to reduce online harms, they face fines of up to 10% or 6% of worldwide turnover respectively.

Speaking about broadcasting, Mr Godfrey said: “Viewing habits are changing rapidly. Traditional television is still an important collective national experience. But viewers are spending more of their time watching content through on-demand services. We will update and adapt the rules for traditional broadcasting so that they also apply to video-on-demand, and we will look at whether there should be rules that make public service content easier to find for those using on-demand user interfaces.”

He added that Coimisiún na Meán would also undertake a review of the provision of Irish language services across the media landscape, as well as developing new funding schemes for local journalism and developing a strategy for promoting Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the media.

In conclusion, Mr Godfrey said: “Coimisiún na Meán is still in its start-up phase. We look forward to becoming fully operational by early 2024. Properly functioning broadcast and online media are essential to everyone’s fundamental rights in a democratic society. I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners, industry stakeholders and advocacy groups to develop a media commission that truly meets the needs of the people of Ireland, and Europe.”

Coimisiún na Meán’s initial programme of work can be found here. 

ENDS  

Contact: Joanne Ahern / Patricia Ryan, DHR Communications. Tel: 087-9881837 / 087-2412928.

Notes for Editors:

• Executive Chairperson, Jeremy Godfrey; Online Safety Commissioner, Niamh Hodnett; Media Development Commissioner, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, and Broadcasting Commissioner, Celene Craig are available for interview, on request.
• Biographies of the Commissioners can be found here.

About Coimisiún na Meán:

Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters and online media, and supporting media development. Established in March 2023 under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, it builds on the work of its predecessor, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. It is responsible for ensuring and maintaining a thriving and diverse media landscape in Ireland that facilitates a mix of voices, opinions and sources of news and current affairs, as well as a safe online environment.

Its responsibilities are to:

• Oversee the funding of and support the development of the wider media sector in Ireland.
• Oversee the regulation of broadcasting and video-on-demand services.
• Develop and enforce the Irish regulatory regime for online safety.

Coimisiún na Meán is led by an Executive Chairperson, and currently includes an Online Safety Commissioner, a Media Development Commissioner, and a Broadcasting Commissioner. Recruitment is currently underway for a Digital Services Commissioner.

Coimisiún na Meán funds inclusion of Irish data in Reuters global report for ninth year

More than half (58%) of digital news consumers in Ireland believe that publicly funded news services are ‘quite’ or ‘very’ important for society.  However, they believe that it is more important for society than it is for themselves (48%). That’s according to the findings of the Digital News Report Ireland 2023, which will be published by Coimisiún na Meán this morning (14.06.23).

The study also found that only a quarter of Irish people (25%) agree that it is better to have a human editor/journalist select or curate what they consume, while 31% believe that it is better to see news selected by an algorithm, based on their viewing history and preferences. However, more than half of Irish news consumers (53%) ‘strongly agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that personalised news may cause them to miss important news stories, while 51% are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ concerned about encountering only those viewpoints which accord with their own.

Research for the Digital News Report is undertaken by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and is the largest ongoing comparative study of news consumption in the world. The Irish data forms part of the larger survey, conducted in 46 countries. Ireland’s participation has been facilitated this year by Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new regulator for broadcast, on demand and online media. The Commission also has a media development function and continues the support previously given by its predecessor, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). Analysis of the Irish data is provided by researchers from the DCU Institute of Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo).

The report includes an analysis of international and Irish trends in online news audiences, how online audiences access news, trust in news sources, and paying for news. This year’s report also looks at the cost-of-living crisis as contextual information on media issues. It includes six essays on topic of current interest, including the impact of tech job losses; news podcasting and making them pay; anti-social networks; the twilight of print; climate change reporting, and AI and the future of news.

Key findings from this year’s report include:

Interest in News: Interest in news has fallen once again. Some 52% of respondents said they were ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ interested in news, down five percentage points on 2022. The report shows that strong interest in news amongst younger people has plummeted since 2016. In that year, some 53% of respondents aged between 18-24 indicated they were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ interested in news, compared with 28% in 2023. In contrast, some 69% of over 65s indicated a strong interest in news.

Trust in News: Trust in news has fallen back to pre-pandemic levels, with 47% of respondents saying they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ with the statement that they can trust most of the news most of this time. Although this has fallen five percentage points on last year, it compares favourably to the UK (32%); the US (31%), and Europe (40%).

Sources of News: Respondents’ mainsources of news are still television and online (excluding social media) which both sit at 32%. Social media is at 20%, radio sits at 11% and printed newspapers are at 5%. For 18–24-year-olds, social media is the most important source of news at 39%, followed by online (excluding social media) at 31%. For these ‘social natives’, TV sits at 18%, radio at 5% and printed newspapers at 5%.

Fake News: Worries about misinformation and disinformation are growing. Concern about what is real and what is fake on the internet is comparatively high in Ireland (64%), up six percentage points since last year. This compares with 50% in the rest of Europe. Meanwhile, the level of concern is at 64% in the US and is highest in the UK at 69%.

Listening to podcasts: Podcasts remain very popular in Ireland, with 44% of respondents saying they had listened to a podcast in the previous month, compared to 41% of US respondents, 34% of European respondents and 30% of UK respondents.

Government funding of public interest journalism: Climate change and environment news topped the poll (44%) of subjects seen as worthy of extra government resourcing. In second place were ‘less well served groups’ (33%) such as the Irish Traveller community, immigrant communities and the disabled audience. Local council meetings came in at 31%, followed by courts coverage at 22%.

Commenting, Coimisiún na Mean Broadcasting Commissioner, Celene Craig said: “The BAI began funding Ireland’s inclusion in the Reuters global report in 2015 because the research provides valuable insights into media consumption in Ireland and how it compares with our European and US counterparts. This year, the report has once again presented an excellent overview of how digital technology and trends continue to alter the shape of our Irish news media landscape.

“One of the standout findings this year is the growth in concern amongst Irish respondents on what is real and what is fake on the internet – perhaps prompted by how the rise in the use of artificial intelligence presents a challenge in ensuring transparency and accuracy in news production. Coimisiún na Meán aims to work in partnership with relevant areas of interest to minimise the effects of disinformation in Ireland and across Europe.  In this regard, Coimisiún na Meán hopes to build on the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation work undertaken by the BAI since the voluntary Code was first introduced in 2018.

“An Coimisiún is also actively contributing to preparatory work being undertaken on the new European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which supports plurality and transparency in the media and which is set to introduce protections for a range of players in the media sector. Finally, an Coimisiún looks forward also to continuing to deliver meaningful research to assist us in ensuring a diverse and pluralistic media landscape in Ireland, and to announcing later this year the development of new funding schemes to support public interest journalism.”

Professor Colleen Murrell added: “How we access and engage with news in Ireland is constantly evolving. Some of these changes have been happening steadily over time, such as the move from printed newspapers to online and social media. Other factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, fragmenting online audiences and platform disruption are now speeding up some of these changes. The importance of this annual Reuters news survey is that it enables media companies to examine and react to these trends to ensure that Ireland’s population can continue to access informative and trustworthy media. This year once again provides fascinating insight into what audiences of various age groups are interested in, concerned about, and where they are getting their news.”

The Digital News Report Ireland 2023 can be found here.

ENDS

Contact: Joanne Ahern / Síona Cahill, DHR Communications. Tel: 087-9881837 / 087-753 0255.

Coimisiún na Meán is very concerned about the video circulating on social media regarding an assault on a 14-year-old in Meath this week. 

When we are fully operational, we will be enforcing rules that require platforms to rapidly remove this sort of harmful content, once it is brought to their attention. We will also be enforcing other rules related to harmful and illegal content.

In the meantime, given the seriousness of this incident, Online Safety Commissioner Niamh Hodnett has asked the main social media platforms to urgently provide An Coimisiún with a report on what they have done to remove the video and to ensure that that it is not reuploaded.

An Coimisiún, which was established on 15^th March 2023, is currently finalising its workplan for the next 12 months, which will include designating services for regulation and developing and putting in place a binding online safety code.

The code will set standards for how providers minimise the availability of harmful content and the risks that it poses, including the speedy removal of such content.

Protecting minors from harmful content is extremely high on An Coimisiún’s agenda and will play a key part in these online safety codes.

As part of the development of the codes, An Coimisiún will consider a range of obligations, which might include matters such as how providers handle complaints about harmful content, how they protect children from age-inappropriate content, and how they minimise the number of people exposed to harmful content.

An Coimisiún’s workplan, which covers its start-up phase to February 2024 when the EU Digital Services Act will be fully applicable, will be published in June.  

ENDS

The latest JNLR/Ipsos MRBI report into radio listening is published today (11.05.23).

On behalf of the JNLR Committee, a media release and summary information tables are available to download here.

ENDS

Please note:

Media queries regarding individual programme or station performance should be directed to IPSOS MRBI or the relevant broadcaster.

Comisiún na Meán has today published a Guide for Applicants and Application Form for Round 49 of Sound & Vision – The Broadcasting Funding Scheme which opens today (20^th April) and will close at 12noon sharp on 30th May 2023.

A webinar for prospective applicants will take place on 26^th April, register by email to sv4@cnam.ie .

This round is open to independent producers and broadcasters to support new programme productions.

Applicants can access the application form and guide for applicants here.

Coimisiún Na Meán has announced the outcomes of two recent Sound & Vision funding rounds.  More than €7.5m of funding will go to broadcasters and independent producers to make high-quality programmes about Irish culture, heritage, and experience for broadcast on a range of national, local and community Irish radio and TV services.  This was the final tranche of funding awarded by the BAI ahead of its dissolution on the 15^th of March 2023 and the establishment of Coimisiún na Mean, Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters, online media, and supporting media development.

Round 47 of the Sound & Vision 4 Scheme received 140 applications seeking funding of just over €12.8m.  Of those, 96 projects were successful, with a total value of approximately €7.29m.  This comprised funding of €636,000 to 67 radio projects and €6.66m to 29 TV projects.  35% of the funding will support the production of programmes in Irish/Bi-lingual. 

Regarding format, 38% of the funding will go to documentaries, 20% to dramas, 18% to entertainment, 13% to education and 10% to animation programmes.  Contemporary society (38%) was the most popular genre recommended for funding, followed by Children’s (25%) and Arts / Culture (22%).  Of the projects recommended for funding, 81 will be produced by independent producers/production companies, amounting to approximately 95% of the total recommended funding.

The  allocation of €7.29m in this round includes  an additional €1m in funds secured by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, Catherine Martin, to support the scheme’s operation in 2023.

Under Round 48 of the Scheme, funding of €645,000 is being offered to 17 community broadcasters nationwide to enhance social benefit content and activities for their communities.  This round was open to the community TV sector for the first time marking the sector’s adoption of the Community Media Social Benefit Framework.  The package of recommendations will provide for a diverse range of programme productions, outreach and training activities, by a variety of community stations, groups, and individuals across the community broadcasting sector.

A full list of the successful projects being offered funding for round 47 is available to download here and a full list of the projects being offered funding for round 48 is available to download here.

ENDS

Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837.

All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200.

Note to Editors:

These rounds were the final funding allocation of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (“BAI”) before its dissolution on the 15th of March 2023.  The functions of the BAI have now been transferred to Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters and online media and supporting media development.