Denmark – (C4) Journalism professionalism
The journalism professionalism in Denmark is high with strong professional ethos.
Indicators: Control / Watchdog
Denmark – (C3) Transparency of data on leading news media
Some data is published regularly, but not everything is easily accessible. Transparency requires data collection from several different sources, and it does not provide a uniform basis of comparison for all the leading news media.
Denmark – (C2) Independence of the news media from powerholders
No formal or ownership-related influence looms over leading news media houses, but political parallelism is a factor for newspapers.
Denmark – (C1) Supervising the watchdog ‘control of controllers’
Media performance is often publicly discussed in media, and media themselves are a topic for critical journalistic coverage in special magazines and sometimes very rarely in media scandals.
Germany – (C8) Professional training
In Germany, there are sufficient opportunities for journalism training. Journalists in well-established and economically sound news media are better off than their colleagues in weaker media.
Germany – (C6) Practice of access to information
Public information is accessible by law, but not in reality. Journalists need to spend time and effort to get access.
Germany – (C1) Supervising the watchdog ‘control of controllers’
Media performance and content are publicly discussed in the media. Over the last decade, online fora and the journalistic enterprises of critical journalists have become a watchdog force to be reckoned with.
Belgium – (C9) Watchdog function and financial resources
Resources for investigative journalism have substantially declined. Every leading news media house has tried to do investigative journalism, but the majority do not have journalists working full-time on long-term projects.
Belgium – (C8) Professional training
Additional training and education are offered by almost all media organisations. However, they are not obliged to offer this, and journalists cannot be forced to partake.
Belgium – (C7) The watchdog and the media’s mission statement
Flemish journalists declare being the watchdog of democracy is of utmost importance, with media organisations welcoming and supporting investigative journalism. However, resources and time invested in investigative journalism are declining.
