The European Union has not only been actively considering the ways in which online platforms should operate to address the problem of the spread of harmful information such as disinformation, conspiracy theories, and hate speech, but has also emphasised the importance of the role played by the “media”. In 2020, the European Commission published a series of action plans entitled “Democracy and Media in the Digital Decade.” It then identified how to approach democracy and media freedom in the recent media environment. On September 16, 2022, the European Commission adopted a European Media Freedom Act, which built on previous policy developments and includes measures such as guaranteeing editorial independence and stable financial resources for the media.

This article traces the recent development of media policy in the European Union and examines how media freedom should be exercised in the digital age.