Media Freedom in Focus: Independent journalism in Austria faces a far-right threat

Independent journalism and media freedom in Austria are facing a
simmering far-right threat. In the country's legislative
elections in September 2024, the Russia-friendly Freedom Party,
or FPÖ, became the largest party, claiming just under 29% of the
vote. Though a coalition was ultimately formed which excluded the
FPÖ from government, the party's victory at the polls was
unprecedented and raised fresh concerns about the threat a future
far-right administration could pose to the country's media
freedom environment.


The FPÖ has repeatedly attacked independent journalists, branding
reporters as part of the so-called “liberal elite” or a
“globalist establishment.” They’ve even revived the Nazi-era slur
Lügenpresse (lying press). The party has been particularly
hostile toward Austria’s public broadcaster, ORF, pledging to
abolish household-based broadcasting fees by the end of 2026 and
replace them with direct state funding—a move that critics warn
would weaken ORF's institutional independence and allow greater
government control.


In this episode of Media Freedom in Focus, we discuss the FPÖ’s
smear campaigns against journalists and the broader state of
media freedom in Austria with Lina Paulitsch, a journalist at
Falter, one of the country’s leading independent weekly
magazines.


 


Guest: Lina Paulitsch, journalist at Falter (Austria) .


Producer and Host: Teona Sekhniashvili, Europe Network and
Advocacy Officer at International Press Institute (IPI)


Editor: Kasperi Kainulainen, Helsingin Sanomat Foundation Fellow
at International Press Institute (IPI) 


 


Other episodes in this series:


MFRR in focus: The state of Poland’s public service media


Press freedom in peril: navigating elections and political
turmoil in Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria


Earth Day reflections: Italy’s climate reporting dilemma


Media Freedom in Focus: Untangling media capture in Greece


MFRR Podcast: The battle over the future of Poland’s politicized
public media