The Media in Europe 1990–2020

Abstract

The European media landscape has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. Initially were the privatization and commercialization of the broadcasting sector that led to an increase of TV channels and at the same time the decline of the press. The advent of the Internet has also transformed the analogue media world giving its place to the digital one. In effect, the media in Europe has undergone a prolonged period of change, in the attempt to adapt to rapid technological advances, the side effects of globalization, and the developments associated with the process of Europeanization. On the other hand, there is no simple explanation for these complex processes of change. Neither can we say that there is a common universal trend, even a common model, across Europe. This chapter tries to shed light on the emerging patterns in media production since 1990, across European countries. Initially, based on hard data, the chapter describes the changes in the media systems of the EU countries. Then it is attempted to group the similarities, continuities, and discontinuities of the media systems.