Freedom of the Press - Austria (2002)
| Publisher | Freedom House |
| Publication Date | 22 April 2002 |
| Cite as | Freedom House, Freedom of the Press - Austria (2002), 22 April 2002, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/47345037c.html [accessed 7 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Status: Free
Legal Environment: 10
Political Influences: 6
Economic Pressures: 8
Total Score: 24
Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 78
Religious Groups: n/a
Ethnic Groups: German (98 percent), other, including Croatian, and Hungarian (2 percent)
Capital: Vienna
While the news media are free, journalists have been increasingly pressured by the government's plan to criminalize certain investigative press activities. Legal restrictions, although seldom invoked, forbid reporting deemed detrimental to morality or national security. Strict libel laws and the increasing number of lawsuits filed against journalists by political figures cloud coverage. Political figures harassed journalists, according to Reporters sans Frontieres. The increasing concentration of media ownership limits the pluralism of coverage and has raised anti-trust concerns. The Austrian Broadcasting Company (ORF) controls all domestic television programming, and private TV is transmitted by cable or satellite. State radio also dominates its field. As a result of a merger in 2000, the Newsgroup company controls 55 percent of the market in daily newspapers and 70 percent of the magazine market.
