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 FP脰, became the largest party, claiming just under 29% of the vote. Though a coalition was ultimately formed which excluded the FP脰 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 FP脰 has repeatedly attacked independent journalists, branding reporters as part of the so-called 鈥渓iberal elite鈥� or a 鈥済lobalist establishment.鈥� They鈥檝e even revived the Nazi-era slur 尝眉驳别苍辫谤别蝉蝉别 (lying press). The party has been particularly hostile toward Austria鈥檚 public broadcaster, ORF, pledging to abolish household-based broadcasting fees by the end of 2026 and replace them with direct state funding鈥攁 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 FP脰鈥檚 smear campaigns against journalists and the broader state of media freedom in Austria with Lina Paulitsch, a journalist at Falter, one of the country鈥檚 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)聽
This podcast series is part of the MFRR in Focus project sponsored by Media Freedom Rapid Response, which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. The MFRR is organised by a consortium led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) including ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), International Press Institute (IPI) and CCI/Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).
For more in-depth podcast episodes about the state of press freedom in Europe, visit the or search MFRR In Focus on your podcasts apps. The MFRR is co-funded by the European Commission.
Other episodes in this series:
MFRR in focus: The state of Poland鈥檚 public service media
Press freedom in peril: navigating elections and political turmoil in Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria
Earth Day reflections: Italy鈥檚 climate reporting dilemma
Media Freedom in Focus: Untangling media capture in Greece
MFRR Podcast: The battle over the future of Poland鈥檚 politicized public media