Media Pluralism in Luxembourg : a digital sovereignty issue

A conference on media pluralism took place on 7 July as part of the run by the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) at the ��ϳԹ��, in partnership with the Department of Media, Connectivity and Digital Policy (SMC). The event was opened by Vice-Rector for Research Pr. Dr. Simone Niclou and , Minister for Justice and Minister attached to the Prime Minister responsible for Media and Connectivity.

Medialux research project highlights the strengths and challenges of Luxembourg’s media landscape

Luxembourg ranks among the strongest-performing European countries for media freedom and pluralism, according to the latest Media Pluralism Monitor 2026. Led by Dr. Raphaël Kies and Dr. Stéphanie Lukasik, researchers at the ��ϳԹ�� and coordinators of the Medialux project, the study highlights a resilient media environment while identifying emerging challenges linked to media concentration, artificial intelligence and the evolving digital information ecosystem.

A resilient media landscape facing new challenges

The Media Pluralism Monitor, which evaluates potential risks to media freedom and pluralism across the 27 EU Member States and five candidate countries, ranks Luxembourg 10th out of 32 countries, with an overall low-to-medium risk score of 43%. The assessment examines four key dimensions of the media landscape: Fundamental Protection, Market Plurality, Political Independence and Social Inclusiveness.

Luxembourg performs particularly well in Fundamental Protection (27%) and Political Independence (33%), reflecting strong legal safeguards for freedom of expression, continued support for public service media and recent legislative initiatives to strengthen media regulation and the independence of regulatory bodies. Social Inclusiveness was assessed as low-to-medium risk (44%).

The greatest challenge remains Market Plurality, which received a high-risk score of 68%. The report points to the high concentration of media ownership, limited transparency regarding ownership structures outside the print sector and the influence of commercial interests on editorial content. It also underlines the importance of strengthening media literacy, improving access to audience data and closely monitoring the impact of AI-generated content and online platforms on the integrity of information.

Political influencers in an evolving information ecosystem

Alongside the Media Pluralism Monitor, the Medialux project also explored the growing role of influencers in Luxembourg and beyond. Led by PhD researcher Yifei Ding, the first results of her PhD found that while professional media remain the primary source of news, exposure to news-related influencers is significantly higher among younger audiences, with 62.6% of respondents aged 18-24 encountering this content at least occasionally.

Although only 8.8% of respondents actively seek political information through influencers, the findings suggest that these digital creators are becoming increasingly relevant actors in today’s information landscape. At the same time, trust in influencers remains considerably lower than trust in professional media, underlining the importance of greater transparency and stronger media literacy.

Importance of media pluralism in combating disinformation

The conference continued with a presentation by Professor Mark D. Cole from the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF). He emphasised the importance of media pluralism in Luxembourg, highlighting in particular the challenges posed by disinformation and artificial intelligence. On that occasion, he presented the commissioned by the Chamber of Deputies and co-authored by Pr. Mark D. Cole, Donatella Casaburo, , Stephanie Lukasik and Maude Pauly from the Chamber’s scientific unit. This research paper is entitled ‘Disinformation Campaigns: How They Work and Strategies for Combating Them’. The report addresses Luxembourg’s vulnerability to disinformation, which stems from its specific linguistic, media and institutional characteristics. Addressing this requires a coordinated approach that draws on legal, technological and societal measures, with a view to strengthening the integrity of the information space and democratic resilience.

From research to public debate

The event concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Stephanie Lukasik with Cindy Bauwens, Director of ALIA, Misch Pautsch, President of the Press Council and journalist, Dennis Wernerus, Deputy Head of the European Commission Representation in Luxembourg, Jean-Lou Siweck, Chief Executive Officer of Radio 100.7 and Carsten Ullrich, Research Scientist, ULIDE, ��ϳԹ�� to exchange views on media ownership, editorial independence and the regulatory challenges posed by digital platforms and artificial intelligence.

Opening the conference, Minister Elisabeth Margue, emphasised that protecting media pluralism has become a broader societal challenge.

She concluded by reminding participants that safeguarding media pluralism is “a constant effort and a collective choice.”

On this occasion, she was able to announce the renewal of the partnership between the Ministry of State and the ��ϳԹ�� regarding media studies, emphasising the importance of these studies in achieving digital sovereignty. This renewal follows on from the organised in collaboration with the university to draft the new media law.

A conference will take place on November to celebrate 50 years of support for the press, in the presence of the Prime Minister and in partnership with the ��ϳԹ��.

Access the presentation and the here.