Welcome to EU Confidential, bringing you the latest from our podcast and a satirical look at the week’s news.
BEHIND THE STORY …
Dark Lobbying
Over the past year, POLITICO’s Chief Technology Correspondent Mark Scott has been diving deep into a murky world where EU journalism and lobbying mix without clear dividing lines.
In a series of stories, Mark has focused on European politics news sites that promoted the interests of governments, companies and wealthy individuals without disclosing connections to them.
The first story looks at Brussels news outlet EU Reporter and its blend of reporting and political advocacy, where it has often been impossible for readers to tell which is which.
The second examines EU Reporter’s relationship with
Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant.
And the most recent article examines the wider web of individuals whatsapp number database within the Brussels bubble who blur the lines between journalism and pushing the agendas of commercial clients.
Here’s the backstory from Mark.
How did you first catch wind of this story?
Stories from these media outlets kept popping up on my social media feed, shared by influential people within the Brussels bubble. I hadn’t heard of these outlets, so started digging.
Tell us a bit about the reporting — where did you start?
Everything started with the sites themselves. I went through years of coverage, creating a spreadsheet of possible outside ties. I then connected those articles to other activities from netflix and threats to kill! these individuals associated with governments, companies and individuals, as well as using a number of data analytics tools to see hongkongdata who had promoted these articles, and where.
Where did you run into the biggest hurdles?
The biggest challenge was finding clear connections — either via public disclosures or corporate financial records — that tied these sites to outside groups. That was necessary to prove what was going on, and not to merely rely on circumstantial evidence.
What has been the response to this series?
The sites aren’t happy, they have accused POLITICO of double standards for also allowing companies to promote themselves to officials. EU Reporter’s owner specifically stated that he was not a lobbyist. But POLITICO, unlike these media outlets, is very clear what is independent journalism and what is advertising. Others have mostly been supportive.
As a reporter, do you find it hard in Brussels to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate actors?
Not really. The first rule is to question everyone’s intentions.
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THIS WEEK …
Balkans summit: A summit between EU leaders and their Western Balkan counterparts was meant to foster closer ties. But it’s exposed divisions between the two sides and within the EU.
