The Essential EU Media List for Public Affairs Professionals: Stay in the Loop of European Politics
The most important media that public affairs professionals must follow, including general European media, specialized media, and generic national media.
As someone who needs to be the avant-garde of the news, I hate when a colleague or friend comes to me with breaking news that I was ignoring for days.
I am certain this situation happened to you too.
It is extremely important for public affairs professionals and lobbyists to have a clear picture of the media environment. First to be able to look for trustworthy reporting of particular events, but also to stay “in the loop”, at the top of the trend.
In this article, I will list the most important media that any public affairs professional must follow.
Now, I need you to tell me if I missed any media, or if you have a suggestion to make. Leave a comment below.
The general European media
In How to Work with the European Institutions by Allan Hardacre et al., communications specialist Jon Worth distinguish between Brussels’ general media, such as Euractiv, Politico Europe, EUobservers and the like, Specialised or industry-specific media, such as Science|Business, Generic national media, with a focus on (EU) politics, like Le Monde in France, and social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook…
Among the first, you are probably well aware of:
Politico Europe - Politico is a leading news organization that covers politics and policy in Brussels and Europe. The most followed media in Brussels also flirts with infotainment, making it an important—although as accurate as its competitor—media. Public affairs professionals should at least subscribe to the daily Brussels Playbook newsletter.
Euractiv - Euractiv is a media outlet that covers EU news and policy developments. Although not as followed as Politico, it covers some policies in greater detail and with great care. Euractiv provides a daily round-up of European news, the Capitals.
Brussels Times - The Brussels Times covers various topics, including politics, business, culture, and sports. It is the main newspaper for expats living in Brussels, most of which work with European institutions.
EUobserver - EUobserver is a small and less influential newspaper. It sends its subscribers a daily selection of 4 to 5 articles.
Euronews - Finally, Euronews is a pan-European news channel that provides news and current affairs coverage across Europe.
Specialised media
I will not list all the various specialised and industry-focused media in Brussels, but I wanted to give you a few examples of what you should be looking for.
The various editions of Euractiv (Agrifood, Energy and Environment, etc.) each cover industry-specific aspects of European news. They are indeed scrutinised by the professionals in the sector.
Science|Business is a media outlet that covers research and innovation policy in Europe. It is widely followed for its in-depth coverage of EU research funding programs, as well as analysis of trends and policy developments.
Several NGOs, in addition to lobbying in favour of their ideas, provide news and analysis on EU transport policy and developments. In this category, we can include Transport & Environment, the European Environmental Bureau, etc.
Generic national media
Although national media rarely focus on Brussels, they keep a close eye on what’s happening in Brussels to report on its consequences for national politics.
It is a good idea to follow the main one to spot articles that might cover your industry or organisation.
Then again, I will not list them all, but here are a few examples: Le Monde (France), Der Spiegel (Germany), El País (Spain), La Repubblica (Italy), The Guardian (United Kingdom), De Standaard (Belgium), or Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland).