Country report Austria

Austria’s small media market is characterized by legacy media with a strong concentration of ownership, their dependence on politics, the economic influence of its large neighbor Germany, and a loyalty to print media that is still unusually high by international standards. Media policy primarily supports the long-established media and made it difficult for innovative initiatives to get started in the core observation decade starting in 2010. Despite these unfavorable basic conditions, a few legacy media and some new journalistic players have been successful in Austria with innovative approaches in the digital age. However, there is a reorientation, albeit hesitant, of public regulatory measures and funding in favor of more targeted support for digital transition and journalism innovation in the 2020s.