Media experts warned about the dire need for governmental action to save the future of the French-speaking Belgian press.
A parliamentary hearing was held on Tuesday during which UCLouvain professors Antonin Descampe and Grégoire Lits urged a comprehensive response to the structural pressures affecting the newspaper industry.
They argued that a meaningful public intervention is both necessary and possible, urging policymakers to rethink media funding, stabilise revenues, protect journalists, strengthen media literacy, and enforce the European Media Freedom Act.
The two academics appeared alongside Lawyer and teacher Audrey Adam from Brussels journalism school IHECS before the Media Committee of the Parliament of the French Community of Belgium.
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The hearing marked the beginning of a broader series of discussions initiated by Media Minister Jacqueline Galan (MR), who has called for a major democratic debate on how people consume news.
During the hearing, the three experts warned French-speaking Belgian media sector is facing big hurdles, including digital and technological tools that threaten traditional business models and centralised media ownership, particularly in Wallonia.
They stressed that the future of the press is not merely an economic concern but a democratic issue, given the role independent journalism plays in informing the public and holding institutions accountable.
They also presented possible solutions to save the sector, strengthen the resilience of the wider news and information ecosystem.
Policymakers in Belgium are already considering how public support for journalism should evolve in response to media consumption habits and soaring financial pressure on news outlets.
The discussions could eventually lead to changes in the public subsidies provided to the press.
