Child protection online and election integrity among media regulator priorities

An election integrity strategy and protections for children at risk of online harm are two priorities under a work plan for the media regulator.

Coimisiun na Mean published a three-year strategy and a 2025 work programme on Thursday, listing priority projects on online safety as well as media sector development and regulation.

The coimisiun’s executive chairman Jeremy Godfrey said: “We are confident that this strategy will help us to create a media landscape that benefits all of society.”

He added: “As Ireland’s media landscape evolves, we feel a unique responsibility to ensure that we shape the changing media environment to better serve Irish audiences, to uphold fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, and to protect people, especially children, from harm.”

Among the priority projects are the development of a pilot programme for children at imminent risk of harm from online content, the development of an election integrity strategy across all media sources, and the creation of educational materials relating to online hate.

The coimisiun will also prepare a new broadcasting services strategy and a revised media plurality policy, and continue the rollout of the Sound and Vision and journalism funding schemes, the latter of which includes local democracy and court reporting grants.

Sound and Vision will support and promote the availability of new, “culturally significant” audio and audiovisual content for Irish audiences, including in the Irish language, for transmission across national, regional, local and community broadcasting services.

It will also open public consultation when developing the next iteration of the scheme and any other new funding initiatives.

Subject to ministerial approval, it is aiming to develop digital transformation and news reporting and current affairs funding schemes.

The 2025 work plan also says it will develop pilot gender, equality, diversity and inclusion (GEDI) standards for specified funding schemes.

It said it will ensure that voices from diverse backgrounds, including women and minority groups, are represented and supported in the industry.

In addition, the work plan includes a new five-year review and three-year look ahead for public service broadcasters RTE and TG4, on top of annual reviews of performance and public funding.

The coimisiun will also consider the feasibility of a youth-focused Irish language radio station.