The news is the news in Brussels.
The surprise announcement that European media group Mediahuis has bought pan-European news outlet EURACTIV is yet another media development in the capital of Europe. Founded in 1999, EURACTIV is joining the publisher’s operations in Belgium (De Standaard, Nieuwsblad), the Netherlands (NRC, De Telegraaf, Noordhollands Dagblad), Ireland (Irish Independent, Sunday Independent, Belfast Telegraph), Luxembourg (Luxemburger Wort) and Germany (Aachener Zeitung).
The acquisition follows a recent report in Le Monde that broadcaster Euronews is cutting nearly half of its 478-strong workforce, selling its Lyon headquarters and boosting its presence in Brussels. Regarded as a kind European CNN, Euronews is this year marking 30 years of broadcasting world news from an EU perspective.
Yet, some of the media news is good. French subscription-only outlet Contexte, launched in Paris in 2013 by three former EURACTIV journalists, held a party recently to unveil plans to expand its Brussels coverage.
Regulatory risk specialist outlet MLex has gone global. Initially set up with the Brussels-based, EU antitrust lawyer in mind, it is increasingly branching out into coverage of the lucrative intersection of privacy and AI.
And there’s no stopping the POLITICO Europe juggernaut, it seems. With journalist numbers exploding in Brussels, it recently announced to much fanfare the launch of a research and analysis division plus the imminent arrival of a central banking newsletter. Across the Channel, the London Playbook newsletter has become a twice daily event.
Mind you, speculation mounted when inaugural Brussels Playbook scribe Ryan Heath joined Axios after eight years with POLITICO. Will Ryan’s role as global tech correspondent at the outlet founded by three former POLITICO journalists in 2016 take in Brussels?
A more recent US media startup is definitely eyeing Brussels, judging by the Semafor website, although there’s no indication of timing.
All this to say that the Brussels media landscape is highly competitive, in terms of both eyeballs and talent. To stay abreast of the latest trends, keep an eye out for our #BrusselsCalling media events.