Home > 1.3.1.1.2 Accessibility to the media by participants in the election > Report on Electoral Law and Electoral Administration in Europe
 
 
 
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Paragraph 173
 

Equality of opportunity entails a neutral attitude by state authorities with regard to coverage by publicly owned or controlled media (see CM/Rec(2007)15). In most CoE member states, public broadcasters are legally obliged to provide objective, impartial and balanced coverage in their news and political programmes, particularly during election campaigns (see CDL-AD(2013)021, para 48). Whilst public broadcasters are often an important source of quality-based programmes, in several countries they show, however, a clear pro-governmental bias. In some countries, incumbents’ and ruling parties’ activities enjoy an extensive, uncritical and at times promotional coverage in public and government-affiliated private media (e.g. Hungary, Poland, Russia, Serbia, and Turkey).