Mediahuis has bought EU policy news brand Euractiv as it set out its plan to “grow into a leading European media group”.
Mediahuis currently has a presence in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg and Germany with titles such as the Irish Independent, Belfast Telegraph, Sunday World, De Standaard, De Telegraaf and Luxembourg Times.
Euractiv is its first pan-European news brand, producing content in 13 languages with journalists in Brussels, Paris and Berlin who also work with other media partners across the continent. It covers EU policy across eight “hubs”: agrifood, economy, energy and environment, global Europe, health, politics, technology and transport.
Mediahuis said competition for EU policy coverage was growing, particularly from outside Europe, and that the acquisition would allow Euractiv to benefit from the bigger company’s scale and expertise in areas such as technology.
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Mediahuis chief executive Gert Ysebaert said: “Euractiv has succeeded in building a promising news brand and has become a trusted source of information for EU policymakers, interest groups and other media. Firmly rooted in European society, Euractiv’s journalism, journalistic teams and values are a great addition to Mediahuis’ news brand portfolio.
“We share the same European vision and I am proud to welcome Euractiv as the first international brand to our Mediahuis family.”
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Euractiv founder Christophe Leclercq described Mediahuis as “a group becoming one of Europe’s media champions”, adding that he trusts it to “respect Euractiv’s values” which are: “media independence, transparency, constructive, languages, pro-European”.
Leclercq, a former McKinsey consultant and EU competition official, wrote in an article that Euractive was an “early innovator in the policy field: having free content (supported by distinct and transparent sponsoring), adding stakeholders’ events to reporting, franchising the brand to other countries, publishing in many languages (currently 13), leveraging this network for large EU projects, and chiefly: being pro-European and constructive (while preserving independence).
“However, greater scale and reach are now needed. Alone we could not invest enough in AI for journalism, take part in media consolidation, or chart the strategic autonomy Europe needs. And, last but not least, prevail in a field that is becoming too Anglo-Saxon.”
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