Inside Euronews: How Europe’s broadcaster became an influence network

Euractiv: An investigation by Euractiv found that even as it continues to receive millions of euros in EU support, Euronews has rebalanced its business model to become increasingly reliant on politically connected investors, lobbyists and commercial partnerships with entities linked to illiberal states. Financial records and interviews with 14 current and former employees depict a financially strained organisation deepening ties with strongman-led governments from Serbia to Azerbaijan.

Internal sources suggest that Euronews’ engagement with authoritarian regimes has become a pillar of its new commercial strategy, with the creation of subsidiaries in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in the wake of commercial agreements with state authorities.

While the new business has helped improve the broadcaster’s bottom line, the strategy has also raised questions inside its newsroom about whether management has sacrificed Euronews’ editorial integrity…