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Austria’s opposition social democrats have promised to fund newspaper subscriptions for people under 30, in a bid to combat disinformation and what they say is the “Orbanisation” of Austrian politics.
“Investments in journalism are an investment in democracy,” said SPÖ party leader Andreas Babler in Vienna on Monday. He cast the measure as a vital step to stop Austria emulating neighbouring Hungary, where the government of Viktor Orbán has eroded the free press.
“Our media policy measures will strengthen the democratic power of the media. They bear a special responsibility,” said Babler, a self-declared Marxist who was the surprise victor in a messy contest for the leadership of the Austrian left last year.
While the Austrian social democrats are currently second in the polls, supported by 22 per cent of the electorate, they are in a strong position to secure the chancellorship after elections in September.
The far-right Freedom party (FPÖ) is supported by 29 per cent of Austrians — and won the European parliament vote earlier this month — but because of its toxicity it may struggle to find junior coalition partners for a cabinet led by FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl.
Both parties are ahead of the ruling conservative People’s party (ÖVP), under current chancellor Karl Nehammer, which has lost a once commanding position in Austrian politics after five tumultuous years — including a scandal around the party’s alleged role in systematically manipulating the press.
Nehammer’s predecessor Sebastian Kurz was forced from office in October 2021 amid allegations that he had orchestrated a scheme to direct public funding to newspapers, via government advertising, in exchange for sympathetic coverage.
While Austria supports a diverse and well-established news industry, with more than a dozen well-established daily newspapers in a country of just 9mn, publishers have come under increasing pressure, with analysts warning many local outlets are poorly positioned to survive the demographic shift from older, print-subscribers to digital natives.
The SPÖ said it would fund subscriptions worth up to €150 annually in its proposed “my newspaper subscription” plan for all Austrians aged 16-30. Eligible subscriptions can be digital or print, and will not just comprise legacy organisations. Voting age in Austria starts at 16.
“We want to enable young people to consume quality journalism,” said Babler.
There will be no restrictions on political content but criteria will be set to determine which publications are eligible based on the size of their editorial staff and their commitment to journalistic ethics, the SPÖ said.
The policy will be partly financed by Austria’s existing digital tax on online advertising.
Critics have questioned how well it will work in practice. Most national newspaper subscriptions in Austria cost more than double what the SPÖ has promised. Some fear the system will be open to abuse — with disinterested youngsters “lending” their subscriptions to older friends and family members, further undercutting revenues.
It is also unclear what appeal the mainstream media has any more to many young people who consume their news via short clips on social media, rather than through single-platform websites.
As in neighbouring Germany, the young have been a key constituency in the growth of support for the far-right in Austria — driven in part by shifting media trends.
Austria supports a thriving far-right media scene, with outlets such as Info-DIREKT and Freilich, as well as the FPÖ’s own YouTube channel, FPÖ-TV, increasingly used as a source of news. The party is also very adept at TikTok and other social media platforms popular with Gen-Z.
“We are in a very particular situation,” said Fritz Hausjell, president of the Austrian chapter of the pro-journalism group Reporters Without Borders. “It is sawing away at democratic society at a time when we need journalism that is as diverse and confident as possible in the face of major social challenges.”
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