Live from Brussels - Council study of the Brussels press corps

The General Secretariat of the Council of the EU (GSC) has carried out a study of the Brussels press corps to better understand its composition, working conditions, dynamics and trends. With the aim of continuing to improve the service it provides to reporters covering EU affairs, the GSC also sought their opinions on some of the key activities and products of the EU institutions’ press services.

The study shows that, in its composition, the Brussels press corps is a fair representation of the EU's diversity in terms of media landscape. It also confirms that most journalists based in Brussels work for national media and produce their coverage for national audiences, hence acting as a strong link between the EU institutions’ activities and citizens.

The survey also enabled us to take a closer look at how Brussels journalists work, and at how they see their relationship with the EU institutions evolving in the context of larger societal challenges such as digitalisation, the use of social media and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study consisted of an examination of accreditation data since 2002 as well as an online survey conducted in September-October 2021. In both cases, data were fully anonymised. The study was conducted together with Prof. Sophie Lecheler from the Department of Communication at the University of Vienna.

• Read the full study

Contact for questions

• GSC – Media relations unit - Media monitoring and research sector