NORDICOM is a knowledge centre for the area of media and communication research, a cooperation between the five countries of the Nordic region – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Starting from academic research, Nordicom collects and adapts knowledge, mediating it to various user groups in the Nordic region, Europe and elsewhere in the world. Nordicom’s work aims at developing media studies and at helping to ensure that research results are made visible in the treatment of media issues at different levels in both the public and private sector. Nordicom is an institution that operates under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Ever since the 1990:s the European Parliament has repeatedly urged the EU Commission take measures to protect and promote media pluralism. More recently media freedom, too, has been included in such calls. Obviously feeling the pressure to act, the Commission has now begun taking some initiatives. These may, however, not entirely satisfy the MEPs.