Reporters sans frontières (RSF) is an independent NGO defending the right to reliable information and working globally to promote the freedom, pluralism and independence of journalism. Fighting against censorship and providing support to journalists and media outlets persecuted because of their activities, RSF defends an essential pillar of democracy.
Context of the call for tender
Major digital platforms operate systems that reward virality and engagement over accuracy and reliability. The consequences are twofold: the economic fragility of public interest media is deepening, while misleading and low-quality content circulates more widely which makes citizens less likely to encounter trusted sources of information online.
RSF seeks to build a robust, independent evidence base study on the potential effects of Very Large Platforms' (VLOPs) prioritisation of reliable sources on media economics, audience behaviour, and the information ecosystem as a whole.
The European Commission is currently looking into updating the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) to new market and technological developments. It launched a formal call for evidence in late 2025, with a full evaluation and review planned for 2026. The review process looks at whether the Directive's rules should be amended to ensure appropriate visibility and prominence for European media across digital platforms and connected devices.
The study commissioned as part of this brief aims to provide an evidence-based assessment of the potential benefits of introducing a due prominence obligation for the media sector and European citizens.
It will also foster RSF's inputs into other legislative processes and future framework agreements negotiated with platforms or voluntary industry standards in the world.
Concepts and scope of the study
Prominence
"A prominence regime is the prevailing framework of rules which establishes to what extent platforms and intermediaries can, or should prioritise certain forms of content over others, and under what conditions of transparency, accountability, and liability."
In the context of the AVMS Directive review, a due prominence obligation requiring online intermediaries to promote trusted sources of information means that it would be a legal requirement for platforms like social media networks, search engines, and news aggregators to prioritize and elevate content from verified, credible, and reliable sources.
Appropriate prominence measures applied by intermediary services enhancing the findability and visibility of trusted sources of information include, but are not limited to, the following:
* algorithmic prioritization of trusted news sources
* the display of trust indicators
* the display of contextual data related to trusted news sources
* the implementation of filters or sorting options that highlight reliable sources
* etc.
The study should test at least one, or several, of these application measures.
Trusted sources of information
On a general level, this concept refers to a type of organisation whose purpose is to produce public-interest content in compliance with professional and ethical norms. The intention is not to introduce any form of legally-grounded hierarchy between different pieces of content or individual journalists, but to adopt a principles-based approach to the processes, structures, and methods that relate to journalism as a professional practice.
Geography
The geographic focus is the European Union. If sampling methods on specific countries will be applied, proposals should specify which markets (or countries) they intend to cover and justify the selection.
Platforms
Platforms to be considered include: Google (Search, Discover, News, AI summaries), Meta (Facebook, Instagram), YouTube, X/Twitter, TikTok, and Microsoft (Bing, Copilot). The scope of the study could be extended to GEN-AI services such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity. Proposals should justify any platform exclusion or proposed reordering of priority.
Research Objectives
The purpose of the study is to assess the potential effects of alternative regulatory scenarios. Respondents should estimate their respective consequences for audiences, market competition, the sustainability of the news ecosystem, and broader public-interest objectives.
Scenario 1 – Status quo (no due prominence)
The current regulatory and market environment, in which online platforms determine the visibility of news content primarily through their existing ranking, recommendation and monetisation systems, without any specific due prominence obligation.
Scenario 2 – Due prominence obligation
A regulatory framework requiring major online platforms to provide enhanced visibility and discoverability for trusted news sources meeting predefined eligibility criteria, while leaving existing monetisation mechanisms unchanged.
Scenario 3 – Due prominence combined with revenue-sharing mechanisms
A regulatory framework combining due prominence obligations with complementary measures designed to strengthen the financing of trusted journalism, such as preferential monetisation conditions, advertising-related mechanisms, or other value-sharing arrangements.
Evaluation team qualification
The following skills will be sought:
* Demonstrated expertise in media economics, platform dynamics, and/or audience research
* Knowledge of the European media and regulatory environment, and of journalistic trust standards in an asset
* Fluent spoken and written English
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be assessed according to the following criteria:
* Proposed methodology (e.g. methodological rigour and plausibility of the causal reasoning framework, coverage and balance across the three scenarios and three research questions)
* Proposed deliverables and milestone structure
* Consultants' expertise and experience (i.e. team composition, track record)
* Duration and timeline
* Budget
For complete job description and to apply, visit:
https://rsf.org/en/node/96071
HOW TO APPLY:
Team of consultants interested in the assessment should include the following documents in their application:
* A technical proposal - not exceeding 15 pages - detailing the understanding of the assessment stakes, the proposed methodology, as well as the implementation schedule considered.
* CVs of the team members describing education and [text truncated in source]