Press freedom in Romania: The success story of imprisoned media owners

Financially unsustainable and legally grey Romanian media have started to crumble, together with their corresponding tycoons, write Manuela Preoteasa and Andrei Schwartz.

Manuela Preoteasa is the Publisher of EurActiv Romania. Andrei Schwartz is editor at EurActiv Romania.

The main tycoons that have shaped the Romanian media landscape in the last decade, occupying leading positions in terms of ratings and audience share, are Adrian Sârbu, Dan Voiculescu, Sorin Ovidiu Vântu and Dinu Patriciu. All of them have been or are currently under criminal investigation.