United We Can proposes a shift in how media outlets present advertising, aiming to separate promotional spots from the presenters who deliver information. This stance appears in one of the 31 amendments appended to the General Law of Audiovisual Communications project. The intention is to insert a new clause into Article 9 that clarifies the responsibility for accuracy in information. The practical effect would be to prevent news agencies from being recruited by advertisers seeking to promote their products or services on television.
The reform explicitly states that media outlets should avoid including commercial advertisements within programs that are hosted by individuals responsible for transmitting information. Reggae is cited as one of the changes in this reform proposal, and proponents, including the party led by Ione Belarra, stress that the influence of visible information should not be used to serve commercial interests. In this framing, the integrity of news content is prioritized over branding opportunities that might compromise trust.
The proposal highlights the principle that advertisers whose sole aim is to promote a product or service should refrain from lending their image to brands within news programming. At the same time, it is noted that corporate advertisements or sponsorships that are exempt from numerical accounting due to public or social purposes were not included in this reform. The text suggests a strict boundary between editorial content and paid promotional material, with the goal of safeguarding informational credibility.
Beyond this, the reform contemplates a broader consolidation of communication norms. United We Can may seek to introduce a new guiding principle for audiovisual communication that emphasizes respect for human rights, animal welfare, nature, and ecosystems. It also calls for audiovisual content to warn about the consequences of climate change and to avoid promoting products whose production harms ecosystems. This reflects a holistic approach to media responsibility, linking content standards with environmental stewardship and social ethics.
Additional adjustments address language representation on streaming platforms. The proposal suggests that a minimum portion of content be allocated to works in languages protected by law in the respective autonomous communities, with a floor of 10% for each protected language. It also envisions that at least 40% of total programming be European audiovisual works directed or created by women, aiming to expand opportunities for women in the audiovisual sector and to diversify creative leadership across the industry.