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Everyone has the right to be informed in order to make conscious decisions and participate actively in society. One of the most common ways to stay up to date is to watch the news on television, listen to it on the radio, or read it online. Yet many people still face difficulties accessing this information, since news language is often complex and can be hard to understand.

The European project ENACT (Easy-to-Understand News for Collaborative Transformation) was created to address this challenge. It brings together public broadcasting organisations from Austria, Slovenia, and Latvia, as well as an Italian association. There are also two Catalan partners in the project: the Catalan broadcaster 3Cat and UAB, which coordinates and leads the research.
ENACT’s goal is to promote easy-to-understand news across Europe. This initiative aims to ensure that information is accessible to people with different comprehension needs, such as persons with intellectual disabilities, reading or learning difficulties, migrants, or language learners.

Our study is part of the project and examines the current situation of easy-to-understand news in Europe. Based on a survey completed by participants from 25 countries—including broadcasters and organisations working with persons with disabilities—we studied the current offer of easy-to-understand news, how organisations work, the challenges they face, and the opportunities and plans ahead. Results show that most organisations in the survey already provide accessible content and intend to expand it.

However, significant obstacles remain. Most organisations value contact and collaboration with target audiences but often cannot involve them in news creation or revision due to lack of time and resources. Common challenges include the absence of clear guidelines, legal obligations, funding, and specific training in easy-to-understand language. Participants also highlight the need to raise awareness among media professionals and the general public about the importance and potential of news in a more understandable language.

All in all, our research shows that interest in easy-to-understand language and accessible news is growing despite current challenges. Yet, promoting this type of content and moving towards a more inclusive society requires collective effort and collaboration across sectors, including target audiences. After all, building a more accessible world is only possible if we all participate in the process.