The Information Society Department of the Council of Europe has unveiled its report on the state of freedom of expression in Council of Europe member States in 2021. This annual review, based on the findings of Council of Europe bodies and monitoring mechanisms, is focussed on legal guarantees for freedom of expression, safeguards for the safety of journalists and others who speak up, independent and pluralistic media environment and reliability and trust of information.
Overall, while public trust and demand for quality journalism grew, the conditions under which the media worked to produce quality output were very challenging. Violence against journalists and media outlets worsened and in some countries was almost normalised. There has been sustained action on this issue by the Council of Europe, including the provision of recommendations to end violence and detailed implementation guidelines, and member states must meet the challenge that they are now faced with if journalism is to be able to continue its function as a watchdog of democratic society. The legal framework for freedom of expression and related safeguards to be strengthened in a number of countries, as shown by the many violations of the right to freedom of expression found by the European Court of Human Rights, and countries should redouble their efforts to implement these judgments in a timely manner.
The right to freedom of expression enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights has for several decades been of central importance to the organisation. The right of individuals to form, hold and express their opinions without undue interference is crucial for the realisation of all other human rights, it enables citizens to make informed choices and to participate actively in democratic processes, ensuring that powerful interests are held to account.
Freedom of expression, therefore, deserves the highest attention, today as ever. Consecutive yearly assessments have shown that threats to this anchor of democratic societies have been growing across the continent. This has proven detrimental to our resilience to crisis situations, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. It is evident that the core principles of freedom of expression and media independence are indispensable for European democracies and of crucial value even more acutely in times of crisis.
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